STRAYED
Directed by: André Téchiné.
Produced by: Jean-Pierre Ramsay Levi.
Written by: Gilles Taurand & André Téchiné, based on the novel Le Garçon Aux Yeux Gris.
Director of Photography: Agnés Godard.
Edited by: Martine Giordano.
Music by: Philippe Sarde.
Released by: Wellspring.
Country of Origin: France. 95 min. Not Rated.
With: Emmanuelle Béart, Gaspard Ulliel & Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet.

Strayed begins as refugees clog a country road, fleeing to the south during the 1940 German invasion of France. At the wheel of one suitcase-laden automobile is a beautiful widow, Odile (Béart), with her 13-year-old son and young daughter in the back seat. She notices in the distance an approaching bomber. She screams for her children to get out of the car. They run out and crouch by the side of the road. Bombs explode, killing many around them. Her son darts towards the woods, but an older youth rushes towards him, pushing him down into the grass. The family’s car and possessions burnt to a crisp, Odile is about to follow the road, hoping to find a village, before her son’s rescuer, 17-year-old Yvan (Ulliel), advises that they would be safer going through the woods instead. They find, after a night under the stars, a remote and abandoned chateau, where time has stopped. With plenty of rooms, wine in the cellar, fresh game caught by Yvan, and most of all, peace, the foursome do what the French do best, retreat.

When the daughter, after the air raid, points to Odile’s wet skirt, the mother admits she has wet herself. The stain is the only indication of her fright. This is typical of Béart’s understated performance - so much so that it is difficult to discern her thoughts. Her actions, regarding the generous but guarded Yvan, come across as not only inexplicable, but unbelievable. Although quietly charming, obviously Yvan is disturbed and a bit threatening (he’s very attached to his gun, and there is a reason why his hair is closely cropped). Ultimately, Béart and Ulliel lack chemistry as her maternal feelings for the teenager change. On the other hand, Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet, as her vulnerable son, couldn’t be clearer in his conflicted feelings toward pleasing his mother and his need for an older brother in Yvan.

The title could refer not only to the lead character, but also to the film itself. With its sun-drenched cinematography, haunting score, and a gripping beginning, the film begins promisingly, but ends with a whimper. Kent Turner
May 14, 2004