New York's Rendez-Vous With French Cinema

The delight of the drama stems from the well crafted characters, while its heft hinges on toxicity that may not be immediately obvious.

The action is pacy but that doesn’t mean Courvoisier skims the surface.

The two siblings bond and the disparate threads of their relationship prove immensely touching as they ruminate on the lost years and chances.

The character could have proved irksome in less talented hands than Jaoui who invests her character with self-deprecating humour and a sense of resilience.

There is a feeling of being in a constant movement, with cars and buildings whizzing by as Souleymane is rushing through the city, either riding his bike, or running from one type of public transport to the next.

Working out where the play-acting stops and the “real” action begins is enough to keep you on the edge of interest.