The Good:
The on-paper story arc of Rust and Bone is: boy meets girl, girl loses her legs, boy becomes a prize-fighter, everybody bonds. This sounds incredibly saccharine, right? Somehow, through the skill of the director, the screenwriter, and the ferocity of the two lead actors, it's not. At all. These are damaged, imperfect, anti-heroic characters in a lot of ways, and yet not one ounce of false pity is elicited, either between the characters or for them by the audience. This was, by far, the most "adult" movie I've seen this year, not because of the content (although there are a fair number of scenes which fully earn this it's R rating), but because of the clear-eyed way in which situations are handled and the complicated-yet-recognizable relationship that develops between the characters.
This movie would not have worked an Nth as well as it did, were it not for the two lead actors: Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts. I think, after a bevy of stunning performances in the past few years, audiences the world over have recognized how awesome -- and I do mean that in the 'awe-inspiring' sense -- Cotillard is... and this movie again underlines that. However, Schoenaerts keeps up with her in intensity and their combined beauty-and-the-beast brilliance is stunning.
As well, it should be mentioned that the special effects that render Cotillard a double-amputee (and there are a goodly number of scenes that unflinchingly show her legs) are flawless. The handling of her disability, by the script, is as well (see above, re: lack of false pity).
Special props, as well, for an exquisite use of Katy Perry's "Firework" (this scene really only makes sense in context, but I'm linking it anyway because I like it and it made me cry).
The Bad:
Rust and Bone is two hours long. The first 2/3 of it and the last 5 minutes are muscular and 100% worthwhile, but there's a chunk there in the third act that isn't bad... it's just not all that necessary. It's comparable to a large part of the third act of The Master, which had a very similar problem. We've established the relationship between the characters, we've seen them play through that relationship... and then we watch them do it over again. Some important developments DO come out of this sequence, but I feel like, given the strength of the plot before and after, this lull could have been handled more robustly.
It's 2013 -- do people REALLY still let their kids play on iced-over ponds? The poetic justice at the denouement kind of requires the set-up that occurs... but still, seriously?!
The Ugly:
It is one of the hardest things in the world to watch a man abuse a child. Be warned.
Points I Pondered:
- When you get punched in the face, can you really knock your tooth out root and all? Is this actually a thing or is it just a movie thing?
- I feel like certain scenes in this movie would have had more power if I knew more about the socio-economic striations in France. It's embarrassing how little I know about social issues in Europe.
- Do amputees really spend a fair bit of time dragging themselves around on the floor? It makes sense, I suppose, but honestly, I'd never thought about it before. I realize that sounds insensitive, but I really don't know.
- I find it exceptionally odd that I can find NO pictures on Google Images that show Cotillard as an amputee.
- I know there's meaning in the juxtaposition between Ali's carrying of Stephanie and his carrying of his son, but I can't quite nail down why this image becomes so important (especially given the character of Ali):
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