Taken in paradise

Thriller offers seductive heroine and exotic location but doesn't take full advantage of its political framework.

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The eponymous "bombshell" - in more ways than one-of this ambitious political thriller is 17-year-old Séverine. She's finding life rather dull in her new home in Ajaccio, the main city in Corsica, the windswept French territory where Napoleon was born.

It's the early 90s and Corsica, a flashpoint since the French gained control of the island in 1768, is in turmoil. The era was marked by violence from armed independent groups seeking self-determination, while the French government responded by deploying more police and military resources.

Our aspiring actress has moved there, somewhat unwillingly, from Paris with her wealthy parents: her father is a French socialist politician on the island, pushing for Corsican autonomy.