Two Days, One Night (Official Trailer 2014) 1:27
- Play video
The film follows Sandra, a young woman assisted by her husband, who has only one weekend to convince her colleagues to give up their bonuses so that she can keep her job. Courtesy Artificial Eye.
- news.com.au
- 05 Nov 2014
- News Entertainment Entertainment/Movies
THE premise for this compelling movie from Belgium has the simplicity of a fable.
Sandra (Marion Cotillard) lives in the industrial town of Liege and has been off work battling illness.
Realising that her 16 colleagues have coped with the workload in her absence, her boss, M Dumont (Baptiste Sornin), has offered them all a bonus if they vote to make Sandra redundant.
They have voted for the money, but Sandra convinces Dumont to allow another ballot. She has one weekend to convince a majority of her workmates to let her keep her job.
Sandra has one weekend to convince a majority of her workmates to let her keep her job. Source: Supplied
Sandra and her husband Manu (Fabrizio Rongione) are low-income earners supporting two children.
If she loses her employment they won’t be able to make the mortgage payments on their small apartment. But her colleagues are also struggling and need the extra money.
As Sandra fights her despair and goes from door to door to make her case to each of them in person, the range of receptions she gets reveals a lot about human nature.
Sandra and her husband Manu (Fabrizio Rongione) are low-income earners supporting two children. Source: Supplied
The latest film from the Dardenne Brothers has garnered acclaim around the world, including the Sydney Film Prize at the Sydney Film Festival earlier this year.
It’s a thought-provoking work that forces viewers to ask themselves a very stark political question: is money more important than people? Or, do you put your trust in the community or the powerful?
This film forces viewers to ask themselves a very stark political question: is money more important than people? Source: Supplied
Adding irony to this story is that M Dumont’s company makes solar-power panels — in the bigger picture, he’s on the side of the angels.
The Dardennes make dramas in a naturalistic style grounded in their earlier work as documentary makers.
The film looks convincing. Which is just as well, as there’s something a little unconvincing about its scenario.
This Dardenne Brothers film has garnered acclaim around the world, including the Sydney Film Prize at the Sydney Film Festival earlier this year. Source: Supplied
Instead of running around town speaking to everyone, shouldn’t Sandra be visiting just one person: someone in industrial relations who can help these workers unionise?
Still, that’s a minor quibble in a movie that cuts so deftly to the core of human experience.
NOW SHOWING
Nick Dent is group editor, Time Out Australia
Film Two Days, One Night
Released by Madman
Star rating 4/5
Director Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne
Rating M
Running time 91 minutes
Verdict One worker’s plight is a morality tale for all
Originally published as Simple idea makes for clever film
