Mon Ange

A French village keeping a dark secret and a mother searching for her missing daughter make a compelling story, told here not as a gritty crime drama but as a modern tale of a strong, determined woman and her loyal hound rescuing her lost daughter. Don't expect pure realism in the depictions of events - although stranger abductions have been in the news. Relationships make this drama, including between Gaby, the police captain, and Julie's mother, Suzanne, (and Suzanne's relationship with alcohol), Gaby's autistic brother and their father and another mother and her sons. The acting, direction and writing are excellent. Muriel Robin's solid performance as Suzanne, always one step ahead of the police, kept my interest and there is even humour as events reach their climax. All is restored at the end, made a little magical by the dog's amazing recovery, but that's what we were hoping for, non?