Two Days, One Night
in Movies ·
I rarely post anything here because I usually just end up getting trashed, laughed at, or ignored, haha. Probably going to happen again this time, but whatever...
Anyway, around New Year's Day, I stumbled upon "The Kid with a Bike" on TV. Out of pure boredom, I started watching it, thinking it was just another mediocre TV movie. At first, I was convinced any amateur could shoot something like this. The script felt unremarkable too. But as the film progressed, I realized it’s pure art. All that hype around Nolan or Tarantino feels like posturing—I'm convinced only the truly gifted can take near-ordinary life situations and turn them into something with "that certain something," where anyone with half a heart finds themselves breathing in sync with the protagonist.
The same applies to "Two Days, One Night." You might initially think anyone could make a film like this, but sooner or later, you realize you were wrong. Well, unless you start looking at her from the very first second as an irritating whiner. In that case, it's obvious the movie will be overrated trash to you, simply because you lack the one thing required to watch it: empathy.
That scene where that French song plays in the car, and the camera just lingers on her face for a full minute, is one of the most emotional moments I've ever seen (maybe right behind that final scene in The Deer Hunter).
Personally, I believe the whole point of living is to leave the world just a little bit better than you found it. I think the Dardenne brothers definitely succeed at that. Their point is perfect—never do something that makes life harder for someone else. Even if it means my own family's survival is on the line. If I needed a tax credit for my kids, I wouldn't take it if it meant hurting someone else. If I care about my children, I'll figure it out—if I have to, I'll just drink water, eat cheap hot dogs, and wear knockoff clothes. I'll make my own life harder, but I won't make someone else's. In the end, she knows she'll lose her apartment because she can't afford it. Her life will be significantly tougher, but at least she isn't making it harder for anyone else. She knew that, and that's why the film ended the best way possible—with a smile on her face.
Anyway, around New Year's Day, I stumbled upon "The Kid with a Bike" on TV. Out of pure boredom, I started watching it, thinking it was just another mediocre TV movie. At first, I was convinced any amateur could shoot something like this. The script felt unremarkable too. But as the film progressed, I realized it’s pure art. All that hype around Nolan or Tarantino feels like posturing—I'm convinced only the truly gifted can take near-ordinary life situations and turn them into something with "that certain something," where anyone with half a heart finds themselves breathing in sync with the protagonist.
The same applies to "Two Days, One Night." You might initially think anyone could make a film like this, but sooner or later, you realize you were wrong. Well, unless you start looking at her from the very first second as an irritating whiner. In that case, it's obvious the movie will be overrated trash to you, simply because you lack the one thing required to watch it: empathy.
That scene where that French song plays in the car, and the camera just lingers on her face for a full minute, is one of the most emotional moments I've ever seen (maybe right behind that final scene in The Deer Hunter).
Personally, I believe the whole point of living is to leave the world just a little bit better than you found it. I think the Dardenne brothers definitely succeed at that. Their point is perfect—never do something that makes life harder for someone else. Even if it means my own family's survival is on the line. If I needed a tax credit for my kids, I wouldn't take it if it meant hurting someone else. If I care about my children, I'll figure it out—if I have to, I'll just drink water, eat cheap hot dogs, and wear knockoff clothes. I'll make my own life harder, but I won't make someone else's. In the end, she knows she'll lose her apartment because she can't afford it. Her life will be significantly tougher, but at least she isn't making it harder for anyone else. She knew that, and that's why the film ended the best way possible—with a smile on her face.