Les égarés (Strayed) (2003)

74% of critics liked it
(58 reviews)
60% of users liked it
(1,481 ratings)

A woman struggles to trust a man who has become her protector and benefactor in this French drama set during World War II. In 1940, as German troops invade France, Odile (Emmanuelle Béart), a woman who has recently lost her husband, is desperate to get her two children, Philippe (Grégoire… More A woman struggles to trust a man who has become her protector and benefactor in this French drama set during World War II. In 1940, as German troops invade France, Odile (Emmanuelle Béart), a woman who has recently lost her husband, is desperate to get her two children, Philippe (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet) and Cathy (Clémence Meyer), away from the fighting by heading south, though the roads are choked with others eager to do the same. When the road Odile is traveling is strafed by German bombs, she and her children abandon their car and take to the woods, where they are soon joined by Yvan (Gaspard Ulliel), a headstrong teenager who is also fleeing the advancing Nazi forces. Odile isn't certain the hot-headed young man is such a good traveling companion, but Philippe wants him around to help protect the family from the Germans, and he gives him his late father's watch as an inducement to stick around. Late one night, in need of rest, Yvan finds a huge abandoned house, and he and Odile quickly take it over. The house seems to be a safe haven, and the four travelers decide to stay for a while. Philippe finds a role model in Yvan, and lonely Odile finds herself drawn to him, though, with the passage of time, she becomes eager to learn more about his past, which he hesitates to discuss. Strayed (aka Les Égarés) was adapted from the novel The Boy With Grey Eyes by Gilles Perrault. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Andre Techine
Written By: Gilles Taurand, Andre Techine
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Aug 20, 2003 Wide
On DVD: Nov 23, 2004
Studio: Wellspring

Critic Reviews

Desson Thomson, Washington Post
A picture-book French film that's pretty and trite, rather than edgy and moving.
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
Has the strange clarity of a fable.
Melinda Ennis, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ulliel is brilliant as a lost boy who has grown mad in a world filled with madness. And Beart's portrayal is haunting.
Jane Sumner, Dallas Morning News
A fascinating mystery -- a halcyon idyll with a gnawing sense of terror at the edge.
Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle
With searing images of distressed families of American soldiers killed in Iraq on TV almost daily, Strayed is another poignant reminder of war's innocent victims.
Tom Long, Detroit News
It's incredible how little actually happens considering all the possibilities.
Staci Layne Wilson, Horror.com
While Strayed does offer up some decent visuals, good acting, and reasonably suspenseful direction, it falls flat in its cardboard characterizations: everyone, each of the five characters in the story, are utter clichés.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Andre Techine, maestro of the French New Wave directors, tells a seductively simple story of survival set on the outskirts of German occupied Paris in June of 1940.
Anton Bitel, Film4
Strayed proves to be as lost and elusive as its fugitive characters.
Kam Williams, Princeton Town Topics
Reminiscent of such desert island classics as Swept Away and Lord of the Flies, this film is at heart, a microscopic suspense drama quite independent of the war which brought its unfortunate characters together.
Dragan Antulov, Draxblog Movie Reviews
The film provides some sort of closure at the historical point in which conventional WW2 film would only begin.
Wendy Weinstein, Film Journal International
A psychologically acute study of individuals in extreme circumstances. It is not easily forgotten.
Frank Swietek, One Guy's Opinion
In its reserved, deliberate fashion it builds considerable power.
Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star
those in the mood for a patient, self-assured tapestry of changing relationships will be rewarded.
Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)
The film is really more about the aftershocks of war, and how they upset the internal balance of its survivors.

Read all 15 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Sajin P

I dont know a hoot about French history. Nevertheless I enjoyed this movie a lot. Although it's a story of a Parisian family running away from war, this is not exactly a period war movie. it deals with the struggles of a family to survive, and the relation between a widowed… More
I dont know a hoot about French history. Nevertheless I enjoyed this movie a lot. Although it's a story of a Parisian family running away from war, this is not exactly a period war movie. it deals with the struggles of a family to survive, and the relation between a widowed mother and a young stranger.
Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]"Strayed" starts out on June 10, 1940. Odile(Emmanuelle Beart) is a young mother fleeing Paris with her 13-year old son and 6-year old daughter. They are part of a long, slow procession of refugees heading south when it is suddenly attacked by German… More
[font=Century Gothic]"Strayed" starts out on June 10, 1940. Odile(Emmanuelle Beart) is a young mother fleeing Paris with her 13-year old son and 6-year old daughter. They are part of a long, slow procession of refugees heading south when it is suddenly attacked by German planes, strafing and bombing them. The family survives the attack and makes their way from the convoy cross country with the help of a myserious 17-year old named Yvan(Gaspard Ulliel)who has some very handy survival skills. Eventually, they stumble across an abandoned chateau.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Strayed" is a beautifully shot film about being civilized just as everything else is falling apart.("The Time of the Wolf", released about the same time, covered similar territory.) For example, Odile tries desperately to retain the sense of normalcy that her family provides. But after a great start, the movie alsmost comes to a halt when they get settled in at the chateau. And Emmanuelle Beart is good as always.[/font]
Doctor S

Once the end credits roll, you may think to yourself that Les Egarés doesn't add up to much. Or you may see it like me and find a lot of value in those little pieces. The film follows a mother and her son & daughter fleeing from Paris in June 1940 as the… More
Once the end credits roll, you may think to yourself that Les Egarés doesn't add up to much. Or you may see it like me and find a lot of value in those little pieces. The film follows a mother and her son & daughter fleeing from Paris in June 1940 as the Nazis invade. Soon they encounter a streetwise - or in this case, countrywise - youth who knows more about survival than the three of them combined. They stumble upon an abandoned luxury house far from the German warpath and have serious choices to make about their futures. I learned a little bit about the hardships of French citizens during the WW II occupation and experienced a little bit of rushing fear as German planes drop their bombs. The 4-way dynamic between the characters forms the core of the film with the varying degrees of experience each person has creating a separate layer to explore: the hopeful yet pragmatic mother, the bluntly realistic loyal son, the quizzical innocent young daughter, and the bold resourceful stranger who is not all he claims to be. Emmanuelle Béart delivers a strong, resolute performance, as does newcomer Gaspard Ulliel. The other child actors also contribute seamlessly, which is vitally important since Béart is the only adult present during most of the film. The ending came rather unexpectedly & reminded me of Cuckoo's Nest without the underlying inspirational message. Nevertheless, with Les Egarés I found the parts greater than the sum.
Daisy M

Les Égarés was a beautiful war drama. The story was understandable why the French people had to escape from Paris when it was invaded by the Germans. Emmanuelle Beart played Odile a schoolteacher who escaped from Paris with her 2 children, on the road her car was bombed by German… More
Les Égarés was a beautiful war drama. The story was understandable why the French people had to escape from Paris when it was invaded by the Germans. Emmanuelle Beart played Odile a schoolteacher who escaped from Paris with her 2 children, on the road her car was bombed by German airplanes. She was helped by Yvan,good performed by Gaspard Ulliel. They ran into the forest and found a house, where they stayed for some days. Yvan was only 17 years old but even so he was desiring Odile, which was way older then him. Their love scene was very sensual and erotic.I was amazed by the beauty of this French actress.The story was real, attractive, original and good.