New York's Rendez-Vous With French Cinema

Though the events unfold forward, the feel of Summertime is that of a pleasantly painful memory recalled backwards, clutching you emotionally as if you were looking at a faded photo album.

The natural wonders of the desert can be read as an invitation to reach into the vast barrenness inside.

If you ever threw safety to the wind and sailed deeply into the love that could be your undoing, you will be able to identify with what Maïwenn and her brilliant actors are exploring.

This initially seems like a set-up for a film exploring mental reconciliation after estrangement but the Larrieus have other ideas - perhaps too many of them.

The director is adept at confronting ordinary people with extraordinary situations to test their resilience.

With heart-rending emotion and considerable physical punch Emmanuelle Bercot immerses us in French young offenders’ procedures.