Every day, AlloCiné recommends a film to (re)watch on TV. Tonight: an intense legal drama carried by an incredible young actress.
If you liked the trial film Anatomy of a Fall, Palme d’Or at the last Cannes Film Festival, then you will undoubtedly be swept away by The Girl with the Bracelet. Difficult, in fact, to emerge unscathed from this gripping legal drama, winner of the César for Best Adaptation.
Released in theaters in 2020, the feature film directed by Stéphane Demoustier tells the story of Lise, 18, who lives in a quiet residential area and has just graduated. But for two years, Lise has been wearing a bracelet because she is accused of having murdered her best friend.
Impressive behind closed doors which stands out for its realism and intensity, The Girl with the Bracelet is inspired by the story of Acusada, an Argentinian film released in French cinemas in 2019. Through the clinical autopsy of a trial, Stéphane Demoustier wanted to address here the morals of today’s youth without judging them.
The cast of The Girl with the Bracelet includes Anaïs Demoustier (the director’s sister), Roschdy Zem and Chiara Mastroianni. But the great asset of the film is the young Melissa Guers who, for her first steps in the cinema, impresses in the main role of Lise. The actress responded to an ad posted on Facebook by Stéphane Demoustier, who was looking for a young girl who had never acted.
“She’s the only one who, from the start, tolerated the silences”notes the filmmaker. “She had an intensity that was explosive. Her personality would enrich the character. This impression never wavered. She had the instinct for acting and we saw her become an actress as the filming progressed.”
To construct his story, Stéphane Demoustier spent time in the criminal court to attend trials (more precisely at the Bobigny court) and thus be sure to stick as closely as possible to reality. The filming of the film, with the agreement of the chancellery, took place within the confines of the Nantes court.
Tonight on France 3 at 9:10 p.m.
Our interview with the “Girl with the Bracelet” team: