Welcome back! This week is the final Monday of the year and the final installment of Mubi Monday. I’ll still have weekly reviews in 2025, but they will no longer be Mubi specific. But enough about later, lets talk about right now and the review for this week…Two Days, One Night (2014).
Title: Two Days, One Night
Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne
Released: May 20, 2014 (France – Cannes Film Festival)
Runtime: 1 hour 35 minutes
Available to stream on: Kanopy and Mubi
Sandra (Marion Cotillard) has been out of work for some time while she recovers from an illness. One Friday, she is napping on the couch and has a tart in the oven. Sounds like a pretty good way to ease into a weekend, right? Well, sure, except for a phone call that is about to turn Sandra’s world upside down.
As her luck would have it, Sandra’s coworkers had a vote while she was out. Sandra either keeps her job, or each worker receives a bonus of 1,000 euros. She doesn’t even pretend to be shocked that her coworkers voted in favor of the bonus. Although, she is concerned to learn that one of her coworkers was going around telling people if they don’t vote for Sandra to lose her job, they could be let go instead.
Armed with this information, Sandra tracks down her boss and asks for a second vote to be held, this time as a secret ballot. To her surprise, he agrees to hold a second vote on Monday. Sandra now has 48 hours to try and convince her coworkers that letting her keep her job is more important than them receiving the bonus.
Talk about ending Mubi Monday with a bang.
Two Days, One Night (2014) may sound simple on the surface. But it is so much deeper than someone just trying to get her job back. The Dardenne brothers delicately draw you in and take you along for the ride. No, it’s not going to wow you with effects along the way. Rather, you get a front row seat to raw human struggle and emotion.
Marion Cotillard delivers a phenomenal performance as Sandra. All Sandra wants is to feel like she belongs in society again. At the same time, she understands how much a bonus of 1,000 euros would mean to each of her co-workers. Cotillard is able to put so much subtle emphasis into each movement, word, and reaction when interacting with her coworkers that it is near impossible for you, as the viewer, to not become emotionally invested in Sandra’s outcome. On top of it all, she is able to expertly portray the struggles of dealing with depression and attempting to find one’s worth in the world.
The film’s pacing deliberately slows down to give each conversation room to resonate. Rather than rushing through 16 different encounters with her coworkers, it allows us to fully experience and connect with each one. Yes, you can empathize with Sandra as she fights to try and save her job. But you’re also, just as easily, able to empathize with each coworker as you hear them explain how much of a difference this bonus would mean for them and their families.
In a landscape dominated by bloated budgets, special effects, and sequels, we all need to seek out more films that demand patience and push us to look inward.
If you’ve seen Two Days, One Night (2014), leave a comment below or reach out on Bluesky and let me know what you thought of it!
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Well, that’s a wrap on Mubi Monday! Did you have a favorite review of the year? If so, let me know.
See you in 2025 for a year of grab bag reviews!