Quotes from the press conference: "I think that solidarity is something that must be built. It is not a natural born right. It's a moral commitment. I think we can still have solidarity today, and that's what we try to depict in the film."Luc Dardenne on the theme of solidarity.
"We really wanted to work with Marion. We initially met her when we co-produced Rust and Bone, and we told her we were interested in working with her, and she told us the same thing. We instantly got along. Afterwards, we went home to change the screenplay with Marion in mind. "Luc on the unusual choice to work with an established movie star.
"We like to work with women. When we started out, someone told us that we could work with actors, but never succeed with experienced actresses. It's something that we've never forgotten."Jean-Pierre Dardenne on female characters.
"I love complex roles. I see these women as truly fighting for survival, and they discover hidden things within themselves. That's what interests me about the human condition. I'm deeply moved by people who manage to cope despite their circumstances. "Marion Cotillard on her recent roles.
"I've always dreamed of an adventure with directors who could lead me to the deepest finest details of a character. I've always known that there is a great amount of work involved in acheiving the perfection of their films. Also Jean-Pierre and Luc make their films for audiences, they make their spectators experience certain feelings. You cannot call their films, simply art-house films."Cotillard on the Dardennes.
"In fact, to portray the truth while giving the impression of improvisation, requires a huge amount of work. Nothing is improvised in this film."Cotillard on improvisation.
"With the Dardenne brothers, the idea of rehearsals is fundamental. We try several different takes, in order to find the right balance of movement. I believe that it is essential to their way of making films."Actor Fabrizio Rongione
Critical response:"Within their circumscribed world, the Dardennes once again find a richness of human experience that dwarfs most movies made on an epic canvas."Scott Foundas (Variety)
"While its radical, but nevertheless bravely optimistic, message is not as powerful as the most hard-hitting works in the Dardenne brothers’ filmography, it still has the luxury of being showcased loud and clear by the world’s most prestigious film festival."Domenico La Porta (Cineuropa)
"While it may lack the breathless dramatic energy of earlier works like La Promesse or L’Enfant, this is still a powerful, finely scripted issue movie, made all the more incisive by Marion Cotillard’s raw performance"Lee Marshall (Screen Daily)
"Grips from start to finish with its candid account of a situation that for many will be relatable. "David Rooney (The Hollywood Reporter)
"Cotillard's best work since "La Vie En Rose" unquestionably ranks as her most credible turn."Eric Kohn (IndieWire)
"This is another hugely admirable entry in the Dardenne canon: nothing all that new, perhaps, but as thoughtful, humane and superbly composed as we have, very fortunately, come to expect from them. A third Palme is not out of reach."Robbie Collin (The Telegraph)
"Cotillard is predictably immense in the lead, managing to bring subtle variation to the deliberately repetitious narrative which in turn exhibits the refinement of her tack as well as a process of realisation that her endeavour might just be entirely selfish."David Jenkins (Little White Lies)
"Two Days, One Night is well made, and Cotillard and the rest of the cast give assured performances, but its optimism is desperate"John Bleasdale (Cine-Vue)
Competition Film Still the Water (2つ目の窓) directed by
Naomi Kawase Japan, France, Spain
Critical response:Check back for review snippets.
The
2014 Cannes Film Festival runs from May 14-25, be sure to return for our daily coverage!
Screening Tomorrow at
#Cannes2014 (Wednesday, May 21):
- The Search by Michel Hazanavicius (In Competition)
- Goodbye to Language by Jean-Luc Godard (In Competition)
- Fantasia by Wang Chao (Un Certain Regard)
- Snow in Paradise by Andrew Hulme (Un Certain Regard)
See our other coverage of the 67th Cannes Film Festival: - Day 1: (Grace of Monaco)
- Day 2: (Mr. Turner, Timbuktu, Party Girl, That Lovely Girl)
- Day 3: (The Captive, Winter Sleep, The Blue Room, Amour Fou)
- Days 4-5: (Saint Laurent, Wild Tales, The Homesman, The Wonders)
- Day 6: (Foxcatcher, Maps to the Stars, A Girl at my Door, Xenia, Bird People)