Strayed

Once in a great while a film seems right in every detail. Andre Techine's Strayed ("Les Egares") is such a film.

A taut, suspenseful, linear approach, and a trio of excellent performances.

War may set the stage for Strayed, but the film's real focus is something much quieter and internal: People caught in the throes of a transformation that is not of their making and struggling to adapt.

Techine's terrifying setup quickly gives way to a slower and less explicit suspense, in which every step and spoken word is heavy with intrigue.

It's an impressive, intelligent, compact piece of filmmaking...But Téchiné might be one of those directors whose work is best appreciated by critics and other filmmakers.

Ostensibly a love story, the film is also handicapped by Téchiné's strong gay sensibility and clear lack of romantic interest in his characters.

A picture-book French film that's pretty and trite, rather than edgy and moving.