Two Days, One Night

I have seen all the Dardenne brothers' movies, from La Promesse to this. I think that as they move away from lesser actors to well known ones, their movies are losing a bit of their bite. Cecile de France was half way believable as a hairdresser, but IMO, Marion Cotillard was simply not believable as a working class, down on her luck, factory worker. Marion to me, still seemed far too beautiful and glamorous for someone in that position. I could believe she was depressed and anxious, but working class, no. They should have dressed her in far uglier clothes, had her hair frizzy and badly cut (not just tied back in a pony tail) and had her wear absolutely no makeup. We saw a far bigger transformation of her appearance in Rust and Bone than in this movie. Then there was the story. Really, though it hung together (unlike Lorna's Silence) I found it rather repetitive and monotonous. Each time she approaches a colleague with the same story and they will say yes or no. The section where she takes a bottle of Xanax was totally unrealistic. Even if she were able to vomit up most of the tablets, she would be groggy and not ready to continue her campaign. Nor would a reputable hospital let her, IMO. This was a suicide attempt and I'm pretty sure she would have been made to stay at least a few days under observation, if not in their psychiatric ward, then just to make sure all the drugs were out of her system. I thought the film was very well shot and that the performances other than Ms. Cotillard's were quite good. That is why I have given the movie a 7 and not a lower number.

The storyline of this film is a bit like the Sidney Lumet classic '12 Angry Men'. One person needs to convince a group of others. In '12 Angry Men', Henry Fonda convinced his fellow jurors that the accused must be innocent. In 'Deux Jours, Une Nuit', factory worker Sandra tries to convince her fellow workers to give up their bonuses, so she won't be fired. Their employer doesn't have enough money to pay Sandra and the bonuses, so he lets the staff decide what they want. But whereas Henry Fonda persuaded the jurors with arguments, Sandra tries to do it with emotion. 'I want to stay with you', she tells her colleagues, 'and not become unemployed and alone'. The film follows Sandra during the weekend preceding the vote, planned for the next Monday morning. We see her going from door tot door, ringing every bell and asking her colleagues literally the same question: can you vote for me, so I can stay? The reactions vary. Some say they are sorry, but they need the money. Others promise to talk about it with their husbands. Some promise their support immediately. One turns to violence. The Dardenne brothers, who directed this film, usually work with little-known actors. This time, they chose a big star for the lead: Marillon Cotillard, who worked with directors like Christopher Nolan on big budget productions. For the film, it doesn't make much difference. Cotillard totally immersed herself in the Dardenne-method (she calls it her 'Dardennisation'). The camera follows her closely during her weekend-long quest, and shows her as a vulnerable woman, who constantly seems to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown, repeatedly starts crying and constantly doubts her own capabilities. The Dardenne brothers are famous for their own film making style, which consists of very intense scenes, filmed without any glamour, showing the raw reality of working class life in their own city, the Belgian industrial centre Liège. This style worked very well in some of their films, notably the unemployment drama 'Rosetta' and the coming of age-film 'Le fils'. I think in 'Deux Jours, Une Nuit', it works not so well. After a while, the door-ringing starts to get a bit tedious, partly because Sandra asks exactly the same question every time, and partly because the reactions of her co-workers are mostly rather predictable. The plot could have been worked out better this time: it offers lots of possibilities the Dardennes haven't used. This is probably a deliberate choice: the plot is never the strong point in their films because they focus on the emotions of their characters. What drives the movie forward, is the suspense: will she get enough voters to keep her job, or will all her efforts turn out to be futile? After such a build-up, you expect something special: not a simple yes or no. I will not give any spoilers, but I was a bit disappointed, also by the almost emotionless way Sandra handles the outcome. 'Deux Jours, Une Nuit', is a good film, showing the raw reality of an economic downturn. But in my opinion, the Dardennes have made better films.

