De rouille et d'os

Date: Friday 16th November 2012
Film: Rust and Bone (2012)
Director: Jacques Audiard
Starring: Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts
Running Time: 2 hours
Rating: 6/10

I've spent the last week processing my thoughts on this film and I'm still at an impasse.

This might be, again, a case of being advertised wildly wrong. All the press on Rust and Bone made me believe that the film was about Marion Cotillard's character coming to terms with an accident that cost her her legs and her career as a whale trainer and, whilst this is touched upon in the film, this is not the case.

Rust and Bone focuses on Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts), a man that has just taken responsibility for his young son, and has moved in with his sister to try and get some sort of control over his life; to find a job, stop being a playboy and to become a father to a child he barely knows.

Marion Cotillard's character, Stephanie, is a the lead support, but she is a support none the less. Her story is merely background to explain why she acts the way she does and how this in turn affects Ali as their friendship develops.

Ultimately, I think my issue with the film is that as beautifully shot as it is, I felt Ali, as a character, was unlikable  He did not, in my opinion, have a single redeeming quality which made it hard for me to relate to a film that focused on him.

I have a feeling I'm alone in this, so many people have told me how much they adored Rust and Bone. See it and decide for yourself.

Challenge day: 54
Challenge time: 2 days 12 hours 25 minutes
Challenge film total: 33