Stephanie (Marion Cotillard) is an Orca trainer at an aquatic park in South of France and by night she is out in nightclubs picking up fights. Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts) is in a complete polar opposite of the spectrum. A down on his luck boxer who is now in charged of his son and in search of an opportunity to make a living. The two meet after an altercation in a club, but after Steph’s accident the two start seeing each other more. The relationship evolved into something more than just plutonic as the two connect on a deeper level.
A Prophet was my introduction to Jacques Audiard’s work and I must say it left me wanting more. Rust and Bone is more than enough to fill that void. Just like in A Prophet, Jacques Audiard employs similar effective tactics to pull in its audience and never letting go until the film is over.
Jacques Audiard’s Rust and Bone was incredibly effective in the first part of the film. This of course set the tone for the rest of the movie, providing viewers with a look into Steph’s new found reality and see her in different stages of acceptance. It’s really marvelous seeing Cotillard do this with such finesse. This is probably Marion Cotillard’s best performance. Even Matthias Schoenoerts was excellent with his role of Ali. The real culprit behind their click was the chemistry between the two actors. There was always a good connection between the two in every scene that involved the two together.
Rust and Bone is one underrated film that probably was overlooked because of the unfortunate release time frame. But Jacques Audiard’s Rust and Bone is a magnificent emotional ride and it is delivered in a way that only he can do. Many may have overlooked rust and Bone, but I will say it truly deserves the attention that it has received thus far.
Rust and Bone arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p MPEG4-AVC encode framed at 2.40:1 aspect ratio. The film features and excellent transfer in this release and it perfectly compliments the movie. Colors are very vivid and bright. The detailing of the film is fantastic most of the film, but there are few sequences where the details are lacking. The black colors are well reproduced but they do overtake the picture in a few scenes, nothing too drastic though. Close ups are excellent and very revealing. There are no signs of any video anomalies. Rust and Bone looks excellent.
Rust and Bone arrives on Blu-ray with a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio lossless track. The film is dialogue heavy so don’t expect your systems to be put to work. The dialogue reproduction is excellent though; it never struggles and comes out very clean. Directionality in the fronts is rather is a bit lacking in this release, but it does the job. The bass provides good low-end support. The score flows through the speakers very nicely. I can’t complain about this mix as it is fitting for the movie.
Audio Commentary – Featuring Jacques Audiard and Thomas Birdegan.
Making Rust and Bone
Deleted Scenes
On The Red Carpet: Toronto Film Festival
Theatrical Trailer
Rust and Bone is Jacques Audiard’s next gem that features two great performances from Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts. A movie that has fallen wayside due to it’s release time frame, but should make its way to your home. The Blu-ray features excellent video and audio transfers. The supplements also contain some good pieces that definitely should be checked out. I highly recommend Rust and Bone.
