Review: "Two Days, One Night" (****½)

Fabrizio Rongione and Marion Cotillard star in "Two Days, One Night"

It was just two years ago at the Savannah Film Festival that I was floored by the power and emotional magnetism of both the film "Rust and Bone" and its lead performers, Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts. I was a fan of Cotillard before that (going back to when I saw her in "La Vie en Rose" at the 2007 Atlanta Film Festival, the first time I attended any film festival) and I've become an even bigger Cotillard fan since. Naturally, when I saw that the Dardenne Brothers' film "Two Days, One Night" was playing at the Savannah Film Festival, I had a new top reason to attend.

I admit to not being familiar with the Dardenne Brothers' back catalog. I know they have won the Palm D'or twice and were highly buzzed to win it last year with "Two Days, One Night." I know what films they have made, I just haven't seen them. I went into this film with "Rust and Bone" on my mind and expectations of another masterful performance from one of the best actors of our time. The only thing both films share is an actress, and those expectations were exceeded beyond measure.

"Boyhood," "Nightcrawler" Win Big as Georgia Film Critics Split the Board

Richard Linklater takes top honors for both Picture and Director; "Nightcrawler," "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "Selma" all take home two each.

For their 4th annual awards presentation, the Georgia Film Critics Association have decided to distribute the love pretty evenly. Of the ten Best Picture nominees, nine of them took home at least one award.

"Boyhood" took home the big prizes, Best Picture and Best Director for Richard Linklater. "Nightcrawler" won Best Actor for Jake Gyllenhaal and Best Original Screenplay for Dan Gilroy. "The Grand Budapest Hotel" won awards for Best Production Design and Best Ensemble. "Selma" won the Oglethorpe Award for Excellence in Georgia Cinema and Best Original Song for "Glory," performed by John Legend and Common.

Marion Cotillard won Best Actress for "Two Days, One Night," while Tilda Swinton and J.K. Simmons took home Supporting prizes for Best Picture nominated films "Snowpiercer" and "Whiplash," respectively. "Gone Girl" took home Best Adapted Screenplay honors, while "Birdman" won for Best Cinematography (This is Emmanuel Lubeski's third GFCA win, after "The Tree of Life" and "Gravity"). Hans Zimmer's score for "Interstellar" provides the film's sole win out of three nominations.

Best Foreign Film went to "Ida," Best Documentary to "Life Itself" and Best Animated Film to "The LEGO Movie." David Oyelowo won the Breakthrough Award, with all five of his films from 2014 sharing the mention.

Check out the full list of winners after the jump.

The Goods: 13 Should-Be Oscar Contenders from 2014

Enough about the middle-of-the-road "The Imitation Game." We should focus on the best and most deserving films and not just the films that best fit into the Oscar cannon. Some of these 13 films, actors and actresses are already being mentioned—just not enough as they should be. For instance, Bill Plympton's animated feature "Cheatin'" has made the shortlist for a nomination, but can it overcome big studio films like "Big Hero 6" and "How to Train Your Dragon 2" to get one of the five slots? It very well should. Wes Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel" might get some craft category nods, but why isn't anyone talking about just how great Ralph Fiennes is?!

We have compiled a baker's dozen of should-be contenders this awards season. Who do you think should be in the conversation? Check out our list and leave a comment with yours!

22 Films to See at the 2014 Savannah Film Festival

Did you know that in the now 17-year history of the Savannah Film Festival, it has never rained? Autumn in Savannah is an incredible thing. Warm days, cool nights and although the live oaks don't carry the same bright colors as the trees up north, this city is colorful enough. But the amazing fall feelings and beautiful weather are just a couple of reasons why we love attending this festival. A diverse and exceptional group of films is the main draw.

The usual Oscar players are in the mix this year, with films like "Foxcatcher," "The Imitation Game" and "Whiplash" dotting the lineup. Foreign fare like "Two Days, One Night" and "Parisian" add some cultural flavor while the slate of indie features seems like it might make for SAVFF's strongest competition lineups yet. Documentaries are plentiful, seeing as a 'Docs to Watch' series adds eight of the most highly buzzed non-fiction works of the year to an already healthy group of films. Georgia-based and produced documentary "Paradise Garden: Howard Finster's Legacy" has played at various places across the state in recent months and is competing for a jury prize here.

It is refreshing to see lesser-known—but still promising—titles like "5 to 7" and "Escobar: Paradise Lost" in opening and closing night slots, rather than some of the bigger titles playing mid-week.

We've highlighted 22—yes, twenty-two—films for you to check out at this year's festival. It's going to be a great one. You've got eight days, so get started!