Money governs our lives more than we’d like to admit. A lot of films have covered this topic, including Margin Call and The Company Men. In Two Days, One Night, a Belgian drama from the Dardenne brothers, the story strikes closer to home. 

Sandra (Marion Cotillard) is fired from her job on Friday morning. Apparently, her co-workers participated in a ballot where they could elect to keep their bonuses or allow Sandra to stay. After some negotiation, she convinces her boss to hold another vote on Monday. In the meantime, she must visit each person and plead her case.

Cotillard tackles the role of Sandra in a forthright and compelling manner. She shares her emotional struggle with us. After one gruelling encounter, she weeps yet tries to stay calm around her children. Another great sequence shows her visiting Timur (Timur Magomedgadzhiev). The latter breaks down and reveals his shame over voting for the bonus. It’s a splendid fractal, which captures the heart of a film better than words can express.

I was immediately drawn to this narrative. In modern times, it’s not unusual to see fifty people vying for the same job. Also, the idea that ordinary men and women must navigate such shark-infested waters struck a deep chord with me. (Capsule review)

(Released by IFC Films and rated "PG-13" by MPAA.)