Strayed (2003)

I love this movie so much

Surprisingly incoherent and boring

Overrated and overhyped

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Much has already been said by other viewers about the relationship of the characters in the movie. Viewers have rightly noted that the characters live in a world of chaos when everything seems to be falling apart: the everyday comfortable world, the family ties, the rules and inhibitions. But such circumstances bring out in people what they really are. People set aside social convention and struggle for survival, need of love, protection, in a desperate search for something to hold on to in this world. They build a small fragile world of their own, which may seem pretty strange, but the only one working at the moment. They form the most sincere primeval bonds, and these bonds shatter one day when the outer world reminds the isolated group of survivors (noble savages) of itself. Yvan gets caught, and the truth about his past becomes known, and it suddenly matters. Odile and the children betray Yvan, failing to claim him as one of their own, flinching from his identity and background. I think that that is the ultimate reason for Yvan's suicide: he can't stand this abrupt end to the only spell of happy life he must have known, he can't survive this betrayal. And the betrayal backfires on Odile and the children: their life in the refugee camp also debases them, the outer filth of the camp and thelack of freedom they used to enjoy in that forgotten country house is the price they pay for their cowardice and indecision at the most crucial moment. One white lie, making it possible for Yvan to gain time, to escape, and everything could have been different. I think they slowly start to learn their lesson, but the price paid for this lesson is too high, and the bitterest thing is that it's not they who pay it.

Being French and somewhat interested in history, I think I can give my 2 bits on a few questions about this movie:Why does the kid sing a song in German? My idea is that because friendship between France and Germany is now so sacro-saint, the director felt the need to remind viewers that all this was past history and we are now the best of friends. I think this was necessary because of the very graphic and terrifying scenes of refugees being bombed by German planes.Historical movie or individual adventure? I think both. The story is one of individuals cut off from the rest of the world, but the atmosphere of chaos, of loss of values, of breakdown of civilization, of not knowing where to go or what to do, appears to be representative of the way the people who lived through the events felt about them. Gaspard Ulliel, who seems to appear out of nowhere, as if a product of the times, personifies very well this feeling of chaos. Some also lived that period as a holiday from their everyday lives - if they were unattached and could fend for themselves. Alphonse Boudard's autobiographical book "Les combattants du petit bonheur" captures that outlook.The fact that they are cut off from the rest of the world makes the movie more present, like something that could be happening here and now. Most of the time you don't get the usual distraction of local color - costumes, old cars, etc- to show that this really is the past. Personally I get annoyed at movies that use sepia coloring, or historical allusions like famous news radio broadcasts so that you can't forget for a moment the distance between then and now.Moreover I think this movie fits into a trend of recent studies of history. A lot of books or documentaries on historical events stress the importance of understanding individual experiences to get a glimpse of the big picture.

In general I like this movie, but for me it was an abrupt end. I was expecting more to see about Yvan and his relationship with Odile, Philippe and Cathy. The relations between them were a little bit superficial. I think it would be much better if the dialogues consisted of more emotions. For me, the most effective moment of the film was very first hugging of Yvan and Odile when they see each other after long hours of leave. It was so natural and humane. The second one was the Yvan and Philippe's pushing Cathy in a barrow and altogether having fun. The scenery of the movie is very colorful and it is enjoyable to watch despite the fact that it finishes so quickly in the end.

Leave it to the French to make a film with an older woman and younger man and have World War II as it's backdrop but there is some real depth to the characterizations that make this more interesting than it seems on paper. Story takes place in France in 1940 where we see a widow and her two children flee Paris to escape the Nazi's and they are part of an exodus that is trying to make it's way south. Odile (Emmanuelle Beart) is a former school teacher who along with her 13 year old son Philippe (Gregoire Leprince-Ringuet) and 9 year old daughter Cathy (Clemence Meyer) are traveling in their car until it is destroyed by planes and they end up hiding in the forest where they meet 17 year old Yvan (Gaspard Ulliel). Yvan says that his parents are dead and even though Odile is suspicious of the young man they follow him through the French countryside.*****SPOILER ALERT*****After traveling on foot they find an abandoned country home where they decide to stay until Odile can find a telephone but she doesn't know that Yvan has cut the telephone wires. Yvan hunts for rabbits and fishes and becomes the provider for his "New" family and slowly gains the trust of Odile. One night he blurts out that he loves her and wants to marry her but Odile knows this will never happen even though there is some definite sexual tension between them. Two soldiers show up one day and Yvan feels threatened and decides whether or not to kill them!This film is directed by Andre Techine who has become a very respected and admired director in France and his past films also show his patience in telling stories and allowing relationships to grow. He is aided greatly with the cinematography of Agnes Godard who captures beautifully the French countryside and there are some terrific shots of Beart by the windows with the lush landscape in the background. But at the core of this film is another enchanting performance by Beart who can show both toughness and nobility but still be vulnerable. She's not just another French beauty who came from the modeling circuit but a solid actress who has been slowly building an impressive resume. The script is interesting and it's because of the way it writes it's characters and early on we can see that the character Yvan has some hidden layers to him and that what he tells us is clearly not the truth and as the film continues we see that he has a dark past that he is trying to hide from. This film quietly and patiently shows us two characters that are escaping from something horrible and seeking to restart their lives and once again Beart is terrific.