Mama Weed

Hardly a film that there is much to talk about. Totally aligned with the latest works of its leading actress. However, Isabelle Huppert is still an actress who makes her presence felt. Even if the scripts don't help her much.

While this French crime drama-comedy serves up a modest share of chuckles and action sequences, its lack of defined motivations and its overpacked story threads tend to water down what could have been a better film had it incorporated an overall sense of greater clarity. When an underpaid French-Arabic police translator working for the narco squad intercepts an undercover message involving the son of a friend, she tries to intervene to shield him while simultaneously cashing in for herself on privileged (and highly lucrative) information, launching a deluge of hot pursuit against her on multiple fronts. Director Jean-Paul Salome's uneven offering benefits tremendously from the superb performance by the ever-reliable Isabelle Huppert, despite the fact that this vehicle is somewhat beneath her considerable talents. And, when the laughs work, they're genuinely funny, even if they come somewhat few and far between. But, despite these strengths, some judicious overall tidying up is required to make this one work more effectively.