L'Homme Qu'on Aimait Trop (aka In The Name Of My Daughter) (2014)

After a failed marriage, a young woman (Adele Haenel) returns to the South of France where her mother (Catherine Deneuve) runs a casino. The mother/daughter relationship is strained and the daughter begins an affair with her mother's married attorney (Guillaume Canet) which will lead to tragedy for everyone involved. Based on the non fiction book UNE FEMME FACE A LA MAFIA by Renee Le Roux (played by Deneuve in the film) and her son John Charles Le Roux and directed by Andre Techine (MY FAVORITE SEASON). Although based on a true story, Techine takes a section of the book and fictionalizes it focusing on the power struggle of the mother, daughter and lover while still staying true to the facts surrounding the tale. The film is split into three parts: the first part is mainly exposition revealing the mother/daughter tension and the casino takeover, the second part is the unraveling of the daughter's mental and emotional state and the third part jumps 20 years to a murder trial. The film is hampered by the lack of sympathy for the daughter who I found unappealing. Even Canet's heel is more inviting. He doesn't hide his feelings and he's honest about who he is while the daughter is a train wreck. The case itself is fascinating although my unfamiliarity with French law made the film's epilogue confusing. With Jean Corso and Judith Chemla.