Gary gets a job working at a nuclear plant and gets involved with a co-worker, Karole.
Blaine: Rebecca Zlotowski and Gaelle Mace wanted to write a love story, but there had to be more to it. Both Rebecca and Gaelle had to figure out what more they could add to their love story. At first it was going to be a love story taking place during the war. Rebecca wasn’t in love with it though, so they decided to find something else. A novel was recently published, and it was about people working at a nuclear plant. It was very informative about what people do while working at a nuclear plant. Gaelle felt a nuclear plant was the answer to what both her and Rebecca were looking for, and Rebecca completely agreed.
Rebecca didn’t want to take too long with the casting process. For the two main characters, Gary and Karole, Rebecca wanted two people who looked like a perfect match on screen, and the type that would make the audience think they should be together. Rebecca imagined Tahar Rahim and Lea Seydoux and they seemed perfect together. Rebecca was close with Lea Seydoux after they worked together on Rebecca's first feature, “Dear Prudence”. And Tahar Rahim, Rebecca had been wanting to work with for some time
Gary doesn’t have much and he’s not a skilled person, but he’s not worthless. Gary gets to know the people he’ll be working with at the plant during dinner. And this girl, Karole, walks in and grabs Gary’s attention fast. Karole approaches Gary and kisses him, which is very unexpected for him. The point of that kiss is to see how Gary reacts to it and Karole uses it as a demonstration of what he is going to feel at the plant. Karole kisses Gary just to mess with him, but she might have felt something while doing it. Thing is, Karole is engaged to another man, Toni, who also works at the plant.
Gary and his co-workers are driving home, and they give Karole and her friend a ride. Both Gary and Karole sit together in the back. The camera will get a good look at those two from the heads, down to their waists. Karole is showing a lot of skin on those legs because she wears short shorts a lot. Both Gary and Karole aren’t looking at each other, they’re just looking straight forward. It’s the camera that’s doing all the looking as it looks down and back up. You feel this sexual tension going on inside those two, even though they don’t show it on the outside. Then at the last second of that shot, those two look at each other, and then cuts fast to them kissing on grass.
The workers don’t live that far from the plant. They live on a very small area, that looks like a trailer park, right next to a lake.
There’s a special place next to the lake where you can get privacy. What helps make it private is the very long grass. It’s Gary and Karole’s special place and the both of them have a lot of fun there. They always choose the perfect time to have their moments when no one else is around.
What was important for Rebecca Zlotowski and Gaelle Mace was showing a romantic story with a mixture of danger to it, which is why they chose a nuclear plant. The film will go back and forth between peace and danger. The danger is working in the nuclear plant. The things that are peaceful are outside the plant. Everyone is serious while working in the plant and when they leave they must be relieved they made it through the day without any danger. I guess they are so happy to be alright that they just want to enjoy the moments outside the plant. Karole’s closest friend, Geraldrine, gets contaminated and so she has to be washed off. Her head has to be shaved because radiation is strong on it. It’s terrifying for Geraldrine while her head is being shaved, but she feels alright later on. Karole gets all emotional for what Geraldrine went through. But Geraldrine is happy and thankful to be alive. It was hard for Geraldrine to lose her hair, but she’s not infected, and her hair will grow back.
Karole has a feeling she is pregnant and she is right. She has fooled around with Gary so many times and now she is carrying his baby. A lot of times, the truth doesn’t stay hidden. It becomes clear to some people that Karole has been having an affair. She’s pregnant, and she and Toni haven’t done it in a while. Also, Toni can’t have kids. He had an accident at the plant and I think that was the cause of it. Toni doesn’t yell at Karole for cheating on him, it does disappoint him, but he leaves it up to Karole to decide who she wants to be with. Karole asks herself if she is truly happy with Toni. She agreed to marry him and he hasn’t mistreated her in any way. It’s just hard when another man you find attractive comes into your life and you develop feelings for him. Karole has to think about who she really wants to be with in life. Karole knows that she loves Toni and she decides to stick with him. Karole should keep Gary's baby though because Toni can’t make children with her and if she wants to be a mother she should take what she can get.
Karole tells Gary the bad news that they can’t be together. She has enjoyed the time they have spent together, but it’s over. Gary doesn’t argue about it with Karole. Like Toni, Gary leaves it up to Karole to decide. It’s her life. It hurts Karole that Gary had to come into her life because her feelings for him are equal to what she feels for Toni. But Toni came first and she wants to be with him. So the wedding happens and Karole and Toni are officially a married couple. Karole should be happy, but something is still bothering her. She’s having trouble forgetting Gary. As for Gary, he can’t live like this. Karole is the thing Gary loves most in life and he tries to steal her away, but Toni stops that, beats Gary up and tells him to get out of their lives.
Things are going down hill for Gary, not just the relationship between him and Karole being over, but he’s contaminated and he hasn’t told anyone. He tries to wash it off himself, but that’s not good enough. Gary doesn’t feel so well after that. Another thing is Gary almost loses his job. The boss doesn’t like him, but he makes a deal with her to finish his period so he can get payed and then she’ll never have to see him again.
Karole goes to see Gary as he is leaving the plant. Karole feels she should have put more thought into her decision on who to be with. She does love Toni, but I think she realizes her feelings for Gary are stronger and now she’s thinking maybe it wasn’t a good idea to marry Toni. The ending would probably make you think Karole would leave Toni to be with Gary, but I don’t think anything will change. I mean Gary could be dying, so it’s best for Karole to stick with what she already has. Gary may feel like he is not good enough for this world, but he’s lucky that at least one person loves him and thinks a lot of him. And look at the bright side, if Karole has the baby she’ll have a piece of Gary after he’s gone.
My rating on “Grand Central” is five out of five stars
