Lorna Irvine reviews a film that 'feels a bit hollow'.
This melodrama which was a massive hit at Cannes, filmed in France and directed by Rebecca Zlotowski, follows Gary Manda (Tahar Rahim), a charmer with a ready smile, lots of friends and a seemingly lucky nature. Unfortunately, however, he cannot find a job—until he is offered a position in a nuclear power plant. Every single worker is responsible for themselves, and radiation exposure—and unscrupulous behaviour—is rife.
A senior colleague's sullen young fiancée, Karole (Lea Seydoux, a little one-note, not much more than window dressing), initiates an affair with Gary through sheer boredom, and their trysts in beauty spots are all that keep them going, until Karole finds out she is pregnant.
Nicely shot in a semi-verite style, Grand Central’s endless grinding work rigmarole, juxtaposing ennui with danger, is offset by the ominous, industrial throb of composer 'Rob' 's soundtrack, oddly reminiscent of Eraserhead.
And yet,
it all feels a bit hollow, with nothing new to say about working class life,
other than people will do what they can to survive. There's not much humour
here or characters that you can truly root for---even the leads. Ultimately, too,
there is an absence of any over-riding message, above 'love is like being
contaminated'... and the result is one overextended metaphor too far.
Screened as part of the GFF. Run ended.
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