Her Father's Daughter

Henri (Francois Berleand) hasn't got the most enviable life. He may have been lucky in business, but his marriage is on the rocks, his daughter barely speaks to him and even his friend, Francis (Frederic Pierrot), holds little interest.

One day, while out shooting, Francis casually drops into the conversation that he has a daughter, Anna (Natacha Regnier), from a fling years ago, whose mother has just died. He doesn't want to get involved, but is keen to give the girl some cash, and Henri agrees to pass it on to her.

On his return from this errand, Henri discovers his wife's acupuncturist is ministering to more than her medical needs and, on the spur of the moment, decides to concoct an affair with Anna's mother and claim parentage himself. Needless to say, this decision breeds on itself and events spiral rapidly out of control.

Jacques Deschamps's second feature film is a tense exploration of relationships and human frailty, helped enormously by Beatrice Thiriet's wonderfully evocative score.

The acting is superb throughout, although it is a shame there is so much shade in the movie. It is certainly compelling, despite a surfeit of bleakness and angst. The one or two moments of joviality are such a joy, you are left wishing the director had allowed us a longer glimpse.

The plot suffers from predictability near the end, although there is enough originality to keep the audience happy. All in all, a neatly constructed cautionary tale of love and betrayal.