Ghost River (2002)
"La vie promise" (original title)

A prostitute and her teenager daughter, will have to run away after the girl stabs her mother's pimp. The woman will try to find her son, which she hasn't seen in 8 years.

Director:

Olivier Dahan

Writers:

Olivier Dahan, Agnès Fustier-Dahan

Stars:

Isabelle Huppert, Pascal Greggory, Maud Forget

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Isabelle Huppert	...	Sylvia
Pascal Greggory	...	Joshua
Maud Forget	...	Laurence
Fabienne Babe	...	Sandra
André Marcon	...	Piotr
Louis-Do de Lencquesaing	...	Maquereau 1 (as Louis Do de Lencquesaing)
David Martins	...	Maquereau 2
Édith Le Merdy	...	Femme hameau
Denis Braccini	...	Policier en civil
Irène Ismaïloff	...	Femme du policier en civil
Naguime Bendidi	...	Comionneur
Frédéric Maranber	...	Gérant motel
Valérie Flan	...	Femme ferme
Paul-Alexandre Bardela	...	Petit garçon ferme
Abdelkader	...	Policier Péage

Storyline

Sylvie is a hooker whose illegitimate daughter commits a crime. She and her daughter flee to find Sylvie's first love in the countryside. The daughter is trying to get to know her unwilling mother. Along the way, the two meet a male fugitive and bond with each other.

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Plot Keywords:

daughter | mother | prostitute | female frontal nudity | upskirt | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Site

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

4 September 2002 (France)

Also Known As:

Ghost River

Filming Locations:

Grenoble, Isère, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

La Chauve Souris, StudioCanal, Bac Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Soundtracks

"Wayfaring Stranger"
Performed by Andreas Scholl and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra (as The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra)
Produced and Arranged by Craig Leon
Courtesy of Decca Records

User Reviews

The flow of the ghost river

The story here is a little bit specious and even cloying at times. Isabelle Huppert plays Sylvia, a druggie prostitute who seems to care only about her booze and pills. She plies her trade on the streets of Nice. Her 14-year-old daughter, Laurence (Maud Forget) appears out of nowhere, having run away from her foster home. Sylvia tells her to get lost. She doesn't, and in the next scene, trying to protect her mother from a couple of pimps who are starting to beat her up for some money, the 14-year-old somehow stabs one of them. The other runs out the door. The stabbed man is dead, and mother and daughter are on the run as in a Hollywood on the lam movie.

I don't think I need to tell the reader that mom is going to find the love she really feels for her daughter in addition to finding her own heart, and so I won't, because it isn't that simple. The story though is rather ordinary and predictable and is told with a number of loose ends just left lying about, not the least of which is the dead man.

No matter however because: (1) Isabelle Huppert is brilliant and very convincing as a low-class, trashy kind of person who lies almost habitually, even when she doesn't need to, a person lacking social skills or really any kind of skill. Her hair is too too blonde and she dresses like a tramp.

But it is amazing how comfortable Huppert looks in the role. Again I am very much impressed with her ability. I wonder if there is a more talented actress working anywhere in the world today. She is almost obsessive in the way she becomes the characters she plays. I've seen her in half a dozen films and in everyone she was a distinctly different person.

(2) The movie is beautifully shot with arresting scenes of earth and sky, unlike anything one usually sees in a domestic French movie.

(3) The music, some of it American country and western, some of it classical, was wonderfully chosen and coordinated with the story of the film in a way that enhances our appreciation. That is what is usually attempted of course. The idea being that music should help to trigger our response; but often the attempt is only halfhearted or too obviously directive. Here the music helps to bring the film to life.

(4) The story is uplifting and redemptive.

One more thing: the title in English, The Promise Life, is not a good translation of what is intended by the French, La Vie Promise. Better would be "The Promised Life," although that would be inaccurate. Also unsatisfactory would be "The Life of Promise." What I like is the title sometimes given to the film, "Ghost River." There is a beautiful line in the film that refers to "The flow of the ghost river" that I think somehow illustrates the life Sylvia has lead.

By all means see this beautiful if somewhat sentimental film for Isabelle Huppert, one of the great stars of the modern cinema.

(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!)