Rachel (Virginie Efira) is a 40-ish professor of English whose relationship with her new boyfriend, Ali (Roschdy Zem), a single father to four-year-old Leïla (Callie Ferreira-Goncalves), becomes complicated when Rachel begins to form a deep connection with the little girl. It’s a precarious situation, and the more time Rachel spends with Leïla, the more she cannot help but feel like a mother to the child. That Leïla spends half her time with her birth mother, Alice (Chiara Mastroianni), is a cause of growing resentment for Rachel who feels she has the responsibilities of motherhood but not the rights that go with it.

Rebecca Zlotowski’s fifth feature is a deeply moving and acutely observed portrait of a woman at a crossroads, navigating her fluctuating feelings around maternal instincts and societal pressures. Look out for a surprising cameo from legendary documentary director 92-year-old Frederick Wiseman, playing a gynaecologist.

IFI French Film Club: Tickets for the 18.30 screening on Thursday 23rd will cost €10.00 for IFI and Alliance Française members.

Notes by David O’Mahony