Grand Central (2013)

There is a simple enough metaphor running through the heart of this alternately frustrating and picturesque film. It is that love and passion is a nuclear reaction. It can also be a sickness, inspired by this most fear inducing of energy sources. Unfortunately this sickness, while inducing plenty of painful paranoia does not inspire much in the way of imaginative inspiration…

Focusing on the unskilled Gary (Tahar Rahim, star of A Prophet, 2009) as he attempts to find a job at a nuclear plant in the Rhone valley, the film can be seen as something of a tale of abuse. Subjecting the young man to gradually increasing doses of nuclear contamination plus mostly outdoor sex sessions with the engaged Karole (Seydoux), the erotic drama meets environmental thriller is certainly original in its main concerns. However, the story begins to pale as it becomes clear that the essential plotting and characterisation does not progress much futher than the sex, paranoia of discovery and inexplicit feeling of possible of racial abuse.

side from the film itself, the soundtrack from French film composer and avant garde synth-pop artist Rob is well worthy of listening to. As an extra note of quality it works extremely well within the context of the images of the verdant pastures of the valleys and fields.

The film is shot wonderfully well with the French countryside looking perfectly resplendent, as the two lovers meet up for their regular trysts in the shadow of the nuclear plant. But the perfect capture of the valley side can not disguise the fact that the film as a whole is served up slightly confused and luke-warm. By the end the audience could well be wondering what the actual message was.

I'm usually a fan of a bit of Tahar Rahim but there's not really so much going on in this romantic drama. It's setting is novel - it's not often that you find a nuclear power station as the location for a love story. That's where he ends up working, doing some of the constant de-contamination work at the site. Dressed, top-to-toe, in white protective gear when he is not showering or scrubbing his body, he befriends his boss "Toni" (Denis Ménochet) and meets his girlfriend "Karole" (Léa Seydoux). Things all now take a rather predicable turn as they embark on an affair hoping that neither "Toni" nor anyone else will notice. Aside from giving us a glimpse inside their workplace and showing us that it's quite a risky place to work - especially when you get down into the reactor area, the rest is a listlessly directed look at two pretty unlikeable principal characters surrounded by some petty cheats, thieves and liars. Perhaps the power plant was meant to a metaphor for the nature of their relationship? There is a train at the start, hence the title I guess, but there's not really very much grand about this dry, dark and dreary film.