There should be some joy in Rust and Bone. For all its bleakness and self-seriousness, it's ultimately about finding companionship and comfort in dark times, yet there's not a moment of levity to be found.
Jacques Audiard never quite gives heart to this character drama. The film at least nicely contrasts Matthias Schoenaerts and Marion Cotillard's characters, as one carelessly destroys his body fighting while the other has to cautiously adapt to her body's limitations. The pair have a chemistry together that lends some credence to an otherwise unbelievable relationship.
Cotillard is a slight standout here, filling in the gaps for a character who's either explosive or entirely demure on the page. Her very faint smile when she's called first Schoenaerts' girlfriend adds a layer I doubt Audiard intended. However, she and Schoenaerts can only do so much with an implausible, limited screenplay full of throwaway scenes. Subplots involving Schoenaerts's surveillance job, his sister and son are all heavy-handed. The corny finale literally treads on thin ice.
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