Ali (Schoenaerts) arrives in Antibes from Belgium with his young son Sam in tow and not a Euro to his name. Holing up in his sister's house, he begins to take on work as a security guard and bouncer leading to a chance encounter with charismatic whale trainer Stephanie (Cotillard). Sadly, a freak accident whilst performing with her Orcas sees Stephanie losing both of her legs and becoming confined to a wheelchair. Her broken spirits lead to a reunion with Ali and his pragmatism means he is the only person she feels able to spend time with. He gives her strength in coming to terms with her loss. But at the same time he is beginning to neglect his son, take on more morally dubious work and participate in illegal fights. As Stephanie clearly begins to have stronger feelings for him, Ali remains emotionally distant.
Audiard and Stephane Fontaine manage some spectacular sequences with the accident in particular standing out. The cinematography throughout creates a very visceral sense of the proceedings; you can almost feel the sunshine on Stephanie's face or feel her skin beneath Ali's hands. With the sense of physicality playing such a major part - the loss of Stephanie's legs and Ali's predilection for bone-crunching bouts - the style fits the bill fantastically.The lead performances are both wonderful, Cotillard and Schoenaerts manage to curb the melodrama and give even the less likely instances a gritty realism. There are moments to gasp, moments to wince, and moments to laugh and they manage to remain genuine throughout. It's not perfect and does meander a little towards the end but it's ultimately a tender tale about two broken people who are able to help mend one another in some way. It may not be to everyone's tastes and has divided opinion amongst art house aficionados, but it was the winner of Best Picture at this year's BFI London Film Festival and it is certainly worth checking out.