3. Rust And Bone (2012)
Most (if not all) moviegoers outside of France had no idea who Marion Cotillard was until she was nominated for and won the Academy Award for an Actress in a Leading Role for her performance as Edith Piaf in the biopic "La Vie en Rose." Then she went more mainstream. With performances in "Public Enemies," "Inception," "Midnight in Paris," "Contagion," and "The Dark Knight Rises," I think it's fair to say that the majority of the 18-35 demographic are familiar with her now. The best word to describe her performance as Stephanie would be "raw." She's no stranger to bar fights. Her grit keeps her from falling into absolute despair. Psychological pain can last as long as physical pain from life-altering accidents, sometimes longer. The pain from the accident itself plus pain from rehabbing. The people in medicine and medical technology rehabilitate her to be as physically independent as possible. Ali, portrayed by Matthias Schoenaerts, is the one who helps her psychological rehab. As a trainer at Marineland, Stephanie ends up in a hospital after an accident during a show with killer whales. Both legs are amputated at the knees. It's the psychological rehab that's more difficult. She isolates herself but lets Ali into her private life. Despite her resistance, Ali's assurance gets her going. She goes swimming with him in the Mediterranean after initially turning down his invitation because of her physical deformation. Being an exhibitionist is what turns her on. Without people watching, sex is boring for her. After a meal together, Ali gets to the point and simply asks, "You want to fuck?" He wants to know if she can have the enjoyment and if she can realize it. She sees the image of her legs as unappealing to a would-be partner. Her self-consciousness is one of her biggest adversities. She doesn't want to be seen naked, at least outside of sex. Ali's persistance to ignore it breaks it down and Stephanie's shame is subdued. Their relationship is no strings attached (more for him) for a while. No kissing during sex, no obligations. But Ali's son Sam enters a coma and because of this, Ali confesses his love to Stephanie and doesn't want to lose her. Stephanie regains her confidence. Ali's love gives her more confidence than she had before losing her legs. Oscar should've been begging on his knees to go home with Ms. Cotillard. She got naked, which eventually worked out for Kate Winslet. A traumatic character overcoming adversity, especially mental or psychological, has worked for many actors and actresses. You have Tom Hanks in "Philadelphia," Sean Penn in "Milk," Hilary Swank in "Boys Don't Cry," Marlee Matlin in "Children of a Lesser God," and a lot more. Marion Cotillard should've been nominated instead of Naomi Watts and probably should've beaten Jennifer Lawrence for the award. As for the Foreign Language Film category, I wish I could swap it with "War Witch," partially because Canada's "not even a real country anyway." But it's way too worthy to be ignored. But not "Kon Tiki." "Rust and Bone" was nominated for numerous awards, won some, and competed for the Palme d'Or, which I consider almost as prestigious as a Best Picture Oscar. It deserved this nomination also.