Courted

Fabrice Luchini plays Michel Racine a criminal judge who is known for being less than lenient. He is separated and has got to that curmudgeonly time of life. This day he starts a new trial of a man accused of infanticide of his own daughter – but then he spots one of the jurors and his heart quickens a beat.

This is a doctor who had treated him some two years ago – being is Ditte Lorensen-Coteret played by the marvellous Sisde Babbett- Knudsen ('Borgen' and 'The Duke of Burgundy') and he has been carrying a torch for her ever since. What follows are two trials – the one of the defendant and the other for himself but not as judge.

Now this is well made, acted, directed and filmed and it is a gripping story in places but it also takes its foot off the gas a few times too which means you can start mind meandering if you are not careful. That said it still kept me interested until the end so one I can recommend, but only once really so a rental option would be better advised.