Grand Central is a 2013 drama film directed by Rebecca Zlotowski, and co-written by Gaëlle Macé and Zlotowski. Starring Tahar Rahim, Léa Seydoux, Denis Ménochet, Olivier Gourmet and Johan Libéreau, it follows Gary (Rahim), an unemployed young man, who finds a new job and a new lover in nuclear power plant in the French countryside.
The film had its world premiere at the Un Certain Regard section of the 2013 Cannes Film Festival on 18 May, where it won the François Chalais Prize. It was theatrically released in France by Ad Vitam on 28 August. It received positive reviews.
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Plot
Gary, an unskilled young man, lands a job as a decontamination sub-contractor at a nuclear power plant in the lower valley of the Rhone. Inducted into the workforce by supervisor Gilles and veteran Toni, Gary discovers that radiation contamination is not just a risk factor but an everyday hazard. At the same time, he begins an illicit affair with Karole, Toni's fiancée.
Cast
Tahar Rahim as Gary Manda
Léa Seydoux as Karole
Denis Ménochet as Toni
Olivier Gourmet as Gilles
Johan Libéreau as Tcherno
Nahuel Pérez Biscayart as Isaac
Camille Lellouche as Géraldine
Nozha Khouadra as Maria
Guillaume Verdier as Bertrand
Marie Berto as Morali
Soundtrack
Indie pop singer Jeremy Jay recorded the song "Ghost Tracks" for the soundtrack.
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 90% of 29 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "Disquieting, smartly scripted, and rounded out by a talented cast, Grand Central finds director Rebecca Zlotowski taking a remarkable step forward." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 73 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.