If you are curious to check this movie out and see what all the fuss at Cannes and of the critics is about, just like me, I would recommend you to save the money. "Two days, One Night" is a more than decent film, but nothing else. The problem is the fact that it thinks too highly of itself. Why do I say that? Many critics have praised the movie for its honesty, the pureness of its message and the delicacy. Well I really disagree. There certainly is an extent of honesty in the staging of the family everyday life, but with all its intrusive long takes, its high number of aimless long scenes, some key dialogue lines that feel out of nowhere, a couple too many cringe moments and, most importantly, its disappointing ending, I found the film to be much more manipulative and convenient, than honest. The ending did not make a point to me and was a total 180 from where the whole movie was going, it felt very convenient and in no way ended the movie, There had to be ten minutes more or ten minutes less for it to stamp something. That is not to say that there aren't many thinks to like. Marion Cotilliard, first and foremost alongside the widely interesting look at humanity, offered by the movie. This isn't your general black and white statement offered-in-the-last-five-minutes type of reflection, under which many dramas fall. This is a profound analysis of what does it mean to be thrust into an impossible situation and how would each of us deal with it if put in the same place. This combined with the premise of the movie is enough to keep the 95 minutes going fluently without ever boring things down, but never during the movie did I feel profound emotional connection with any of the characters. I wanted it to be slightly more nastier and dramatic.

In the film Two Days, One Night (or Deux Jours, Une Nuit for those of you who parle vu frances) academy award winning actress Marion Cotillard plays solar panel factory worker Sandra. Sandra has returned from a long work hiatus for depression, only to find out that her job has been eliminated. Sandra's co-workers all took a vote in order to keep their bonus, they had to eliminate her position. Sandra's friend manages to get the vote to be redone. So Sandra and her husband Manu have two days to go confront each of her co-workers and convince them to forego their bonuses so that she may stay employed. I think this film loses a little in translation and understanding of cultural norms. This is a Belgian film, entirely in French with the exception of one moment where the characters enjoy Gloria by Van Morrison that they sing together. I guess I am going to have to claim my American ignorance here. There are a lot of things I am not getting as far as cultural differences. Here is a small list: 1.) Is having co-workers vote on others terminations as a means for financial benefit a common occurrence in the rest of the world. Seems kind of cruel and less than fair. Plus to have someone come try and make me feel bad about my decision by confronting me, seems very uncomfortable. 2.) Are Belgian men really that sensitive? I saw a lot of dude tears for no reason in this film. 3.) Is everyone in Europe as formal as it shows in this film? Every conversation must start with a hello and end with a goodbye. They never missed on that one. Culturally I found it noteworthy. 4.) Sandra gets a long time of PAID time off for depression, plus she is a drug addict. I had a very hard time scraping together enough empathy for her character to get me through this movie. Plus every person she confronted seemed to be working at least one other job. Sandra barely could accomplish the job of begging for her job back. She should have just cut her losses and got another job. All the people she talked to needed that money and as far as I was concerned she was not that great of an employee to begin with. Marion Cotillard is nominated for her performance in this film. I think she was very convincing a depressed woman, but I failed to see the great in this performance. But I don't watch a lot of foreign films. I can count on one hand the amount of foreign films I have seen and enjoyed, Amelie (2001), Cinema Paradiso (1988) and…… Does the Godfather II (1974) count since the DeNiro Scenes are all in Italian? So I will admit I am not as cultured as seeing this film would require. So I am for sure not the demographic for this movie. That being said I would pass on this film. No violence, no nudity, no laughs, no fun. Not a lot of action to speak of, just a sad woman going door to door begging. The end, which I will not spoil, is kind of a tie in to a greater good of humanity message, but the payoff is not worth the journey.

