Zwei Tage, eine Nacht (2014)

Sandra, a young Belgian mother, discovers that her workmates have opted for a significant pay bonus, in exchange for her dismissal. She has only one weekend to convince her colleagues to give up their bonuses so that she can keep her job.

Directors:

Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne

Writers:

Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne

Stars:

Marion Cotillard, Fabrizio Rongione, Catherine Salée

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 38 wins & 74 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Marion Cotillard	...	Sandra
Fabrizio Rongione	...	Manu
Catherine Salée	...	Juliette
Batiste Sornin	...	M. Dumont (as Baptiste Sornin)
Pili Groyne	...	Estelle
Simon Caudry	...	Maxime
Lara Persain	...	Femme de Willy
Alain Eloy	...	Willy
Myriem Akeddiou	...	Mireille (as Myriem Akheddiou)
Fabienne Sciascia	...	Nadine
Anette Niro	...	Nanna
Rania Mellouli	...	Fille Timur
Christelle Delbrouck	...	Barwoman
Timur Magomedgadzhiev	...	Timur
Hassaba Halibi	...	Femme de Hicham (as Hassiba Halabi)

Storyline

Sandra Bya, married with two children, has been off work from her job at Solwal on medical leave for depression. During her absence from work, her boss, M. Dumont, on the suggestion of her immediate supervisor, the shop foreman Jean-Marc, figures that her section of the company can function with sixteen people working full time with a bit of overtime instead of seventeen with no overtime, that seventeenth person being Sandra. Because of the global competition the company faces, Dumont decides the company can only finance the annual bonuses for those sixteen employees, which are EUR1,000 per person, or Sandra's job, leaving the decision to those sixteen. On a Friday near the end of her medical leave, Sandra learns of this situation from her friend and co-worker Juliette after the "show of hands" vote is held, the result a 13-3 decision for the bonuses over Sandra's job. Because Juliette knows Jean-Marc, who is determined to get rid of Sandra, influenced the vote by scare mongering ...

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Plot Keywords:

injustice | xanax | bonus | depression | employer employee relationship | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some mature thematic elements

Details

Official Sites:

Artificial Eye [UK] BFI [UK]

Country:

Belgium France Italy

Language:

Arabic English French

Release Date:

30 October 2014 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Zwei Tage, eine Nacht

Filming Locations:

Seraing, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium

Box Office

Budget:

€7,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$31,000 (USA) (2 January 2015)

Gross:

$1,333,900 (USA) (27 February 2015)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Les Films du Fleuve, Archipel 35, BIM Distribuzione

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film is set and was shot in Seraing, an industrial town in Liege, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium where the Dardenne brothers were born and raised. Their previous films were set in Seraing as well.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sandra: Hello? I was resting. Just a second. I have to get my tart out. I've made a tart for the kids. Yes, why? Tell me why. No. No, Juliette. No.
[hangs off the phone]
Sandra: You mustn't cry.

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Connections

Featured in Jimmy Kimmel Live!: Johnny Depp/Marion Cotillard/Kandace Springs (2015)

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Soundtracks

La Nuit N'en Finit Plus
Written by Jacques Plante
Performed by Petula Clark
(Version of "Needles And Pins" by Jack Nitzsche and Sonny Bono)

User Reviews

Cotillard shines

The heart of this film does not lie in the simple plot, but in the portrayal of a woman, and her family, struggling with depression and the prospect of losing everything.

After coming out the other side of an apparently lengthy battle with depression, Sandra (Cotillard) faces the prospect of losing her job if she cannot convince the majority of her colleagues to forgo a €1,000 bonus in favour of her staying with the company. One by one, she reaches out the her co-workers in the hope that she can convince them to vote for her to stay. On the whole, it is not these interactions that steal the show, but Sandra's own personal struggles with having to ask. The guilt she feels, pleading with people to give up money that most of them desperately need in order for her to keep a job she's not been at for months, coupled with her on-going struggles with depression and her own demons. Cotillard's performance is exceptional throughout, her frustration and upset so believable that it's easy to forget that this an actress playing a role. Anyone who has been affected by depression, either personally or indirectly, will find large portions of the film relatable and harrowing.

A strong supporting cast and a truly moving script complete this understated gem of a movie.