The light of the countryside in Beauvois' effortless depiction, natural light captured digitally, draws on the skill that comes from collaborators like cinematographer Caroline Champetier with their own tradition.

There is a good deal of grit in The Guardians, but it is also elegant in a hauntingly old-fashioned way.

Presents the dailiness of farm life through its seasons with an unhurried grace.

Beauvois absorbs viewers in the rhythms and routines of the characters' world so vividly and completely that, if you go with his unhurried flow, you won't want the movie to end.

The performances are extraordinary, as they often are in Beauvois' films, with Baye a study in quiet suffering and Bry wonderfully enigmatic - seemingly simple, but hinting at a soul capable of expansion and adaptation.

A graceful and ethically rich French drama about the heroism of the hard labor performed by families during wartime.

Elegantly made and quietly emotional, a family story filled with characters whose lives we sink into, feeling the hope, the sadness, the sorrow and the joy right along with those on the screen.

Imagine devoting several years, as Mr. Beauvois did, to making a reflective, bucolic feature that is organized around the themes of community and evolving culture. It's all too subtle for words, but perfect for moving pictures.

... perceptive and quietly absorbing, bolstered by strong performances.

Like a series of Monet paintings come to life, the historical drama The Guardians luxuriates in lush, widescreen images of the French countryside.

Pialat has honored an entire category of war heroes whose stories are seldom told. Where America has Rosie the Riveter as its poster girl for the women who pitched in during WW2, France can now point to "The Guardians" with pride.

In Xavier Beauvois's latest feature, his understated, visually compelling storytelling unfolds with patient precision.

Ms. Baye, one of the great living French screen actresses, is steely and magnificent, even as it is Ms. Bry who finally captures the film's energy and the sympathy of the audience.

A wrenching, exquisitely rendered drama about women grappling with the workload on farms during World War I.

Unassumingly powerful details make The Guardians one of the year's most affecting love stories.