Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Adèle Exarchopoulos | ... | Anna Amari | |
Guillaume Gallienne | ... | Jean Firmino | |
Stéphanie Cléau | ... | Elise Firmino | |
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Aliénor Poisson | ... | Louise Firmino |
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Cyrielle Martinez | ... | Zoé |
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Selma Mansouri | ... | Sonia |
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Sabila Moussadek | ... | Aïda |
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Julie Moulier | ... | Pilar |
Marie Rivière | ... | La mère d'Anna | |
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Maryline Even | ... | Co-détenue Fleury |
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Olivier Foubert | ... | Le prof de français |
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Marie Berto | ... | Béatrice |
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Aude Briant | ... | Secrétaire Jean |
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Guillaume Marquet | ... | Le contrôleur général des prisons |
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Nade Dieu | ... | Capitaine de police |
Already incarcerated for four years, the rebellious teenager, Anna Amari, is transferred to a women's correctional facility, where right from the start, she will catch Jean Firmino's eye, the detention centre's director. But even though Jean is over twice Anna's age, in a seemingly good marriage, with a young daughter and a good job, his dangerous and powerful obsession for the sultry inmate will soon drag them both into an all-consuming and passionate love affair. Trapped behind the prison's thick walls, Jean will do everything to snatch a brief moment with the object of his desire, taking incrementally bigger risks despite gossip and consequences. Under those circumstances, is there a future in their reckless affair? Written by Nick Riganas
I gave seven for the absolutely mesmerizing cast. This couple formed by Guillaume Gallienne (Les garçons et Guillaume à table, Yves Saint Laurent), one of the most versatile and surprising French actors (he's also part of la Comedy Francaise theater company), always powerful in his creativity, and a very talented young actress,like Adele Exarchopoulos (La vie d'Adele) who can explode with emotions, seemed odd on paper but it works, like all the other actors (notable mention to the wonderful Stephanie Cleau). Fortunately, I must say, because the director Pierre Godeau, doesn't seem able to cope properly with the sensitive matter in the plot. A love story in prison between the jail director and a prisoner, inspired to a real fact that happened to "Emma" , a young woman involved in France, in the vicious kidnapping and homicide of a young Jewish man by a street gang. None of the criminal case is present in the movie. Godeau sublimates the characters in the world apart of the prison, which can be cool, but he hasn't a real direction. Here everything is left in mid-air, or reduced to simplistic answers. The actors nonetheless make the movie compelling.