Rust and Bone

"A tender yet heavily de-romanticized love story between a boxer with broken hands and an orca trainer with missing legs, Rust and Bone serves as an impressive if somewhat overblown exercise in contrasts."

"About much more than just PC themes and outlandish plotting. Cotillard’s performance is primed for awards, while Schoenaerts is a rough diamond."

"Lyrical touches and the most moving use ever of Katy Perry's "Firework" almost cancel out a cheap-shot third-act tragedy, yet it's the actors that save the film from soaping itself into Euro-miserablist irrelevance."

"Rust and Bone is a strong, emotionally replete experience, and also a tour de force of directorial button pushing. Mr. Audiard is a canny showman, adept at manipulating the audience's feelings and expectations with quick edits and well-chosen songs."

"What could have been simply bizarre, sentimental or contrived here becomes an utterly absorbing love story."

"Writer-director Jacques Audiard (A Prophet) probes the psyches of two people in crisis. His hypnotic film means to shake you, and does. Schoenaerts reveals unexpected layers in Ali. And Cotillard delivers a tour de force of unleashed emotions. She's astonishing."

"Romantic but pitiless, fearlessly emotional as well as edgy, "Rust and Bone" is a powerhouse."

"Benefits from unvarnished, forthright performances from Marion Cotillard and Bullhead hunk Matthias Schoenaerts."

"Another triumph from Audiard and a Cotillard masterclass, this bruising, tender melodrama lingers long in the memory."

"Both actors are tremendous - especially Schoenaerts."