French drama about decontamination workers in a nuclear power plant is riveting when it focuses on the details and dangers of the job, less so when it devolves into a sexy working-class soap opera.
I’m “biast” (pro): love Tahar Rahim
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
viewed during the 57th BFI London Film Festival
(My Ratings posts are a quick way for me to share my reaction to a film. This post will be updated if/when I ever write a review. Feel free to discuss the movie in depth in the comments section.)
This is a thing that lots of storytellers seem to do. “Here is a situation that is technical and complex. How can we make an understandable story about it? Slather on love affairs and betrayals and all that other soap-operatic guff, and throw out any actual authenticity if it gets in the way because that’s hard and our technical consultant doesn’t like us any more.”
I’m not sure if that applies to this film. The two stories — the technical and the romance — are pretty much separate.