Rust and Bone - B

Rated R, 118 minutes
In French with English subtitles

Cotillard shines in gritty but romantic tale of "Rust and Bone"

Marion Cotillard

The French film "Rust and Bone" is a moving, well-acted character study that could've easily been another movie-of-the-week about people overcoming disabilities. A struggling, lonely single father named Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts) helps a beautiful whale trainer named Stephanie (Cotillard) recover her will to live following a terrible accident that leaves her confined to a wheelchair. Stephanie's spirit broken by the same tragedy that took her legs, she gradually finds the courage to go on living trough transcendent moments spent with Ali -- a man with precious little pity, but an enormous love of life. "Rust and Bone" is a gritty, rough but tactile drama with fine performances. The story, written and directed by acclaimed French director Jacques Audiard ("A Prophet") and based on a short story by Craig Davidson, is a little too familiar and is a little patchy in places but it's an otherwise unsentimental look at an unconventional romance. The leads also share warm chemistry; memorable is rugged Belgian actor Schoenaerts, who is solid as a flawed but sensitive individual, and especially by Oscar-winner Cotillard (seen in the blockbuster "The Dark Knight Rises"), who with the help of a little CGI, believably conveys the emotions and life of a disabled person who hasn't forget how to love. The last act is a little muddled and the ending is a little too pat, but its otherwise a satisfying tale with some gritty moments, especially as Ali begins his fighting career. The  is certainly worth a look, especially for Cotillard, who's nominated for a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) award for her strong turn.

Wes's Grade: B