On Friday afternoon, a factory worker (Marion Cotillard) is told that she’ll be laid off on Monday if her colleagues vote for their bonuses instead of her. She has the weekend to visit each of them and state her case. To complicate matters, she’s recovering from a serious depression. Each encounter adds a layer of humanity to her plight, but the drama is diluted by so much footage of her walking from house to house. Although it’s never dull, the pace is deliberate and the emotions are often underplayed. Cotillard (nominated for an Oscar), is convincing, but the brilliance of her performance eludes me. This will be best appreciated by those who enjoy a quiet character study in the foreign film style. French with subtitles. (Criterion Cinema only)
(3 / 5)