What a shame. Many things about this film just don't add up! I felt as though the film makers were limited to 90 minutes and therefore had to chop parts of the film out to meet this limit - and if this wasn't the case, why did they not expand anything and make it a little longer? For a start, two days one night - it starts on a Friday afternoon and ends on a Monday morning. That's 2 days, 3 nights. Sandra sees 13 co workers - and each scene is only a couple of minutes where they either say "no, I need the money" or "yes, I will vote for you" (after the tedious explanation of the new ballot each time). Great script... These people are supposedly on the dole in a financial crisis but are very middle class. Not one coworker she visited lived in a run down neighborhood or house or looked to be struggling. One was redecorating their house! And the whole time Sandra drinks bottled water and stops for snacks, mini pizza's etc - not the behavior of someone subsisting. They even drive an imported modern car rather than a run down domestic. Maybe they have it easy in France? I doubt it though, I think the attention to detail just wasn't adequate. I know this isn't a well constructed review, but this is simply because I am upset that what could have been a gritty, thought provoking drama seemed in fact to be a half hearted, rushed, overly simple and undeveloped 'flick'. Surprising given the brothers previous work.

There is a clear and vibrant simplicity to The Dardenne Brothers' newest and affecting effort Two Days, One Night starring the hauntingly rich and powerful Marion Cotillard. Intimate and honest, the selection for Belgium for the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony makes a compelling case in showcasing a tragic story of family, despair, and sacrifice. Starting this off with a cinematic (likely horrible) confession, I've never seen a Dardenne Brothers film in its entirety. Growing up in an American household, and only learning of them over the past few years, the two acclaimed filmmakers remained on my bucket list for a cinematic weekend but never fully got around to it. Does that make me less qualified to review the new film distributed by Sundance Selects? I'd like to think not. Every new generation of film critics, both new and beyond, will learn the ways of Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and the Dardenne Brothers in some new capacity. The film tells the story of Sandra, a young mother who learns that her co-workers have opted for a large cash bonus, and as a result, will leave her without a job. She spends the next two days and one night, visiting all sixteen co-workers to convince them to give up their money in order for her to keep her job and help her support her family. From the premise alone, you can only assume that you're going to be pulled through the ringer. What the writer/directors exercise brilliantly is the feeling of desperation. A supportive husband Manu, played magnificently by Fabrizio Rongione, and a friend Juliette (Catherine Salée) offer balance to a dark tale but you can't help but just feel for our lovely Sandra. It's a social and economical look at the working class. What it can make you do and how you can lose your humanity as a result. The pinnacle and most profound element of the picture is the towering achievement of Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard. She observes Sandra in her fragile state and avoids any typical tropes and clichés. Cotillard searches for Sandra's purpose, almost as convincingly as Sandra searches for her own. She yearns for more, but most of all, she seeks simple clarity. She's drowning in her own sadness, something that some of us might know too well. She's dying for a breath of air. This is just another prime example of Cotillard's stunning abilities to transform herself in any role. Rust & Bone and La Vie en Rose are just the tip of the iceberg, and this may not even be the full extent of her talents. I think we're looking at a legendary actress emerging before our eyes. There's a role coming, if you haven't experienced it already, that is going to knock all of us on our asses. This could be it for many. The major flaw I found is in the way the brothers decide to tell the story. At 95 minutes, the film tends to move at a snail's pace from time to time. As soon as the film reveals its premise, I wondered how we were going through sixteen individuals without feeling repetitive. While some of them definitely make their marks (a scene involving Timur Magomedgadzhiev rings profoundly genuine), others feel like victims of circumstance and even a little bland. By the movie's end, I felt like I had sat for over two hours. Two Days, One Night is a contender for Best Foreign Language Film and a dark horse for Oscar-winner Cotillard to score a nomination. If you are familiar with the Dardenne Brothers previous efforts, this film should feel just as satisfying. If anything, this is a kind and seamless introduction to the directors' past efforts.

This French-language film is both written and directed by brothers Jean Pierre & Luc Dardenne and set in their native Wallonia part of Belgium, poorer than the Flemish north of the country and hard hit by the post-2008 recession. It is the complete antithesis of the Hollywood movie: slow and deliberate with no special effects or action sequences. A small company has a vote of its workforce which decides that it would rather all the staff receive a bonus than take back a female colleague who wishes to return to work after a bout of depression. The woman at the heart of this moral dilemma is Sandra, played by the talented French actress Marion Cotillard, who has just a weekend to persuade her colleagues to change their mind. Essentially this is a film about solidarity - or lack of it - not just in the workplace but also at home and shows how different factors influence our decisions and how those decisions have consequences for ourselves and for others.

