Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.5

Two Days, One Night Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 20, 2014

Belgian directors Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne's latest film, "Two Days, One Night" a.k.a. "Deux jours, une nuit" (2014), arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; video interview with the Dardennes; and two video interviews with Marion Cotillard. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

"I wanted to ask if you would vote for me?"

Marion Cotillard is Sandra, a mother in her thirties who has just discovered that she is going to lose her job in a small factory -- unless she convinces her co-workers to give up the bonuses their boss has promised to them and have them vote for her in a public ballot so that she can continue to be part of their team. Sandra has the weekend to do so.

The feeling that she can lose her job and with it the home she and her husband, Manu (Fabrizio Rongione, The Kid With A Bike, L'enfant), and their children are currently living in makes Sandra feel so sick that she can barely stand on her feet.

Manu is a little more optimistic than Sandra. He tells her that her co-workers will back her up -- despite the fact that they have already voted in a secret ballot and have chosen the bonuses – and they will be able to keep their home. All she needs to do is meet them and explain what the job means to her.

With time running out, Sandra compiles a list with the addresses of her co-workers and soon after begins knocking on their doors.

Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s latest film was inspired by real events that occurred during and after the global economic crisis of 2007-2008. One such event -- where workers’ solidarity was challenged in a series of events similar to those chronicled in the film -- mentioned by the Belgian directors in a new video interview included on this release occurred at the Peugeot plant in Montbeliard.

The film chronicles Sandra’s painful encounters with her co-workers and the wide range of reactions they inspire. It is, however, completely free of melodrama -- Sandra asks them to put themselves in her shoes and once they give her their answer she walks away. There is no time to discuss "what if" scenarios. Her co-workers aren’t willing to discuss such scenarios with her either.

The finale is predictable, but in a way it is made irrelevant. The film’s message -- which is that in the current global economy there is hardly any room left for workers’ solidarity -- is effectively delivered a lot earlier.

Cotillard is extraordinary as the young mother who is stripped of her dignity and eventually forced to question whether life is worth living. The body movement and especially the facial expressions are incredibly convincing. There are some sensational cameos as well. See the sequences with Timur Magomedgadzhiev (the soccer coach) and Philippe Jeusette (the car mechanic).

The Dardennes shot the film with their regular cinematographer, Alain Marcoen (La Promesse, Rosetta). The specific framing and camera movement give the film a distinctive documentary feel. Rather predictably, music is not used to enhance the already very tense atmosphere.

Earlier this year, Two Days, One Night was selected to represent Belgium in the Foreign Language Film category of the 87th Academy Awards.

Two Days, One Night Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne's Two Days, One Night arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye.

Shot with the Arri Alexa camera, the film has the appropriate clean and smooth look. Detail and clarity are fantastic. The parts of the film where there is an abundance of natural light look particularly impressive (see screencaptures #2 and 13). During the indoor sequences shadow definition is excellent and a number of the close-ups actually look like stylish digital photographs (see screencapture #7). Colors are lush and stable. Overall image stability is outstanding. Lastly, there are no encoding anomalies to report in this review. All in all, this is a flawless technical presentation of Two Days, One Night which will surely please its fans. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Two Days, One Night Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and French LPCM 2.0. For the record, Artificial Eye have provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.

The film does not have a prominent soundtrack. Also, as it is almost always the case with the Dardenne's films, there is no impressive surround movement. There are random sounds, noises, and occasionally scattered chatter (in addition to the dialog), but absolutely no special audio effects. The dialog is exceptionally clean, stable, and very easy to follow. The English translation is excellent.

Two Days, One Night Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interview with Luc & Jean-Pierre Dardenne - in this video interview the Dardenne brothers explain what inspired them to shoot Two Days, One Night and how Marion Cotillard was chosen and approached to play Sandra, and discuss the shooting process as well as the framing of specific sequences. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (13 min).

• Two Interviews with Marion Cotillard - in English, not subtitled.
  
  Interview I - the actress recalls her initial impressions of the script for Two Days, One Night and discusses the dilemmas her character, Sandra, faces throughout the film. (8 min).
  
  Interview II - the actress explains how she prepared to play her character and discusses the Dardenne's special relationship with the audience. (4 min).

• Trailer - original trailer for Two Days, One Night. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (2 min).

Two Days, One Night Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There are no surprises here -- Two Days, One Night is yet another fantastic and thought-provoking film from Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. It offers a slice of a troubling reality we are all familiar with. The film is now available on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Artificial Eye. As expected, the technical presentation is outstanding. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.