L'hermine

Fabrice Luchini plays Michel Racine a criminal judge who is known for being less than lenient. He is separated and has got to that curmudgeonly time of life. This day he starts a new trial of a man accused of infanticide of his own daughter – but then he spots one of the jurors and his heart quickens a beat.

This is a doctor who had treated him some two years ago – being is Ditte Lorensen-Coteret played by the marvellous Sisde Babbett- Knudsen ('Borgen' and 'The Duke of Burgundy') and he has been carrying a torch for her ever since. What follows are two trials – the one of the defendant and the other for himself but not as judge.

Now this is well made, acted, directed and filmed and it is a gripping story in places but it also takes its foot off the gas a few times too which means you can start mind meandering if you are not careful. That said it still kept me interested until the end so one I can recommend, but only once really so a rental option would be better advised.

The story is framed within a court-room setting with the judge being the primary protagonist. In essences it is a simple film about an opportunistic re-meeting between the judge and one of his jureres and the judge wanting to pick up where their nascent relationship stalled years earlier.

The awkwardness of the situation is beautifully captured and at the end you feel you have watched a simple story that makes you feel good.

Fabrice Luchini is here at his best in this awesome court room, character and procedural study around a trial about a young man accused of killing his seven years old child. Audiences are hooked by the actors performances. I guess that most of the characters who play here are non professional actors. All long this movie, I thought of course of Sidney Lumet's TWELVE ANGRY MEN, although the Lumet's film is far far better than this one. No lengths here, don't worry. And I repeat, Luchini is here outstanding as a bitter mood judge. A worth watching movie.

The perfect example of what the French movie industry can give.