Sam's Blog - Two Days, One Night

In the past, Hollywood has been very callous in its treatment of people with mental illness. Just look at the majority of the horror genre and you'll understand what I mean. But I've noticed lately that more and more films have centered their focus on those with a mental condition -- not as the antagonist, but the protagonist. Here at the Cinema alone, we've seen a slew of films -- BIRDMAN, FRANK, THE SKELETON TWINS, NIGHTCRAWLER -- and STILL ALICE is yet to come but I'll include it in this list. And now, from the directorial hands of Belgian brothers, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, we have TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT.

At surface level, TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT already has a brilliant hook: Sandra (Marion Cotillard) must petition her coworkers to give up their end-of-the-year bonus so that she may keep her job. The company has really put her in a sticky situation: to deal with a financial bump in the road, they ask their employees whether they would prefer their bonus or for Sandra to be let go (talk about awful bosses -- this is capitalism at its finest, folks). But it isn't just her salary that Sandra is struggling to keep... we quickly realize as her predicament unfolds before us that Sandra also struggles with depression. In fact, it is indirectly the reason she's in this mess to begin with: she had to take time off of work to battle it, and her boss realized that they only needed 16 employees instead of 17 to cover the workload. 

Needless to say, at the moment that Sandra has gotten her life emotionally back on track, this situation causes her to lose her ground. Throughout the film, her husband, Manu (Fabrizio Rongione) acts as her coach, continually reminding her to fight -- for her job, and her livelihood. As Sandra picks her way through her list of coworkers, trying to win them over to her side, she must make the decision not to give up.

There are moments when the film becomes a bit repetitive -- after all, Sandra is confronting 16 different people and asking them all the same thing -- but a handful of the coworkers stand out, propelling the story forward. These supporting characters instantly come to life -- some are at once vile and unforgivable, and others are quick to win your heart with their own story.

Cotillard oscillates back and forth between deadened emotion and overwhelming grief, cultivating an incredibly complex performance. It is no wonder she is up for an Oscar... she's never had a dull performance, but the way she so quietly fleshes out Sandra's struggle is downright beautiful -- and compelling enough for my vote. TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT truly focuses on the characters, giving insight into a situation that no one wants to find themselves in. It's a gem of a film -- come check it out this week at the Midtown Cinema!