Rust And Bone

         The new French film from director/screenwriter Jacques Audiard (A Prophet) is a story of mismatched lovers ala Beauty & The Beast. The beauty in this case is Marion Cotillard who stars as Stephanie, a trainer of killer whales. Her "beast" is Ali, played by Matthais Schoenaerts.  They meet when Stephanie is involved in a brawl at a nightclub where Ali is a bouncer but their relationship takes off only after a tragic accident. 

         CGI plays an important part in the film and it is flawless. Suffice to say, one of the characters becomes physically handicapped while the other is emotionally handicapped. They feed an urge in each other and an unlikely relationship develops. The story avoids melodrama although there is a an scene near the end that too easily serves to redeem a character and draw on audience sympathies.

         The film doesn't have the depth of "A Prophet" but it does have an original way of getting to it's obvious conclusion. Ms. Cotillard is wonderful in the complex role of Stephanie and there is a scene between her and a killer whale that is worth the price of admission alone.