Despite impressing at Cannes, animal rights activists are not quite as impressed with the excellent cinematography, nor impeccable dramatic performances that are present in French/Belgian film 'Rust and Bone'.

Star of the film Marion Cotillard has been tipped for an Oscar nomination for her role as the killer whale trainer, with whom a young unemployed man falls in love. The film won best film at BFI this year, but it's winning nothing with animal rights activists who believe the film promotes the capture of the beautiful monochrome sea mammals.

Entertainment Wise published a statement from Animal Defenders International:

"We urge the public to boycott 'Rust and Bone' and also to pledge not to visit establishments that use captive whales and dolphins for entertainment. This, together with the confined space they are forced to live in and the wholly unnatural existence they suffer, can lead to abnormal behaviours including aggression. Their lifespan, unsurprisingly, is significantly reduced, with most captive orcas dying before they reach their early 20s."

Cotillard expressed has agreed with them, saying that she is repulsed by animals in captivity. Rust and Bone will be out on limited release this Friday (2nd Nov 2012).