crew moving from plant to plant in
a convoy of trailers, we’re reminded of the great “carny” dramas of
the past; movies like Freaks and
Nightmare Alley, with their bands
of outsiders struggling to eke
out an existence. It’s the film noir
genre, however, that provides the
inspiration for the main plot strand
of Gary and Karole’s affair, though
all is not quite what it seems at
first, and the cliche of such a dynamic is ultimately turned on its
head in a third act twist.
Three of French cinema’s finest
contemporary stars, Rahim,
Ménochet and Seydoux are
quietly on fire here, and the
New Jersey Stage
latter’s introduction, surprising
a nervous Rahim with a passionate kiss that serves as a metaphor
for his impending contamination
(both literal and emotional), is one
of the year’s great movie
moments.
Ending on an ambiguous note
that suggests a sequel might resemble a 70s Larry Cohen horror,
Grand Central might initially leave
you cold, but as your mind returns
to it in the following days you’ll
find yourself as contaminated as
its hapless protagonist.
8 out of 10
July 2014
pg 24