Secret of the Grain

The Secret of the Grain has so far swept up all the major Cesar Awards, as well as France’s most coveted honour, the Prix Louis Delluc. Internationally, it has been released to widespread acclaim, and, here in Perth, it is the first film from Cinema Paradiso’s recent Alliance Français French Film Festival to have received a longer release. This may seem a strange pattern of events, given director Abdellatif Kachiche’s penchant for divisively subversive cinema techniques. In this film, plot is rendered secondary to the dynamics of character interaction, and everyday exchanges are allowed to unfold at great (and sometimes unnecessary) length. Character focus shifts erratically throughout the film, pacing is distinctively uneven, and, throughout the film’s two and a half hour duration, there is ample opportunity to question its purpose and its point.

In short, the film is a lot of work, and what you get out of it is not the traditional cinematic experience of climax and resolution. Instead, Kachiche paints a vivid picture of an often-overlooked part of France. He introduces us to Silimane, a sixty-year-old North African immigrant, and his loving but unconventional family – a devoted ex-wife, their four children, grandchildren and children-in-law, plus his current lover and her sparkling teenage daughter, Rym. He presents Silimane’s daily struggles with immigrant life and with family without warping them into a falsified narrative structure, instead allowing them to unfold more naturally and haphazardly. This overwhelming realism can be tiring and tedious, but it can also rewarding. The actors are able to bring a raw sincerity to their characters, and emotions are allowed to play out without restraint (in a manner that is at times quite confronting). Still, it’s certainly not a film that everyone will enjoy, and the urge to whip out some scissors and give it a more thorough editing is at times quite overwhelming. Approach this one with caution, and make sure you’re in the right state of mind before you purchase your ticket.

Rating: 7.0