By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Claude Miller
Starring: Cécile de France | Julie Depardieu | Ludivine Sagnier | Mathieu Amalric | Patrick Bruel | Quentin Dubois | Valentin Vigourt
Original language title: Un Secret
Country: france
Year: 2008
Running time: 105
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0490234/
Bruce says: “Set during the Nazi occupation of France during WWII, A SECRET is a war film, a love story, a coming-of-age tale and a mystery all wrapped into one very neat package. Its main asset, among many, is the incandescent presence of Cécile De France who plays the exotic Tania, the mother of François Grimbert who happens to be a champion swimmer. De France (AVENUE MONTAIGNE, L’AUBERGE ESPAGNOL, RUSSIAN DOLLS) literally adds another dimension to every one of her films. It goes without saying, I’m a big fan.
“François – played at ages seven, fourteen and thirty seven by Valentin Vigourt, Quentin Dubois, and Mathieu Amalric – struggles to make sense out of events that are going on in his life in his younger years and to solve the puzzle as he matures. François can never seem to please his father (Patrick Bruel) who is cold and distant as far as his son is concerned. As a child he does not realize that his family is Jewish so many of the things that happen to him are inexplicable. His parents do not wish to draw attention to their ethnicity for obvious reasons. That explains why their name was changed. But that is not the whole story. In the course of the film it becomes obvious that not everyone in the family was in accord on the issue of secrecy and that the family has experienced painful events that have been swept under the proverbial rug.
“The trigger that sets off the unraveling of the mystery is a toy which François finds in the attic. He is reprimanded for his discovery, a strange experience for a young boy. Other strange happenings include his watching his parents’ lovemaking and seeing his Aunt Louise giving his mother a massage. Divulging too much about the plot would be unfair to any reader who has not seen the film.
“Ludivine Sagnier (LOVE SONGS, SWIMMING POOL, A GIRL CUT IN TWO, 8 WOMEN, WATER DROPS ON BURNING ROCKS), Julie Depardieu (BLAME IT ON FIDEL!, A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT), and Patirck Bruel are all excellent. Based on a true story, Claude Miller handles the subject matter with tenderness and dignity. A SECRET could have been ‘another Holocaust story.’ However, the film is as driven by the personalities of the characters as it is by the events of the war. It is a tale of passion, love, and repression. 4.5 cats”