Party of Fools: Arnaud des Pallières’s period drama follows a woman who interns voluntarily into a hospital, hoping to find her mother, who may have been put there against her will three decades ago. The film doesn’t shy away from showcasing the many abuses these women suffered while there, not the least of them the loss of freedom for no good reason. It is, however, light on character development. Mélanie Thierry plays the protagonist, determined despite all she sees and goes through; Marina Foïs plays the tyrannical chief nurse of the hospital, oozing threats; Carole Bouquet is regal as one of the unjust captives. Cinematographer David Chizallet keeps the camera close to the subjects, so their pain and suffering are evident, in a very expressive work. Production designer Laurent Baude and costume designer Nina Avramovic do competent work in recreating the time period.