Place Vendome

The always watchable French icon Catherine Deneuve offers yet another burnished performance as Marianne, the boozing wife of a top Parisian jeweler. Left with a handful of apparently stolen diamonds after her husband purposely slams his car into a lumber truck rather than face impending bankruptcy, the quietly grieving widow puts down the bottle and tries to sell the hot rocks herself. Pulled back into the often nefarious business she previously left to her husband brings Marianne into contact with ex-lovers, suitors, professional peers, and other questionable characters who aren't always what they seem. While a bit too leisurely paced, writer/director Nicole Garcia's low-key thriller is a gem compared to most of the cut glass in the genre. Recommended. (T. Rich)