The premise of this fine Belgian film is simple: a woman suffering from depression is on sick-leave from work. During her absence, her boss has given her fellow workers an ultimatum: welcome your co-worker back to the plant or declare her redundant and keep your year-end bonus of 1000 Euros, but not both. In a non-secret ballot, the workers choose overwhelmingly to keep their bonuses.
One outraged co-worker insists there be another vote, a secret one, outside the influence of the plant's boss. The boss agrees to the concession, confident, it seems, that the outcome will not change. The new vote will take place Monday.
All that weekend (two days and one night), Sandra and her husband drive about town, looking to speak to each of Sandra's sixteen co-workers; she urges those who voted to keep their bonus to reconsider. In these confrontations lie the heart of the film: how each worker justifies his or her decision, greed over compassion, security over solidarity. Don't get me wrong; the question is never painted in black and white. Many of Sandra's co-workers give--if not compelling, at least understandable-- reasons for choosing the bonus. Even Sandra's boss is no simple villain. At every stage, as a viewer, I am forced to ask myself, how would I have chosen. If I was struggling financially, if I feared repercussions from my boss? The film never lets up, tugging at your moral conscience, looking at the question subtly from all angles and insisting that you choose. All this drama is compounded by the personal struggle Sandra has with her depression, her difficulty, at moments, even to get out of bed, let alone having to meet face-to-face with workers who she fears resent her.
Marion Cotillard's performance as Sandra is very strong, a "tour de nuance" as one Rotten Tomatoes contributor describes it. The performances from many of the supporting actors are almost as good.
Two Days, One Night feels like a thriller, yet is something much more profound: a movie that challenges both heart and intellect, a movie whose impact will linger, a "mature" movie in the very best sense of that word.
9/10