Every moment of the sparse, character study film Francine is devoted to its eponymous character. This proves to be a double-edged sword for the film and it is as much a strength as it is a weakness. The story is ultimately about a soft-spoken, middle-aged woman who struggles to readjust to life once she is released from jail, for reasons that are not disclosed. It is a mundane, solemn and intimate portrait of an intense and disturbed lady.