French Riviera: A Sun-Soaked Drama

Imagine being whisked away to the 70s French Riviera—where glamour, scandal, and mystery wrap around you tighter than a vintage Hermès scarf. Sounds pretty fancy, right? But let me tell you, “French Riviera” (or “In the Name of My Daughter”) doesn’t just brush up against elegance; it drags you into the depths of family chaos that’ll leave you dizzy.

So, we’ve got this formidable Catherine Deneuve playing Renée Le Roux. Oh, Catherine! Just hearing her name brings me back to my teenage days, when I found an ancient Cineast magazine in a Stockholm second-hand shop. Her eyes on the cover, timeless and piercing, fascinated me as much as they do now. She’s got this way of expressing silent fury with a mere glance, like when you’ve forgotten to separate the whites from the colors in the laundry again.

In this film, she’s locked horns with the charismatic Guillaume Canet. Now, Canet’s somewhat of a charming rogue—they could’ve cast him as a suave Swedish archipelago sailor just as easily. I got to thinking, does this film show that age-old tale of familial betrayal and ambition better than, say, a thriller set on a Swedish summer night? Maybe.

This flick’s directed by André Téchiné, who knows his way around a sharp narrative edge. But does every scene hit home? I’m not sure. There’s this one moment, where the tension builds like the suspense before the first snowfall of November in Stockholm, but then it deflates like my New Year’s resolutions come February.

It’s a bit like being trapped in a game of boules—you never quite know where the ball’s gonna roll next. But isn’t that the fun of it? I’d say it’s a intriguing watch, especially if you’re cozy indoors while the Swedish winds batter your windows.

Check the trailer below