Director Andre Techine lets the drama burn slowly in this hugely compelling film, which is based on a true incident, making the most of a supremely talented ensemble cast.

Emilie Dequenne (Rosetta) plays Jeanne, a young woman living in the suburbs of Paris who embarks on a whirlwind romance with aspiring wrestler Franck (Nicolas Duvauchelle). The relationship comes to a sudden end however when Franck is brutally attacked, hospitalised and wants nothing more to do with Jeanne. The combination of the violence she has witnessed and the abrupt break-up leaves her emotionally traumatised, resulting in extreme and destructive behaviour.

Claiming she was the target of an anti-Semitic attack, she sets off a chain reaction which affects all of those close to her, including lawyer Samuel Bleistein (Michel Blanc), a spokesman for the local Jewish community and an old flame of her mother’s (Catherine Deneuve).