Prior to watching "L'Homme qu'on aimait trop" ("In the Name of My Daughter" in English), I had never heard of Agnès Le Roux. The movie identifies that it's based on the story but some things are changed. In addition to the basic plot, I interpreted the movie as an overall look at an unfortunate trend that came about in the 1970s: the eclipsing of local businesses by bigger ones. In most cases it was chain stores that drove out the small ones, but in this case a mafia guy seeks to buy the casino.I wouldn't call the movie a masterpiece, but it does a good job showing the breakdown of the mother-daughter relationship after the daughter betrays the mother. It's a truly depressing story. I guess that the French version of "Stand by Me" functions as deliberate irony.As expected, Catherine Deneuve carries the movie as the distraught mother. Adèle Haenel also turns in a good performance as the daughter. I recommend the movie. I suppose that, like the story of the West Memphis Three, this might be a case that never truly gets solved.

Greetings again from the darkness. The best French films excel at showing how relationships and personality traits can get intertwined to create a big mess where only a small blip once existed. Based on the book by Renee LeRoux, this film from decorated director Andre Techine is self-described "fiction based on real events" and follows the events that began in 1976, and the fallout over a murder-mystery during the next thirty plus years.Catherine Deneuve plays Renee LeRoux, the owner of a casino in Nice, and mother to Agnes (Adele Haenel). Agnes returns home from Africa after a split from her husband. She is strong-willed and free-spirited, and intent on cashing out her share of the casino to open her own little shop.Mother and daughter are tormented by their lack of a close relationship, and this frustration intensifies due to the pressure on Mom's casino business applied by local mobster Fratoni (Jean Corso), and even moreso thanks to the romantic relationship that brews between Mom's trusted business adviser Maurice Agnelet (Guillaume Canet) and the much younger Agnes.Maurice is a well-known (and admitted) Lothario and his business savvy manages to maneuver Agnes into betraying her mother at a crucial time. This betrayal leaves both Maurice and Agnes with a substantial financial gain, while Mom loses her casino. Agnes devolves into obsessed-lover and stalker, while Maurice is content to continue playing the field and enjoy his riches. Soon enough, Agnes disappears without a trace, and of course her mother suspects Maurice has killed her. With no body and no evidence, there can be no murder charges, and this sets Renee on a lifelong mission of proving him guilty.It's nice to see Ms. Deneuve take on this role, and the best scenes involve her interactions with Ms. Haenel and Mr. Canet (who wrote and directed the 2006 gem Tell No One). The interactions between these characters is fascinating to watch, and provides some insight to the not-always-positive side of human beings. It's also a sign of the times as cigarette smoke is present (sometimes in mass quantities) in most every scene, and the French version of "Stand By Me" fits perfectly in a rare moment that lacks tension. The final act provides quite a statement on the justice system in France, though one hates to jump to conclusions based on a few minutes of a movie.

"L'Homme qu'on aimait trop" is about the Maurice Agnelet vs Renée Leroux story. I am not sure that those who have followed this long criminal saga will learn anything. And not sure either that those who do not know it will be interested. Actors are quite good, but the directing is a bit flat, especially the end at the tribunal. Because the story is spread over 30 years, with new sentences made after the film was finished, it is clear that after watching it, we still don't know the truth. Was Agnelet guilty of killing Agnes Leroux, probably, was it right to send him 20 years in jail, without any corpse, any car, and any strong evidence, may be not. This film will at least let you understand well the roles of all the protagonists involved in one of the strangest disappearance (Agnès Leroux) and unpleasant suspect (Maurice Agnelet) of the seventies in Nice.

I was an extra in this film, a one day shoot on the beach near CAnnes and I show up for one or two seconds in a scene about 1 hour and 20 minutes into the film on the beach with the two young lead walking by and me in my swim trunks standing by the edge of the sea. OK Not much but fun to see. I enjoyed the film mostly because it was shot here in the South of France where I live and they went to great pains to make it look authentic from the 1970s when most of it takes place and its beautifully photographed. Good performances from the three leads and a true story that is still unsolved. Did this man kill this girl or not? We still do not know for sure. Miss Deneuve ages to the end of the film and I do not recall ever seeing her let herself go like that in films. I spoke briefly to Guillaume Canet on the set that day and he was very nice and approachable. A memorable experience and in the end a good film too