It's hard to imagine an actress other than Huppert so artfully layering frailty and toughness, self-delusion and self-awareness, and her complex portrayal is an irresistible foil to Kool Shen's blank expressions and wounded swagger. Maud herself often seems to relish the absurd aspects of the story as it unfolds, such as Vilko's hulking driver and ditzy, good-hearted wife—sometimes half-smiling as if, in fact, she were directing her own life.
Kristin M. Jones
July 7, 2014