Rust and Bone

Jacques Audiard’s Rust and Bone tells the story of Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts), a drifter who has recently arrived in Antibes and is trying to find his way as a single father after a lifetime of problems. He moves in with his sister, who is facing her own troubles, and gets a job in security to try and make ends meet. Ali crosses paths with Stéphanie (Marion Cotillard), a killer whale trainer, when she is hurt in a fight at the club where Ali works as a bouncer. Their meeting is brief, but after Stéphanie suffers a tragic accident at the marine park, she falls into a state of depression and calls Ali out of the blue. He unexpectedly becomes the lifeline that she needs and the two develop an unusual relationship based on swimming and no-strings sex. Yet, Ali is still drifting from job to job whilst trying to earn extra money with underground kickboxing fights, and his frustration threatens to overwhelm him when family tensions come to breaking point. In his hour of need, Ali may just find that Stéphanie could be the one to save him in return.

Cotillard and Schoenaerts turn in riveting performances in Audiard’s candid and intense portrait of human relationships. Nominated for two Golden Globes and two BAFTAs, Rust and Bone is an unmissable film from the award-winning director of The Beat That My Heart Skipped.

Katherine Bradburn

After doing the rounds at Toronto, Cannes and other prestigious film festivals in 2012, Rust and Bone has finally arrived for its first screening at WSC – and it’s truly not one to be missed.

At the very heart of this movie is the story of a relationship between an emotionally handicapped man and a physically disabled woman. Alain (Matthias Schoenaerts) is an insensitive, selfish and downright rude character, whose only achievement in life seems to be upsetting his family and friends. However, when he meets Stéphanie (Marion Cotillard), a killer whale trainer who loses her legs in a horrific accident, the two form an unlikely companionship as they come to accept and attempt to overcome their individual struggles.

Marion Cotillard has graced our screens in countless Hollywood blockbusters over the past few years (from the mind-twisting thriller Inception to the action-packed Dark Knight Rises) but she chooses to return to her home territory for this raw, emotional French drama. Along with her co-star Matthias Schoenaerts (who has quickly established a name for himself in European cinema and brings a real presence to this role), Cotillard delivers an astounding performance as a defiant woman who refuses to give in to her disability. Cotillard’s portrayal is so convincing, in fact, that the scene in which Stéphanie breaks down after discovering her legs have been amputated ought to be listed as one of the most tear-inducing moments in cinema history.

Jacques Audiard is also back on top form in the director’s chair for the first time since filming his Oscar-nominated movie A Prophet, and the overall result is sensational. Once again, Audiard proves his capability for drawing out incredible acting from a carefully composed script, whilst the film’s musical score radiates against the sheer brilliance and beauty of his cinematography.

Filled with sensitivity, intelligence and romance, whilst packing a powerful punch to the gut - Rust and Bone is quality French cinema at its best.

Laura Davenport