Francine
Film Sales Company, The | Release Date: September 14, 2012 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
65
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews
Positive:
6
Mixed:
4
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertNov 7, 2012
Melissa Leo plays her without inflection, giving us no instructions about what our opinion should be. It is a brave performance, an act of empathy with a sad woman. Read full review
80
The New York TimesStephen HoldenSep 12, 2012
A small gem of bleak, neorealist portraiture. Read full review
80
Time OutKeith UhlichSep 11, 2012
The movie might very well have come off as a too-clinical experiment if it weren't for Leo, who maintains a rivetingly mysterious aura even as her character's behavior becomes increasingly bizarre. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneySep 11, 2012
A minimalist, image-based character study that is almost impossibly fragile and yet emotionally robust, Francine is a legitimate discovery. Read full review
70
VarietyJustin ChangSep 11, 2012
A glum but tenderly observed micro-portrait of a woman struggling to re-enter society after being released from prison. Read full review
67
IndieWireEric KohnSep 11, 2012
While Francine distinguishes itself with atmospheric strangeness, Cassidy and Shatzky never create a satisfying whole. Read full review
60
NPRIan BuckwalterSep 14, 2012
At times Francine feels like a documentary as well, an intimate observational work in the mode of Frederick Wiseman or the Maysles brothers, where the omnipresence of the camera puts the characters so at ease that they reveal subtle moments of character that they might otherwise hide out of self-consciousness. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubTasha RobinsonSep 12, 2012
Francine is so minimalist that it has to rely almost entirely on Leo for solidity, and it would be a far stronger film if it supported and framed her more effectively. Read full review
50
Village VoiceMelissa AndersonSep 11, 2012
Reveals itself to be a project of few interesting ideas. Read full review
50
Slant MagazineBill WeberSep 11, 2012
In a character study of an ex-con who gives her heart and mind to animals rather than people, Melissa Leo's risky performance is ultimately framed with a disappointing, distanced pity. Read full review
38
New York PostFarran Smith NehmeSep 13, 2012
What with the unexciting hand-held camerawork, and the off-putting script and lead performance, Francine remains as frustrating as its inscrutable title character. Read full review
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