Two days, one night, no fuss

THE remarkable thing about “Two Days, One Night” is that it looks at some of today’s heftier political issues while seeming as modest and unassuming as a film can. Written and directed by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Belgian brothers who have won two Palmes d’Or at Cannes, it stars Marion Cotillard as Sandra, a low-ranking employee in a low-ranking manufacturing firm. Her bosses are planning to make her redundant, but, rather than take responsibility for the decision, they have presented their staff with a cruel choice: if Sandra’s 16 colleagues vote to forfeit their annual thousand-euro bonuses, she can keep her job. On a Friday afternoon, Sandra learns that the ballot will be held on the Monday morning, leaving her one weekend to persuade her co-workers that her need is greater than theirs.