An Ode To Rust And Bone

It fills me with absolute delight that Rust And Bone has been awarded with Best Film at this year's London Film Festival. Not only was it head and shoulders the standout film I personally saw over the time I participated in the festival but it was the first film in such a long time that stayed with me, constantly reminding me of how exceptional it really is.

I must admit, despite my love for cinema, foreign movies were never quite my foray and, whilst I dabbled in more well known foreign outings such as City Of God, The Raid and Let The Right One In, my viewing of overseas releases was somewhat of a poor show. Little did I know that I was missing out on a bulk of cinema that is clearly unmissable and fortunately one film changed my perspective forever.

Rust and Bone truly astounded me with its performances, a strong and affecting story and direction that has seen it peak at my current favourite for 2012 by a long distance. Having never seen A Prophet, my knowledge of Jacques Audiard's work was minimal and my only experience of the sublime Marion Cotillard came in the form of her American efforts as well as her much publicised Oscar winner La Vie En Rosé. Truth be told, I didn't know what to expect when entering the screening for the film.

To say the viewing experience was astounding may even be an understatement as, despite two viewers' insistence on sexualising the screening for the audience, I came out absolutely beaming at the sight of what I had just witnessed (film-wise that is people!)

To pinpoint just one factor in the film's success would be a crime in itself. Rust and Bone is subliminal filmmaking at its finest and perfectly warranted my first five-star rating of the year. With Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts performing to levels that truly astound, the film possessed two leading characters who will be hard to match this year in providing emotion, angst and audience connection. Their differing characters not only proving that opposites attract but also presenting two difficult life scenarios that collide to create a breathtaking spectacle in story-telling.

Driven by beautiful cinematography, unbelievable performances and a powerful story, Rust and Bone has infinitely changed my stance on foreign cinema. Immediately after watching the film I discussed with friends what films I have been missing out on and my Lovefilm list is now abundant in foreign cinema gems I have been recommended. Not only has the film solidified my interest in more diverse films but I also fully appreciate the fact that films such as these with minimal budgets are often those that astound and prove that low-budget foreign films offer some of the greatest viewing experiences known to man.

Rust and Bone truly is a remarkable beautiful film and sits at the pinnacle of my favourite films of 2012. I urge you all to seek this gem out upon its release on 2nd November.

Cinema Review - The Dark Knight Rises

As one of the most celebrated directors in the business today, Christopher Nolan has done what many people thought unimaginable. Like a phoenix from the ashes, the Batman franchise has been transformed from the infinitely hammy (I’m talking about you, Batman & Robin) to a stunning real world representation of one of DC Comics’ finest. Opening with Batman Begins, Nolan set the bar high with a superb origin story of how Bruce Wayne came to become Gotham’s cowl-wearing savior and instilled a breath of fresh air into proceedings. 

Once he had cracked the nut, Nolan went on to greater levels with The Dark Knight. With Christian Bale continuing his reign as the lead character, and Heath Ledger given the task of bringing a new age Joker to screen, expectations were at a high and audiences were far from let down. Ledger put in a career defining performance as a chilling and dark nemesis for Batman and the continuation of real world issues, coupled with a distinct level of darkness helped the film become one of, if not the, best comic book hero movies of all time. Needless to say, The Dark Knight Rises has been the most anticipated film of 2012 so does it live up to the abominable hype?

Eight years after the events that saw the death of Gotham District Attorney Harvey Dent, it appears the city is in a state of peace, with the 'Dent Act' in place seeing a staggering fall in crime levels. A place now revelling in a state of calm, Gotham no longer needs Batman in Bruce Wayne's eyes and following the death of his true love, Rachel, lives as a recluse in Wayne Manor, avoiding any outside contact. 

When he encounters a thief within the manor, breaking into his almost impenetrable safe, Bruce sets out to discover the mystery of the woman's identity and, in turn, uncovers a new and brute force waiting to take over Gotham and unleash pure destruction and chaos, Bane.

Christopher Nolan's final return to the streets of Gotham City and into the world of Batman is once again a piece of cinematic mastery. To follow such an astounding entry as The Dark Knight would be an unbelievable task for any director, no matter their reputation, and once again he does not fail to deliver a film that will go down in history as a modern classic.

Dark, gritty and unrelenting, TDKR is a tale of the highs and lows of an individual in the role of a hero and certainly manages to continuously convey the highs and lows through some intense and emotional scenes between some of the main characters, most notably Bruce (Christian Bale) and Alfred (Michael Caine). From Bale and Caine's emotively strong exchanges to the slick and sexy purrings of Anne Hathaway's Selina Kyle, the dialogue is a treat and, despite his voice appearing odd at times, even Tom Hardy as Bane is given some extra meat with some truly scary instances of dialogue.


As well as exceptional talent on display in the acting department, TDKR once again showcases a willingness to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat with a pulsating change in direction throughout, from the gradual catch up events in the first half hour to the stunning final hour. Nolan is a man who knows how to draw his audience in and he never lets up in giving us what we want.


Whilst not quite matching the magic of The Dark Knight, Nolan's final Batman movie is another instance of his pure genius and brings a poignant and utterly satisfying conclusion to the darkest saga in comic book film history. 


Film rating: 5 out of 5 F's