Prisonnières (1988) - film review

A new batch of female convicts arrive in an austere women’s prison.  These include Nicole, who murdered her own child, and who is forced to in solitary confinement for her own safety.  Other women at the prison have their own problems.  Nelly, who is studying for a degree, becomes the victim of malicious plot involving drugs, whilst another woman, Marthe, is victimised because of her privileged relationship with the prison’s governor, Madame Dessombes.

This plodding film is marred by its pretensions and lumbering narrative style. The high calibre cast are ill-served by a mediocre script and some uninspired direction. The film conveys the hardship of prison life, but lacks emotional engagement with its subject.

© James Travers 2000

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