Film Review: "Rust and Bone" ("De rouille et d'os") (2012).

From the director of A Prophet (Un prophète) comes Rust and Bone (De rouille et d'os). This French–Belgian romantic drama film directed by Jacques Audiard, adapted by Audiard and Thomas Bidegain, and based on Craig Davidson's short story collection Rust and Bone. The film follows Ali, a former boxer and single father, who meets Stephanie when he saves her from a brawl at the nightclub where he works as a bouncer. Their casual acquaintance develops into something much more after Stephanie, who trains killer whales at a marine park, suffers a horrible accident and loses both her legs above the knee. As Stephanie draws on Ali's physical strength, an unexpected courtship slowly comes to life.

By early October 2011, Marion Cotillard, Matthias Schoenaerts, Corinne Masiero, Céline Sallette, and Bouli Lanners were cast in an adaptation of Davidson's Rust and Bone with Audiard to direct. Audiard stated that Cotillard was his first and only choice to play Stéphanie, he didn't want anyone else besides her for the role. In preparation for the role, Cotillard took swimming lessons and spent a week at Marineland to learn how to direct whales in preparation for the role. In addition, to bring to life the physical aspect of Stéphanie's disability, Cotillard started watching video footage of amputees so that she could figure out how to move. But she quickly decided it wasn't necessary because her character is still getting used to living as an amputee, using a wheelchair and, eventually, prosthetics. Initially, Audiard didn't want a professional actor to play Ali, so he started looking for possible candidates for the role at gyms and boxing clubs. After auditioning more than 200 candidates with no success, the casting director showed Bullhead (2011) to Audiard and he chose Schoenaerts based on that. Schoenaerts spent two months boxing, doing MMA training on a daily basis and also doing weightlifting and eating junk food like burgers, ice-cream and pizza in order to gain weight and a little belly, because Audiard wanted Ali to look strong but not fit, a bit unhealthy because the character is poor, so he doesn't have the means to feed himself properly. At the same time, with a budget of €15.4 million, principal photography commenced, and wrapped in late November. Filming took place in Antibes, Cannes, Belgium, Paris, northern France, and Brussels.

The film stars Cotillard, Schoenaerts, Masiero, Sallette, and Lanners. Cotillard and Schoenaerts more than rise to the challenge of making Stéphanie and Ali utterly compelling throughout their journey. Cotillard manages to use her physical frailty to convey enormous threat in a way no English-speaking star of that generation would be willing to match.

Featuring an impressive tour de force by Cotillard and Schoenaerts, Rust and Bone is a French drama film filled with arresting, immediate emotions. A delectable and intriguing drama filled with surprises, the film is an original. This is a story of two misfits who don't stand a chance alone, but together they are magnificent.

Simon says Rust and Bone (De rouille et d'os) receives: