Great Film Performances of 2012

13. Marion Cotillard in “Rust and Bone”

Marion Cotillard became an international sensation and won an Academy Award in 2008 for her heart-wrenching turn as Edith Piaf in “La Vie en Rose.” After roles in Hollywood films such as “Public Enemies” and this year’s “The Dark Knight Rises,” she finds herself again earning raves in America for a French film. In “Rust and Bone,” Cotillard plays Stephanie, an orca trainer who loses her legs in a tragic accident. Yet the physical challenges of the character and the intense love scenes with co-star Matthias Schoenaerts turned out to be less difficult for the actor than having to reconcile her personal feelings about marine parks. “I hate those places,” Cotillard says. “This is something I don’t really understand, what we do to those animals.”

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Photo Source: Roger Arpajou