6/10
Stand by Moi
21 February 2017
Prior to watching "L'Homme qu'on aimait trop" ("In the Name of My Daughter" in English), I had never heard of Agnès Le Roux. The movie identifies that it's based on the story but some things are changed. In addition to the basic plot, I interpreted the movie as an overall look at an unfortunate trend that came about in the 1970s: the eclipsing of local businesses by bigger ones. In most cases it was chain stores that drove out the small ones, but in this case a mafia guy seeks to buy the casino.

I wouldn't call the movie a masterpiece, but it does a good job showing the breakdown of the mother-daughter relationship after the daughter betrays the mother. It's a truly depressing story. I guess that the French version of "Stand by Me" functions as deliberate irony.

As expected, Catherine Deneuve carries the movie as the distraught mother. Adèle Haenel also turns in a good performance as the daughter. I recommend the movie. I suppose that, like the story of the West Memphis Three, this might be a case that never truly gets solved.
2 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed