Staying Vertical – A Wild Ride in French Countryside

So, I sat down to watch “Staying Vertical” (or “Rester Vertical” if you’re feeling fancy) and, boy, was it a trip. Alain Guiraudie, who brought us “Stranger by the Lake,” gives us something pretty different here, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. It’s like that one time in Skåne when I tried to catch an eel with my bare hands—unexpected and a bit slippery.

Right, the film, starring Damien Bonnard, takes us through the life of a screenwriter, Leo, who’s stuck in a funk. He ends up in the French countryside, which looks gorgeous, like a painting you can’t quite figure out if you like or not. There he meets a shepherdess named Marie, played by India Hair. Their relationship spirals into really strange territory. Sometimes, you’re thinking “Jisses Amalia!” at what’s happening on screen.

The film deals with themes of sexuality, parenthood, survival, and nature, but it does it in this really raw, honest way. I mean, you wouldn’t predict what’s coming next any more than you can guess the weather by looking at the sky in April.

One scene, with the wolves, reminded me of when we used to tell ghost stories in the woods during school trips. I felt that same eerie tension, wondering if I should cover my eyes or not.

But not all hit the mark. Some parts felt like they wandered off, much like a lost tourist in Gamla Stan.

So, if you like your films unpredictable with a side of existential confusion, give this a go. Maybe watch with likeminded buddies over a good fika, so you can ponder “what just happened” together.

And remember, as peculiar as life can seem, it’s those odd twists that sometimes stick with us most, right?

Check the trailer below