The Secret of Grain

Abdel Kechiche’s “The Secret of the Grain” is a raw and unexaggerated snapshot of the tensions and experiences of a North African immigrant family living in the south of France. Writer-director Kechiche (“It’s Voltaire’s Fault,” “Games of Love and Chance”) employs his familiar documentary-style filmmaking to realistically expose the conflicts and betrayals, emotions and loyalties of this family, making no attempt to moralize or embellish. “The Secret of the Grain” exudes a rare genuineness that allows it to offer a fresh take on perhaps the most depicted subject in the arts: love.

The tale lacks sensational dialogue, a rapidly moving plot, and easily recognizable actors. There is also a noticeable lack of interference on the part of Kechiche; the movie does not have a dramatic soundtrack, for instance, that would attempt to evoke specific reactions and emotions in the audience. These subtle directorial choices might fail to lure the average viewer, but those who open their hearts to the life of a man working at a fishing boat dock will likely find themselves steadily absorbed in his relationships and all their complications.

The story revolves around Slimane (Habib Boufares), a tired 61-year-old shipyard worker who is laid off from his job after decades of faithful labor. His ensuing unemployment is marked by an absence of direction and purpose, and a hint of despair. “I’ve done nothing, left nothing to you,” he says, disillusioned, to his lover. Yet Slimane’s pride compels him to pull himself out of this dejection, and he decides to pursue an unexpected line of business, opening a family-run restaurant that specializes in serving couscous (a traditional North African dish of steamed semolina served with vegetables and meat). But drawing upon the resources of his family proves complicated, due to the strained relations between his ex-wife, his children, their spouses, and the two women he has come to love. In this way, what begins as a story of Slimane’s hardship grows into a narrative of the struggles of his entire family, even those on its very fringes.

The strength of Kechiche’s film lies in his characters, and he literally focuses on them, using long close-up shots that emphasize both their nobler sentiments and their faults—the most visible of which are ingratitude, infidelity, and pride. The absence of overdramatized performances also helps in this regard, drawing attention to the characters’ pains and passions without amplifying them, and refusing to shy away from the harshness of reality sometimes revealed in their experiences. Kechiche’s film revolves around the subject of love but does not romanticize; rather, it reminds viewers of the extent to which love hurts as well as comforts.

Kechiche’s skillful reeling in of his viewers is complemented by his abrupt release of them into the sea; the ending of “The Secret of the Grain” is vague and leaves the viewer wondering what became of those he felt he came to know so well. Though frustrating, this is emblematic of Kechiche’s storytelling power; the characters resonate with the viewer long after he has swum away. The short glimpse that is caught of these characters’ lives is retained, like the gash of a hook that leaves questions still burning.

—Staff writer Anita B. Hofschneider can be reached at hofschn@fas.harvard.edu.