French movies are really great at telling two stories. There is usually the obvious one in the movie blurbs, but in the middle of that one a second emerges, usually some deeper truth the character wanted more than the resolution of the first story. Two Days, One Night follows along the same mold, a strong film written/directed by the Dardenne Brothers and acted by the wonderful Marion Cotillard.
Sandra (Cotillard) has been living in dark days. After injuring herself at her solar company and going through a deep depression during her leave, Sandra is ready to go back to work: only to find out she will be fired so the other 16 employees can receive a bonus (14 voted against her). After Sandra convinces her boss for a revote on Monday morning, she and her husband Manu (Fabrizio Rongione) try to convince the 14 other employees to change their mind so she can stay.
It is clear that Sandra is a broken woman before her weekend excursion. She breaks down at the slightest negative change to her situation. This deux ex machina is placed in front of her in the form of her job, forcing her to uproot herself out of her fragile state. Each person represents a new challenge, and Sandra has to call upon the will she doesn’t think she has to push forward. At about the halfway point we realize this isn’t about a job: this is about Sandra’s willingness to move forward and desire to live again. Each no or yes increasingly becomes a life or death situation, organically raising the stakes thanks to the Dardenne’s use of intimate camera shots on Sandra’s face. You feel the pain and elation of each answer along with Sandra.
Marion Cotillard is the highest profile actress the Dardenne’s have cast, and they make use of all of her talents throughout 2 Days, 1 Night. The camera is constantly on Cotillard’s face or body, and she has to acting the same beats 14 different ways, many of which she manages to pull off. Cotillard looks pained to even walk at the start of the film, like a nudge would make her fall over. As the movie progresses, we see her live and die by the show of support, hitting lower lows and welcome highs, but most of all, we see a new Sandra with each new visit. Cotilard is one of the few actresses who could pull this off, and she does the best she can, even overcoming repetitive writing. Fabrizio Rongione earns his place alongside Cotillard, he has to act differently with many of the responses as well, and does his damdest to be a great husband.
Two Days, One Night is heavy viewing, but very relatable. During the downtimes, sometimes you have to remind yourself that you’re worth it. Marion Cotillard shows us how important it is for you to learn this yourself. But come on France, who pits a worker against a raise? What a crappy work environment.