Mark Of An Angel review

Inspired by a true story, French writer/ director Safy Nebbou’s restrained thriller is squarely rooted in a suburban universe of everyday family activities and domestic arrangements.

Divorced mother Elsa (The Page Turner’s Catherine Frot) insinuates herself into the life of affluent housewife Claire (Sandrine Bonnaire), convinced that the latter’s seven-year-old, Lola (HéloÏse Cunin), is actually her own daughter.

Predictable in places, but there’s much to savour here: dedicated performances, an atmospheric score, unsettling set-pieces (which are all viewed from Elsa’s troubled perspective)… and above all a satisfying sense of ambiguity.

Tom Dawson