WOMAN UNDER INFLUENCE / L’Emprise

 

North American Premiere • TV Movie • Drama • France, 2015

Blu-ray • Color • 98 min

Directed by: Claude-Michel Rome

Written by: Claude-Michel Rome, based on Alexandra Lange’s autobiography.

Produced by: Jean-Benoît Gillig (Leonis Productions)

Cast: Odile Vuillemin, Marc Lavoine,
Fred Testot, Micky Sebastian 

International Sales: TF1 International

Original Broadcast: TF1, January 26, 2015

 

Veteran TV writer/director Claude-Michel Rome scored a huge 8 million viewers for his wrenching domestic violence drama based on the sensational real-life murder trial of Alexandra Lange. Odile Vuellemin is emotionally compelling as Lange, a woman who at 18 falls under the control of Marcello Guillemin, the first man with whom she is romantically involved. From the start there was the occasional jealous rage, but after their marriage these turned into regular beatings. As the years pass, physical abuse is compounded by psychological violence when he threatens the safety of their children. Lange’s attempts to get help from friends, neighbors, the police, and even social workers are all met with inadequate responses. But if society won’t help her to escape the situation, how will it react when she takes matters into her own hands?