La Vie Promise

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La Vie Promise ★★½ The Promised Life 2002

Cold, aging French prostitute reevaluates her life after meeting the daughter she abandoned years ago. Pic turns into a road movie as the decidedly unmaternal Sylvia (Huppert) and her stubborn 14-year-old Laurence (Forget) go on the lam after Laurence rashly murders Sylvia's abusive pimp. They separately meet up with the mysterious Joshua (Gerggory) who joins them on their journey which has now become Sylvia's quest to reunite with her former husband (Marcon) and 8-year-old son she abandoned shortly after giving birth—an experience which drove her into a mental asylum. In an otherwise mediocre film, Huppert turns in a stunning performance as the streetwalker who must face a past she's trying to forget. Haunting soundtrack and lush French scenery are highlights. 94m/C DVD . FR Isabelle Huppert, Pascal Greggory, Maud Forget, Fabienne Babe, Andre Marcon; D: Olivier Dahan; W: Agnes Fustier-Dahan; C: Alex Lamarque.