Come What May 2015

     The setting of this film is May 1940 and German troops begin to enter France.  The people of the small village of Pas-de-Calasi vote to go on the road with whatever belongings they can take with them.  Paul is the village mayor and he is leading the group.  Among the travelers are, Mado, Paul’s wife, Suzanne, a young village teacher and Max a German boy 8 years old.  The Germans arrested his father Hans after war was declared.  Hans and Max are Germans but they left Germany in 1939 because Hans was an anti-Nazi activist.  Max is leaving notes for his father on blackboards of schools that they pass on their journey.  Max doesn’t know but his father was released from prison and he is following the notes to find him.  Hans is traveling with Percy, they met along the way and his entire military unit died from German bullets.

     The families are uprooted with nearly everything they own left behind.  They are using their very large and strong horses to pull the carts with whatever they have been able to take with them.  The teacher Suzanne is often asked to ride her bicycle ahead to see what to expect on the road.  Sometimes the news is terrible!!  Travelers are being shot down by the German planes flying overhead.  The scenes of the countryside are very beautiful but the times are very difficult.  Staying in the village or leaving is really a catch 22 decision about what is the best?  4 1/2* (I really liked this movie)

104 min, Drama directed by Christian Carion with August Diehl, Olivier Gourmet, Mathilde Seigner, Alice Isaaz, Matthew Rhys, Joshio Marlon, Thomas Schumauser, Laurent Gerra, Jacques Bonnaffe, Francois Godart, Florence Masuree, Rose Lemaire, Simon Ferrante, Axelle Bossard, Franck Andrieux.

Note:  Imdb 6.7 out of 10, Roger Ebert 2* Odie Henderson, Rotten Tomatoes 45% critic 53% audience, Slant Magazine 1* out of 4* Clayton Dillard, Letterboxd average rating 3.3*, Amazon 3.9* with 14 reviews.

Special Note:  There are some interesting mistakes in this film?  Tanks depicted rolling on the wheat field are German Pz III Ausf D.  This is correct for the date but alongside them are Some StuG III Ausf G tank destroyers.  They were not produced until late 1942.  This is more than two years after the invasion of France.  The StuG III are at least three generations more advanced than the early tanks available in 1940.