Two Days, One Night (Jean-Pierre et Luc Dardenne, 2013): Italy, France, Belgium

Reviewed by Vanessa Rason. Viewed at AFIFest 2014

Jean-Pierre et Luc Dardenne are indie directors with a cult-like following, responsible for the hyped up film noir classic Cannes hit “Rosetta”  in 1999 that helped to create the ultra hip yet detached hipster crowd I encountered at AFI’s Hollywood premiere at the Egyptian last friday night. Line around the corner was well worth the wait for the sold out 600seat theatre were the superstarlet, french actress, Marion Cotillard graced us with her viewing pleasure. The feeling was whimsical and exciting for the highly revered directors premiers.The film itself, left more to be desired. The plot describes the story of a depressed mother who finds that she’s lost her job after being released from the hospital. She then has to undertake the  painfully difficult and demeaning task of pleading for a vote for her to regain her position at the solar power plant which she once worked to each of her co-workers. A majority vote would mean re-hire and then back to the ability to provide a meager existence for herself and her family. The catch? If she is allowed to stay, the employees must forgo their 1000$ yearly bonuses. In Dardenne style, the film is stuffed into a short 90 minute sequence and overall the Dardenne brothers manage to create something good given the time constraints and easy to follow, and almost predictable plot. The struggle is real, one of stress, hardship and determination, but it is hard to believe someone as beautiful as oscar winning Cotillard couldn’t just walk into a modeling agency and tell the asshole boss at the blue collar power plant to go to hell.  Cotillard is giving an Oscar deserving performance, no doubt she is the technical serious professional she is celebrated to be in her Role as Sandra but her shear beauty detracts us from the films theme. Somewhere in there is an obscure undertone of mental illness and a sticking xanax addiction, which probably could have been left out all together.  In the end, this film is decent story of hardship, social solidarity, and struggle of middle class life where an emaciated looking Cotillard is forced to fight for her opportunity to work all in “Two days, One Night“.