"La prisonnière de Bordeaux" is film about a friendship that forms between two characters with very different backgrounds. Huppert is a rich retired ballerina dancer whose neurosurgeon husband accidentally drives into a pedestrian which lands him in prison; in contrast, Hafsia is a younger mother of two whose boyfriend was caught in a jewelry heist. Due to the bureaucracy of the prison system combined with the occasional incompetence of the staff working there, visitors are often given incorrect visitation dates. One incident causes Huppert and Hafsia to spend some time together, and it is primarily Huppert's loneliness that leads to her opening up her home to the complete stranger out of desire for a friend.
Things never warm up too sentimentally as Hafsia is too street smart to let her guard down. She's a survivor of a rough life and when a man from that area demands money, Hasif relents by offering one of Huppert's prized painting to steal from their home.
The aftermath is heart-breaking, not because Huppert is surprised or unusually angry, but rather, she is disappointed. She trusted Hafsia; she thought Hafsia was her friend. Now Huppert must face the loneliness that Hafsia wasn't actually a friend; it was a facade in Huppert's mind. She is in fact alone.
Hafsia is told to leave in a gentle manner, but as Hafsia drives away, it is Hafsia that is most emotional. At one point, the audience fears that Hafsia is contemplating suicide with her two kids in the back of the car.
Other poignant moments include a scene when Huppert is holding a dinner party with people of the 'same' professional level as her and a lawyer friends asks if Hafsia is the maid replacement.
The film is one that all audiences would enjoy.
Things never warm up too sentimentally as Hafsia is too street smart to let her guard down. She's a survivor of a rough life and when a man from that area demands money, Hasif relents by offering one of Huppert's prized painting to steal from their home.
The aftermath is heart-breaking, not because Huppert is surprised or unusually angry, but rather, she is disappointed. She trusted Hafsia; she thought Hafsia was her friend. Now Huppert must face the loneliness that Hafsia wasn't actually a friend; it was a facade in Huppert's mind. She is in fact alone.
Hafsia is told to leave in a gentle manner, but as Hafsia drives away, it is Hafsia that is most emotional. At one point, the audience fears that Hafsia is contemplating suicide with her two kids in the back of the car.
Other poignant moments include a scene when Huppert is holding a dinner party with people of the 'same' professional level as her and a lawyer friends asks if Hafsia is the maid replacement.
The film is one that all audiences would enjoy.
