At the end of the nineteenth century, Monsieur Heurtin (Gilles Treton, CRIMSON RIVERS 2) and his wife (Laure Duthilleul, DIVA) seek the help of the nuns at the Notre-Dame de Larnay convent who care for and educate deaf children to care for his daughter Marie (Ariana Rivoire) who is both deaf and blind. Although the Mother Superior (Brigitte Catillon, LA SPETTATRICE) turns them away, tubercular young Sister Marguerite (Isabelle Carré, ROMANTICS ANONYMOUS) – having learned sign language from deaf Sister Raphaëlle (Noémie Churlet) – is willing to take on the challenge after trying to experience what it must be like to be trapped in a prison of darkness and silence. Marie is understandably terrified, having been forcefully taken away from her parents and everything familiar to her, but Margurite slowly starts to make progress as she switches from trying to teach the girl language to showing her how to live and interact with others (and engaging her curiosity about the world around her). If you have seen THE MIRACLE WORKER, then MARIE'S STORY – though also based on a true story – will offer little surprise. The period setting is well-realized and the performances are excellent (Catillon as the cold Mother Superior conveys a startling warmth with a ghost of a smile) and the drama will tug at the heartstrings, but the sequence of events is predictable and the emotional beats so calculated (no sooner does Marie reconnect with her parents than Marguerite remind us of her failing health by passing out and telegraphing that the last act will focus on Marie comprehending and accepting mortality). The adaptation does take some liberties with the true story, seemingly in order to not have to recast Marie with an older actress for later scenes. The end result feels more like a prestige production than a neglected story worthy of telling.