SECRETS & LIES
A film review by Chad Polenz
Copyright 1997 Chad Polenz
Chad'z rating: ***1/2 (out of 4 = very good) 1996, R, 142 minutes [2 hours, 22 minutes] [drama] starring: Brenda Blethyn (Cythia), Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hortense), Claire Rushbrook (Roxanne), Timothy Spall (Maurice), produced by Simon Channing-Williams, written and directed by Mike Leigh.
Films about families tend to be overly dramatic because very bad or very good things are always happening to the characters. "Secrets & Lies" is an exceptional drama about a shaky family who is suddenly thrown an even stranger problem than they are used to. Surprisingly enough, this is not a sappy story of tragedy, it is an exercise in characterization as it shows realistic people dealing with problems you never see in the movies.
The basic story is of a black woman named Hortense (Jean-Baptiste) and her search for her natural mother who turns out to be white. But the film is not just about Hortense's search, it is really about her mother Cythia (Blethyn) and her already rocky relationship with her family.
Cythia is a middle-aged factory worker in London who shares a small flat with her daughter Roxanne (Rushbrook). The two really do seem like mother and daughter as they constantly fight with each other, but always seem to work things out. We learn a lot about their characters from their conversations and arguments. They so much more believable than other film characters because they're not talking about those pesky aliens or natural disasters.
We also meet Cythia's brother Maurice (Spall) who is a professional photographer, and Leigh goes out of his way to establish this character and his importance. There are some humorous scenes involving Maurice at work, and they are interesting to watch simply for the dialogue. Maybe the film spends a little too much time on Maurice's job and his relationship with his wife and sister, but at least it done for the sake of characterization and not melodrama.
Not much of a plot begins to develop until the second half of the film, but at no point does the story become uninteresting - time just seems to fly by. Hortense tracks down Cythia and gives her a call, but of course neither are able to deal with it. The two meet in person and a real sense of tension and uneasiness can be felt. Even though we might not be able to relate to these characters personally, the atmosphere has been so well defined you know what the characters are thinking.
It is obvious the story is leading up to a boiling point, and this of course happens in the final act. Cythia and Hortense become the best of friends but the other family members suspect something funny is going on. Maurice throws a small party for Roxanne's 21st birthday and Cythia brings along Hortense, saying she is her friend from the factory. The scene in which Cythia finally tells the family the truth is one of the most tense moments I've ever endured. It's not so much about race relations as it family relations, but the race issue can't be ignored. I can't help but wonder if the family's reaction would have been different if Hortense was white?
"Secrets & Lies" is a good film that presents a situation unlike anything I've ever seen. It shows just how important the family is and how petty some of our differences can be.
Please visit Chad'z Movie Page @ http://members.aol.com/ChadPolenz E-mail: ChadPolenz@aol.com
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