Put in charge of his young son, Ali leaves Belgium for Antibes to live with his sister and her husband as a family. Ali's bond with Stephanie, a killer whale trainer, grows deeper after Stephanie suffers a horrible accident.
Thought-provoking.
Although I really like Rust And Bone, its premise is preposterous at a level that could enter the Olympics of Daft, and walk away with the gold.
The redemption is a long time coming, and ambiguous when it does, leaving this a slightly unsatisfying experience.
It’s the sheer strangeness of their relationship, and Audiard’s willingness to use the full force of cinema to explore it in such an emotionally direct way, that makes Rust and Bone stand out.
[Director] Audiard takes huge risks navigating his way through this pummelling workout of a film, and it’s remarkable how many of them pay off.
I felt that the ending of the movie did not quite have the power of its first two acts, and I also felt that Cotillard's own presence is faded out in the final minutes. But what a love story.
Cotillard's superb performance keeps the film more or less honest – don't be surprised to see her tipped as favourite for a Best Actress Oscar.
Strong acting, weak script.
Rust And Bone sounds sentimental and melodramatic and yet everything about the film strives towards the realistic.
Tense, moving, relevant, bold: a truly gripping film.
Another triumph from Audiard and a Cotillard masterclass, this bruising, tender melodrama lingers long in the memory.
As strong as Audiard's drama is, however, it didn't affect me as much as I wanted it to, probably because its initial, harsh social realism soon goes soft.
What could be melodramatic and sentimental seems fresh and true. The picture as a whole, though, is overpacked.
This is not rust and bone filmmmaking, it is flesh and blood and heart and head film-making, bursting with life and demanding to be seen.
Preview: Rust and Bone
Cameo, Edinburgh from Friday November 16, 2012, until Thursday November 22, 2012. More info: http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/
Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee from Friday November 16, 2012, until Thursday November 22, 2012. More info: www.dca.org.uk
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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