Million Dollar Marion
Wednesday, October 10, 2012 at 5:00PM Jose here, still reeling from Rust and Bone this past Sunday (going again today in a couple of hours because it's that good). My first reaction after watching it was: wow, Marion Cotillard truly has been trying to prove to us all her Oscar win was no accident.
I am not a fan of La Vie en Rose but year after year I have found myself more astounded by Cotillard's work. She was heartbreaking in Nine and was the only thing in Inception worth anyone's time, but it's in Rust and Bone where she provesonce and for all that she's one of the most fearless actresses of our time. Most people think she's a shoo-in for a Best Actress nomination but I'm not sure this will be so easy, given that her character isn't likable at all and we know that AMPAS likes to like its leading ladies; even Margaret Thatcher and Aileen Wuornos had redemptive qualities in their movies.
Cotillard's Stephanie doesn't give a damn if someone likes her or not. When we first meet her she's just been beaten by a guy in a club and she just picks herself up and goes home to her boyfriend, whom she resents for asking for an explanation. After a gruesome accident leaves her disabled, she doesn't change her ways; instead she finds herself a f*** buddy (Matthias Schoenaerts) and becomes involved in some shady business. Can you imagine Million Dollar Baby's Maggie Fitzgerald becoming fiercer after her accident? Rust and Bone is surprising in more than one way and its extreme lack of sentimentality will surely leave some perplexed. But Cotillard is phenomenal. There is one particular scene - set to Katy Perry's "Firework" of all things - where she doesn't speak, but communicates so much through her eyes and face that she should be a frontrunner. She is that good.
Reader Comments (12)
Ughhh I agree COMPLETELY about everything, including lukewarm feelings towards 'La Vie En Rose.' I saw this one at Telluride (with Marion at the screening!) and the whole theater was just REELING by the end. Very powerful, very moving experience. And people were talking about it everywhere I went; I feel like if Telluride gave awards this one could have had a shot at the top prize.
Hmmm but I too am skeptical about Cotillard's Oscar chances.
Loved the movie. Liked both leads a great deal (Schonaerts is particularly effective in a very tricky role). Don't think she'll get nominated, but greatness is it's own pleasure,
I'd switch those descriptions for Inception and Nine but I agree on everything else. I hated La Vie En Rose but she's constantly impressing me since.
Did not like La Vie En Rose... and yet I was rooting for her so hard to win the Oscars that year. So that's all you need to know about my love for her. Cannot wait for Rust and Bone.
Cotillard IS a goddess of gallic cinema! Right up there with Binoche and Deneuve...etc. She is a fierce and fearless artist, not afraid to stray from her comfort zone and tackle new challenges.
During the Oscar race of 2008, I was rooting for Ellen Page (gotta root for the fellow canuck!), but I was perfectly fine with Cotillard winning because her performance in La Vie en Rose was stunning.
BTW, her conversational english has improved tremedously. Back in 2008, she was clearly struggling to express herself, now she's fluent and carry on a conversation with ease.
I actually like her perf in RUST & BONE more than the Oscar winning one...so I will be happy if she receives a second nomination (actually it could have happened for NINE if Weinsteins had made a wiser decision during the awards campaign...), even if I can understand it won't be so easy...but a drama actress nomination at Golden Globe is not out of question and that could help...
I love her as rock singer, too, specially live: watch?v=Htr6CXEj4go Look: she is singing and kind of acting a David Bowie song!
Here you can see a better live performance, it is a solo and the quality is better. She is performing the song, like an actress, singing and acting: watch?v=fRl7ijpA5Wo
She is quite lovely. But I will never accept her Oscar win. That belonged to Julie.
I'm sorry guys u had to witness my outburst. Napuno naman gud ko ana sa iya mga silly remarks that I did not ask for. Di mi friends and we're not even talking so I didnt deserve that. Work-related lang unta ang relationship ug di magsabat-sabat nga mali raba. Sorry again.
Great review!
I agree with you about "La vie en rose" she was the only good thing with maybe the makeup and the set but the movie is pretty bad. Since 2008 she really proved to everybody that she didn't robbed anyone and certainly not Julie Christie. She is the best actress working right now, she was part of the 3 best blockbusters of the decades (Taylor Kitch should REALLY take example on what kind of blockbuster you should accept to do!). People seems to forget HOW HARD it is to win an oscar (Even more in a leading category), so I'm 100% sure that she will be nominated, certainly not win but still she will get nominated. The academy loves her and she is praised by a lot of great directors and actors and they kind of own her big for ignoring some of her past work ("Nine", "Inception" and at least "Midnight in Paris").
To be honest i think she will be nominated this year and next year with her first English-speaking leading role in 'The Nightingale' and you can believe me, Harvey W. will push her so hard that she will be the women to beat!
BTW; she has two tributes still to come (Gotham and AFI), already had one (Telluride) and still has the ceremony for "The hollywood Actress award" to come. She will have plenty of buzz in the weeks to come with the US and UK releases of "Rust & Bone", certainly a win at BFI, certainly a nomination at the golden globe and the Britain loves Marion and Audiard (1 bafta for her, 1 bafta for him with "A prophet" and a 2008 best film award at BF). With all this exposition and the fact that she IS a past academy winner, she is 100% sure to be nominated.