French Film Reviews: Victoria, Directed by Justine Triet

This absurdist drama is a departure for France’s rom-com topliner Virginie Efira. Here she stars as Victoria, a fast-sinking lawyer and borderline sex-addict at loggerheads with an ex-husband set on exposing her every tryst on his incendiary blog.To make matters worse, she is roped into defending a friend accused of stabbing his fiancée at a wedding.

It all spirals into mayhem when the only witness, a guest’s monkey, takes to the stand in the most bizarre murder trial in cinematic (and legal) history. Against all odds, the manic comedy and its lead scooped Césars nominations for best film and actress. Lurching between despair and sheer farce, Victoria defies definition – and comprehension.