Movie: Rust & Bone

 I haven’t been to the cinema for weeks so I was up for anything! My ‘Friday Film’ weekly fixture has taken a dent, what with time away in London for Yelp duties, Live Music Friday and birthday trips to Norway.I just had a vague inkling that this film was about the unlikely alliance (isn’t it always in movies?) of women who had her legs amputated after a whaling accident and a homeless single father.We first meet Stéphanie and Ali when he rescues the damsel in distress as a bouncer in a night club. He drives her home with, I think, in the hope of being rewarded in return but instead her seemingly long-suffering boyfriend is waiting there.For me it’s difficult to have sympathy with Ali who seems to forget he has a five-year old son, forgetting to collect him from school when an opportune dalliance comes his way and we don’t see him spending any time with him. Rather his sister, with whose family he is now living with seems to be the carer. However what’s striking is the bond he forms with Stéphanie, a killer whale trainer (why?!)  when she comes back into his life after suffering the accident.With understandable depression, Stéphanie is now living in temporary accommodation fitted to work around her wheelchair. Her life changed, she somehow feels there was a connection with Ali and it is he who encourages her to leave the apartment and so regular trips for swimming at the beach begin. These scenes are endearing as are the ones where she goes to watch him to take part in illegal, no-rules’ fighting matches. He’s a former boxer and has trained for this but I cannot watch a human being hit another human being for sport and/or money so my eyes are now closed. It’s different when its good guys battering bad guys in films, I can watch that.Oh, and watch out for the teary eyed last scenes, you will need tissues!It’s an interesting film, worth a watch if it’s your thing. For me, it was just a case of what’s on at the right time as it’s been so long since Friday Film!7/10Smile factor 6/10