The film is based on a book by Renée Le Roux, the film’s protagonist, and her son, Jean-Charles Le Roux. The setting goes back to the casino wars on the French Riviera dating to the 1970s, with Deneuve playing Renée Le Roux, struggling to keep ownership of her beleaguered Palais de le Mediterranee casino in Nice.

Madame Le Roux has a rebellious daughter Agnes, fetchingly and provocatively played by the fascinating actress Adèle Haenel. She is eager to get what’s coming to her from the estate willed her, but her mother keeps stalling and mother-daughter antagonisms and tensions reach a boiling point.

Meanwhile, Agnes falls for the handsome and seductive lawyer Maurice Agnelet, impressively portrayed by Guillaume Canet. Agnes gets more and more taken with him, but he is depicted as an operator and opportunist, who presses to become top aide to Madame Le Roux and schemes against her when she rejects him. He is shown to be a ladies’ man reluctant to become tied down with one woman, especially when Agnes grows increasingly attached and demanding.

Beware of the following partial spoiler—Agnes disappears and Deneuve as Madame Le Roux spends the rest of the film passionately trying to find what happened and get justice. You can Google Maurice Agnelet and Renée Le Roux to be brought up to date on details of the case, but I’d advise that you wait until you have seen this taut, well-constructed drama and Deneuve’s extraordinary performance. There are also involving supporting performances by Judith Chemla and Jean Corso.

The film is intensified by striking scenes along the Riviera and dramatic fireworks illuminating the casino manipulations and infighting. The makeup that shows the aging of the key characters is excellent, and the courtroom scenes are realistic and compelling.