Unter Fremden

This charming film about a stranded busload of older women in rural Canada is mostly improvised with non-professional actresses. Yet we get to know each of the women, their pasts, their strengths, their hopes.

After their bus breaks down, the 7 older Canadian women and the younger bus driver (who sprains her ankle) wander down the road til they find a derelict house on a lake. It's an odd assortment of women who seem to have little in common, yet they find (and so do we) that our connections to one another always outweigh our differences.

Alice is a Mohawk Indian, Cissy, Beth, and Winnie are from England, Mary is from the USA, Constance was brought to Canada as a child, Catherine is a Canadian nun. Michelle is the bus driver. The women set to work exploring the house, finding food, making beds, etc. As the women work, they tell the stories of their lives. But they also discover their connections to nature.

Seemingly, the women have had ordinary lives with husbands, children, jobs, illnesses, losses. At various points in the film as each woman is telling her story, we are shown a small gallery of photos from her life. It's very moving to see the old woman telling her story while her youth passes before us in vintage photos.

There are many funny moments as the women try to fish, catch frogs, pick berries, or play. Most of the women settle into their temporary world quite well. A couple remain mostly outside the group.

What the film ultimately shows us is that even in old age, we can learn, experience new things, enjoy friendships, and even find joy in old age.

This is a remarkable film.

You know, improv in a movie can either work beautifully, or fall spectacularly. I am truly astounded at a movie such as "Company Of Strangers" with a company of seniors that have very little or no acting experience just NAILING their marks in this wonderfully simple story about a group of old people (or, as the director has stated, a group of people that happen to be old) whose bus breaks down on their way to the meeting, and take refuge in a on their way to the meeting, and take refuge in a run down country house. While they are waiting for their bus to get fixed, they sit down and talk with each other about each other, their lives , loves and tribulations. AND THAT'S THE WHOLE MOVIE!! Does it work? You bet it does. Each of these characters are just so interesting and so human like. Well, they must be, as the director, Cynthia Roberts just essentially took stories from their lives and weaved it into the story, thus you have the wonderful lesbian story, the tragic story of one of the women losing their son, and how one's calling as a nun affected her later life. These are all wonderful stories, and the ladies reactions to each other's tales just is amazing. This is really a remarkable movie, you probably haven't seen anything like this, so do yourself a favor and do.

A superb movie dealing with life, the interplay of human strengths and weakness, and growing older. The movie uses non-professional actors playing themselves, and is wonderfully refreshing, thought provoking and moving. I give this movie a high recommendation.

Older women, such as those portrayed in this movie, seem to possess the ability to look at life through eyes that ring true. That is, their laughter seems more real, their tears more purposeful and deserving. And, their ability to enjoy the wonders of nature is priceless and rewarding to those that get to observe their observations of life.

I loved each and every character in this wonderful story.

I have always found the lives of women to be more interesting than that of men. They are emotionally stronger, have more depth. And this film confirms my belief. I wish I each of the women were my personal friend. It's hard to believe they are all first time actors. They are all so natural. Constance conveyed more with her silence than any actor I have seen on screen with a million words. A beautifully made film. Terrific photography of the Canadian countryside, haunting music, superb acting. The film's more like a documentary. I wish there were more personal information on the Net on each of the actors, including their addresses so I could write and tell them how much they have touched my life through this film. Thank you everyone who was involved in the making of "Strangers In Good Company".