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.
*****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.