This Wednesday, March 11, Rendez-Vous with French Cinema 2015 presents the North American premiere of a film that showcases the talents of French cinema greats, both familiar and new. In the Name of My Daughter, which made its world premiere at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, stars screen veterans Catherine Deneuve and Guillaume Canet, as well as rising star Adèle Haenel.
Based on true events surrounding the disappearance of heiress Agnes Le Roux in 70s-era Nice, the film is adapted from the memoir of the young woman’s mother, Renée Le Roux (played by Deneuve). The Le Roux family scandal rocked the glitzy shores of Nice due to its implications in the battle between casino owner Renée Le Roux and bigwig businessman, Fratoni, over the ownership of the Palais de la Méditerrannée. Decades later, the story would seize headlines once more when Le Roux reopened the case of her daughter’s disappearance, accusing her own former lawyer (and Agnes’s lover) of murdering Agnes.
In the Name of My Daughter does not constitute an exact retelling of these events, but rather seeks to provide an interpretation of what unfolded back in the 70s, acting more as a character study of a mother, her daughter, and the man who would tear them apart. This allows director André Téchiné, acclaimed in France as a herald of post-New Wave cinema, to take some creative liberties with the story. The original French Title, L’Homme qu’on aimait trop, translates as “the man they loved too much,” an intriguingly suggestive label which pits Agnes’s lover, Maurice Agnelet (Canet), at the center of the action. Originally acting as lawyer and advisor for Renée Le Roux, Maurice falls out of favor with the wealthy widow as quickly as he captivates the heart of the young, recently divorced Agnes. As Agnes, Haenel bursts with flighty, erratic energy—the young actress is captivating in the way she conveys obsessive love to the point of self-destruction. She is devastating to watch, though her energy is at an imbalance with Canet’s. The actor underplays the reputed lothario lawyer, Maurice, a choice that sometimes works in making him an interesting, far more cynical foil for Agnes, but also saps him of any fiery passion one may hope to see in the tumultuous relationship. Deneuve, more radiant than ever, gives a nuanced performance of a businesswoman and mother desperate to hold onto the past, to reclaim her daughter and the life they once shared. In evoking 1970s Nice, Téchiné focuses more on lush Riviera scenery than he does on its nightlife, which makes for beautiful views but leaves one wishing for a deeper glimpse into the infamous casinos of the era. What the director does succeed in is creating an unbiased portrait of the Le Roux-Agnelet story, letting these real-life characters live and breathe within the framework of his film, without drawing conclusions about what may or may not have happened those decades ago.
For more information about Rendez-Vous with French Cinema 2015, please visit http://www.filmlinc.com/films/series/rendez-vous-with-french-cinema-2015.
