RUST AND BONE / DE ROUILLE ET D'OS (2012) - Movie Review

Director: Jacques Audiard
Starring: Marion Cotillard, Matthias Schoenaerts, Corinne Masiero, Celine Sallette, Bouli Lanners, Jean-Michel Correia
Genre: Drama, Romance
Writer: Jacques Audiard, Thomas Bidegain
Runtime: 120 min
Rated: R for strong sexual content, brief graphic nudity, some violence and language
Buy This Movie: Blu-ray (Amazon), DVD (Amazon), Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV

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Synopsis:

From the director of the multi-award-winning A Prophet, comes a gripping tale of two souls finding strength from each other after tragedy reunites them. Marion Cotillard (Academy Award® winner, 2007, Best Actress, La Vie En Rose) gives a tour-de force performance as Stephanie, an orca trainer whose life is transformed when tragedy strikes during a show. Faced with unbearable circumstances she turns to Ali (Matthias Schoenarts, Bullhead), a street boxer amidst his own battle of life-changing events. As their stories intersect, they navigate a gritty relationship in a world where love and courage appear in many forms.

Review:

The Franco-Belgian co-production "Rust and Bone" / "De rouille et d'os" is an emotionally gripping drama with a fantastic cast and a powerful story. And really that's it. I honestly don't have anything negative to say about the movie. Jacques Audiard directs and co-writes with such refreshing flair, avoiding the trappings of melodrama and crafts a convincing story about two broken people finding themselves and each other as they struggle to overcome hardships and move forward.

Martion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts are riveting and share sizzling chemistry which really helps sell the romance. The movie is structured around their characters and relies completely on how believable and compelling they can be, and I'm happy to report that both actors dig deep and build layers to their characters without ever losing authenticity. It can be said that Cotillard has the more diffcult role, which is why she garnered more praise and awards (and a horrible Oscars snub), but I believe it's unfair to diminish Schoenaerts charismatic high-octane performance.

Based on Craig Davidson's short story collection of the same name, the movie could so easily have turned into a mediocre tear-jerker, but Audiard avoids cheap sentimentality and instead gives us raw, unfiltered emotion. It's intense and gritty, yet still finds glimmers of hope in all the bleakness. Audiard masterfully paces the film, keeping us invested and connected for the duration without any dull moments or narrative missteps that might break the immersion. The director also complements the storytelling with a tour de force of technical filmmaking, including gorgeous cinematography, a great soundtrack, and subtle visual effects that complete Cotillard's amputee performance.

"Rust and Bone" is an all-round perfect drama and a rare cinematic treat that can be enjoyed by cinephiles and casual film fans alike.

SCORE: 10/10