It's 1940 and France is on the verge of falling. Lucile Angellier (Michelle Williams) lives with her mother-in-law Madame Angellier (Kristin Scott Thomas) who ruthlessly collects rent from her tenant farmers. Her husband along with many of the men are away at war. She befriends poor farmer Madeleine Labarie (Ruth Wilson) and her crippled husband Benoit (Sam Riley). As France is occupied, the villagers are forced to billet German officers. The Angelliers are assigned Bruno von Falk (Matthias Schoenaerts). He's been assigned to read through the letters written by the villagers ratting out each other. Madame Angellier evicts the Josephs and Celine Joseph (Margot Robbie) is bitter for being forced into the barn.

I really like all the supporting characters in the village. The conflicting paths are compelling and the same character often have opposing modes. The central romance is less appealing. This requires Michelle Williams to lose her senses and fall in a full-on romance novel relationship. She does her best but a younger and more naive actress would probably work better. It should be a relationship of intense trust issues but the movie is driving for romanticism. It's really wrong-headed. There are also other minor issues about the third act.

This adaptation of a newly discovered manuscript that was turned into a novel in 2004 is set during the German occupation of France in the 1940's. German soldiers were billeted in the homes of the locals in the village of Bussy.

Lucille Angellier (Michelle Williams) lives with her wealthy and domineering mother in law, Madame Angellier (Kristin Scott Thomas.) Each Sunday they would stealthily collect rent from the tenant farmers on their land. Lucille's husband is away fighting, thought now to be a prisoner of war.

The Angellier household is joined by handsome, cultured German officer, Bruno (Matthias Schoenaerts) a musician before he became a soldier.

Both are attracted to each other in a village where the war has complicated things. Madame Angellier remains a patriot having little to do with the Germans but still sees an opportunity to make money.

Some of the women sleep with the German soldiers in a village that was deprived of men. Some of the wealthy people in the village like the Viscount manage to carry on regardless by keeping their chickens, rooms and power. Others suffer especially as some of the villagers settle scores by gossiping to the Nazis by writing poisonous letters.

Lucille feels hell bent to help out one of her tenant family who is being harassed by a Nazi officer, willing to take risks.

This is a handsomely mounted film well acted by Scott Thomas and Williams. The story is not deep, Bruno is not regarded as a token good Nazi. He is willing to overlook the actions of what some of his fellow officers may have done in the past but his feelings for Lucille seems genuine.

During war time sacrifices have to be made. Some have to do with our private space, some with our personal space too. All dig into our personal life and depending on the person invading (pun somewhat intended) it will lead to different results. So we may be inclined to paint every Nazi as a bad person or just a demon/devil without any depth or sympathy for that person.

This movie does try to delve deeper into it and tell a bit of a different story. War is hard on everybody and depending on how your character is developed you'll make decisions that can be qualified as good or bad, be it in hindsight or just judging at the moment. The drama part does work and there are no easy solutions if any at all. Not an easy but an uncomfortable viewing experience which is exactly what it was meant to be