Place Vendome (1998)

After her husband (Bernard Fresson) commits suicide, his widow (Catherine Deneuve) is left to pick up the pieces of his prestigious but floundering jewel business. As she is a recovering alcoholic, it puts an additional strain on her  and only increases as shadows from her past return to haunt her. Directed by Nicole Garcia, the film provides a look into the world of international jewelry brokerage which is fascinating on one level but complex enough that I'm sure much of it went right over my head. The film features a wonderful lead performance by Deneuve who won the best actress award at the Venice film festival as well as a Cesar (the French Oscar) nomination for her work here. My main problem with the film is that every character is more or less unlikable, even Deneuve's. I wasn't invested in any of them and frankly, didn't give a damn about what happened to them. That being said, it's engrossing enough to keep you glued to the story even if you're a detached viewer. There's a nice underscore by Richard Robbins (REMAINS OF THE DAY). With Emmanuelle Seigner, Jacques Dutronc and Jean Pierre Bacri.