Trapped in mountains of concrete and metal, and covered in layers of protective latex and plastic, Gary Manda (Tahar Rahim, The Past) does the only job he can find: maintaining nuclear power plants. As trained by supervisor Gilles (Olivier Gourmet, Violette) and veteran Toni (Denis Ménochet, In the House), he joins the hordes of unskilled workers ferried from site to site around the country, monitors strapped to their chest to indicate radiation exposure levels.
In moments away from the thankless, dangerous routine, Gary seeks solace in the only way he can, traversing the overgrown fields that shudder in the shadow of smoke stacks. He is never alone, Toni’s soon-to-be wife Karole (Léa Seydoux, Blue is the Warmest Colour) rolling around by his side. Their connection is physical, free-spirited and sat within nature, a start departure from their daily toil. Their romance is an outlet of escape from their dreary duties, and, of course, completely forbidden.
Grand Central, the second feature from Dear Prudence writer/director Rebecca Zlotowski, is deeply steeped in the juxtaposition of the workplace minutiae and the illicit affair. As co-scripted with Gaëlle Macé (Aliyah), it is deceptively simple in its premise and rewardingly complex in its details, flitting between austerity and expression, and meticulousness and recklessness. The film’s frames overflow with corresponding symbolism – but while its metaphorical leanings are apparent, delicacy and dexterity drives their execution. As seen through a story in which the little that does happen is tinged with the inevitability of serious consequences, the feature is deliberate and intricate in its acts and imagery.
In the narrative that excels as a snapshot of a low-income reality known to few but emblematic of many more, Gary finds a place to belong and a surrogate family in the controlled and hazardous environment, but his very presence is as toxic to his new friends as their surroundings. In the visuals that vibrate with the tension of the setting, Zlotowski plays with speed and focus to draw attention to certain moments, all seemingly minor but none trivial. A visceral soundscape underscores both, filtering snippets of conversation into the mix, echoing with the beeps and sirens of warning, and never afraid to zone in and out.
Striking, subtle performances further ensure the film never acquiesces to heavy-handedness, as given by a just as impressive cast. Rahim and Seydoux are astutely matched, the former openly ruffled and searching, and the latter fragile beneath her sexual bravado. Though Rahim monopolises the screen in a sympathetic but suitably scrappy turn, the duo simmers with both passion and vulnerability in their scenes together. The resigned Gourmet and imposing Ménochet provide ample support, as does Johan Libéreau (11.6) as the careening, mischievous new friend initiated into the power plant life at the same time, and first-timer Camille Lellouche as the fellow worker who glimpses the devastating worst-case scenario. Contemplative and compassionate, Grand Central garners its texture from their complementary efforts, but the pervading intensity and atmosphere of the feature mimics its primary pairing – and the contrast they continually recall and represent.
Rating: 3 ½ stars out of 5
Grand Central
Director: Rebecca Zlotowski
France / Austria, 2013, 94 mins
Alliance Française French Film Festival
http://www.affrenchfilmfestival.org/
Sydney: 4 – 23 March
Melbourne: 5 – 23 March
Canberra: 6 – 25 March
Brisbane: 6 – 25 March
Perth: 18 March – 6 April
Adelaide: 20 March – 8 April
Byron Bay: 24 – 28 April
