Reviewed by Pia Webley
Stars Catherine Frot, Sandrine Bonnaire, Wladimir Yordanoff,
Antoine Chappey | Written by Cyril Gomez-Mathieu and Safy Nebbou
UK certification 12 | UK RRP £19.99 | DVD Region 2 | Runtime 95 minutes | Directed by Safy Nebbou
Angel of Mine tells the story of Elsa Valentin, who is in the midst of a divorce and keeping custody of the son. However her troubles lie far deeper than that. Accompanying her young son to a party she spots a girl called Lola, who she is enchanted by. Enchantment soon takes a sinister turn into obsession as Elsa finds any excuse to be near Lola.
She befriends Lola’s mother Claire Vigneaux, in a bid to learn more regarding the family history and begins stalker’s quest- watching them outside their home and shamelessly turning up at every event the V family are making embarrassing excuses for her presence.
Elsa becomes more deluded and finally reveals to her concerned parents that she is convinced Lola is in fact her daughter. She had baby girl who had died seven years ago in a fire and has refused to let it go and come to terms that she will never see her daughter again. She is so convinced she even demands a DNA test much to Claire’s horror and prompting her to warn Elsa to never come near their family again.
What is particularly great about his film is that we see the delusion and torment through Elsa’s eyes and almost begin to empathise with her plight. You don’t know who to feel more sorry for - Elsa, as she becomes more desperate rapidly frays more and more and the seams, or Claire, the worried mother who has some strange creepy stalker following her daughter.
Gripping, tense and dark the whole duration through, Angel of Mine concludes with an excellent ending, as desperation to be a mother results in a very surprising conclusion. It is astonishing that the film has been based on real life events.
EXTRAS None