Two Days, One Night (2014)

Liège, Belgium. Sandra is a factory worker who discovers that her workmates have opted for a EUR1,000 bonus in exchange for her dismissal. She has only a weekend to convince her colleagues to give up their bonuses in order to 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 40 wins & 76 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Marion Cotillard	...	Sandra
Fabrizio Rongione	...	Manu
Catherine Salée	...	Juliette
Baptiste Sornin	...	M. Dumont
Pili Groyne	...	Estelle
Simon Caudry	...	Maxime
Lara Persain	...	Femme de Willy
Alain Eloy	...	Willy
Myriem Akheddiou	...	Mireille
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 | depression | xanax | bonus | 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:

Curzon Home Cinema [UK] Diaphana Films [France]

Country:

Belgium France Italy

Language:

French Arabic English

Release Date:

21 May 2014 (Belgium)

Also Known As:

Two Days, One Night

Filming Locations:

Seraing, Liège, Wallonia, Belgium

Box Office

Budget:

€7,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$122,403 (Belgium), 21 May 2014, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$31,000, 2 January 2015, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,436,243

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,016,922

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 was shot in chronological order.

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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

Referenced in DP/30: Conversations About Movies: Two Days, One Night: Marion Cotillard (2015)

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Soundtracks

La Nuit n'en Finit plus
Written by Jack Nitzsche and Sonny Bono (Version "Needles and Pins")
French lyrics by Jacques Plante
Performed by Petula Clark
© 1963 EMI Unart Catalog Inc,
(p) 2010 BMG Rights Management
Avec l'aimable autorisation d'EMI Catalogue Partnership France
de BMG Rights Management et Sony Music Entertainment France. Tous droites résérves.

User Reviews

Amazing film

A film is not about it's ending alone, especially not this one. The film is extra ordinarily realistic and simple. Marion Cotillard's acting just blew me away. If it was any other actress, I doubt that it would be interesting to stare at the same person for the entire length of the film. Loved every moment of it.

Use of natural light, long takes, lose head camera are all supposed to give you a boring film if you are used to the Hollywood style. But, just having a great script and Marion is enough to make any film special. Thanks for making this film. Short and sweet, That's this film. A story I could totally relate to. She made me cry.