Melissa Leo is the crazy cat woman in 'Francine'

Posted Friday, September 7, 2012 at 4:59 PM Central

by John Couture

If there's one thing that I dig about Melissa Leo it's that she's never shy about taking odd or quirky roles. Usually, these "off the beaten path" characters pay dividends with award wins and I wouldn't be surprised if Francine is her latest award-winning role.

The small, independent film follows the titular character played by Leo as she is released from prison and struggles to reintegrate herself with society. As you would imagine the process isn't a smooth transition and from the looks of it Francine gets a bit crazy towards the end.

So, what's up with all the cats? Hard to say, but she connects (finds solace?) with the animals through the shared experience of being imprisoned against their will. She works a handful of menial jobs that culminates as an assistant at a veterinarian clinic.

I think the trailer and clip below are both pretty telling as to what happens next. Either way, it's clear that Melissa Leo was born to play Francine and hopefully her performance is rewarded come awards season.

Check out the trailer and a clip from the film below. The film hasn't been scheduled for a release yet, but you can bet that it will find a small awards qualifying run before the end of the year.

FRANCINE: CLIP (LARGE) from Pigeon Projects on Vimeo.