This ought to be dazzling: a Pulitzer-winning playwright behind the camera, Sigourney Weaver at her most actorly and Kate Bosworth bringing a touch of It Girl shimmer. But while there is a lot to like in Auburn's tightly focused film, it never fully pulls together.
Weaver is cabaret singer Julia, whose daughter is snatched in a park in New York. Skip ahead 16 years and she is hollowed out, living alone and rarely in touch with her family. When she takes in a waif, Louise (Bosworth), she starts looking for proof that here is her missing daughter.
Is Louise scamming her or is she simply an adroit manipulator? Does Julia know she's been taken for ride? Does she care? All interesting questions, but it's not reflective enough to offer insight.