An Impossible Love

France, late 1950s. Rachel is a beautiful woman, half-Jewish, who lives in a small provincial town and works as a secretary. Philippe is a well-educated man from a wealthy Parisian family. They fall passionately in love, but their relationship—at least for Philippe—has no future. Rachel accepts her fate, even after she becomes pregnant. Accomplished French director Catherine Corsini (Summertime) adapted Christine Angot’s novel and cast Virginie Efira in the lead role. Efira’s heartbreaking and flawless performance, combined with the film’s artful cinematography and production design, successfully captures the period atmosphere of the novel, resulting in an intelligent, gripping melodrama with several surprising twists.