What a great film, totally awesome. A movie that glues you to your seat, although this is not a suspense movie at the start. But it becomes so, more than any thriller. The story of a struggle for a Young female employee to keep her job after the decision from her manager to fire her. The same manager who just before gave the choice to the other employees: to fire the woman and give a big Bounty to all of them OR keep the female and NO BOUNTY for everyone... A cruel choice given by the manager. So, all along the film, you Watch the poor woman trying to persuade one by one her colleagues to give up their Bounty so that she can be kept in the company. Cruel at the most. It's a pure sacrilege to miss such a film. A terrific study of the human nature, the human behaviour at its best but also at its worst. Sometimes during the movie, I nearly wept, and at other moments, I wanted to howl. I was disgusted by some characters. A movie that Ken Loach could have made, but maybe with more humor... The sequence where Marion Cotillard tries to commit suicide, with so much calm, in a so meticulous way, this reminded me the nearly same sequence in ROSETTA - also directed by the Dardenne brothers - when Emilie Dequennnes tried to take her own life. A pure masterpiece. you can't live without seeing such a pure gem.

The only thing Deux Jours, Une Nuit achieves, is feeling ashamed for living in the first world. A pretty lady with a loving husband and two beautiful kids risks losing her job. This might endanger her family of having to move to a less nice apartment. The horror. But don't worry, she is not doomed. She manages to scrape together all her energy and will power to visit a few colleagues before Monday morning, in an attempt to help change their mind and reject a 1000 euro bonus which would let her keep her job. We follow her driving around in a nice middle class car, stuffing her face with pills and mini pizza's, on her way to pathetic and predictable encounters with people that are either portrayed as egoistical lowlifes, or luminescent angels. The amount of lethargic self pity and drama over a bump in the road occurrence like losing your job becomes almost humoristic. While it is tricky to pretend to know what goes on in the minds of real poor people in the third world, one can only imagine they would at least frown upon the scenery. This movie is an obnoxious appeal to solidarity, and a false plea on behalf of depressed people. There hardly isn't a scene without dramatic overacting, and it's already annoying that Marion Cotillard will win lots of awards because of it. The one award this movie does deserve unfortunately doesn't exist. It would be earned by the only attempt at a little bit of lightheartedness (the Gloria sing along in the car), which would easily win the award for most cringeworthy scene of the decade.

I've read review after review and cannot believe that essentially the only issues/complaints about this film are with regard to the (slow) pace. It isn't the fastest moving film, but I don't think that detracts from it, nor do I take issue with the acting (which I think is very good overall). The story itself is certainly unique..... Here are my problems with the film --- I have a hard time with the story itself. Is it from living in the US? The idea that a company would let it's employees decide the fate of another worker is absurd to me. It's not fair to anyone and serves as a morale killer (as witnessed in the film). It sets employee against employee and certainly does not necessarily benefit the company. It made the film a bit difficult to watch. Yes, Sandra needs her job...but so does everyone else! Why, as the viewer, should we be pulling for her? I just didn't "feel it". When, at the end of the film, Sandra says "we put up a good fight", I wanted to scream. What fight??!! You didn't go up against a huge corrupt union or a multi-billion dollar company, you went door to door making your co-workers feel uncomfortable and trying to guilt them into losing their bonuses. And her husband. Some reviews refer to his "support" of Sandra. In my mind, he comes off as a non-participant at best and reckless at worst. He doesn't do anything but drive her around and push her when she wants to stop....even after she tries to kill herself! After that (and based on her shaky mental history), he should have said "no more". I guess the assumption is that finding another job is not easy in this small town (?), but it's certainly an option...but it is not even mentioned until the very end. It might have made the film less frustrating had the viewer thought "well, finding another job is next to impossible". Maybe if you live in Belgium, this is more obvious? Perhaps. As much as I appreciated it on certain levels, the film ultimately frustrated me.