|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| SECRETS & LIES (1996) | |
|
|
The film begins with the funeral of Hortense Cumberbatch’s (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) stepmother. Hortense, a black successful optometrist, is highly curious about the identity of her birthmother as she has been aware since childhood that she was adopted. Through an adoption agency she receives the papers that
proove the identity of her birth mother, which initially seems to be erroneous, as she appears to be white. Hortense then decides to take the big step to contact her birth mother whom she
has never known for over thirty years.
The mother, Cynthia Rose Purley, (Brenda Blethyn) a chain smoking co-dependent anxiety ridden factory worker lives in the same council house, which her parents lived in as she nursed them to their death bed. Cynthia shares the house with her daughter, Roxanne (Claire Rushbrook), who works as a street cleaner. The relationship between Roxanne and Cynthia is strained as Cynthia is clinging onto Roxanne through questions and continuous hassle. Roxanne is also spoiled by Cynthia’s younger and successful brother Maurice (Timothy Spall) and his wife, which seems to add strain between Cynthia and Roxanne. Secrets & Lies is a wonderful film that projects a family’s lack of communication and difficulty in understanding one another. Mike Leigh touches the very essence of humanity as the family avoids the difficult issues through white lies and tiny secrets. The family creates several little fabrications that have been complied over several decades and when Hortense appears she functions as catalyst for the truth. It should be mentioned that the secret of Hortense is only a minor part of the all the secrets. The intimate direction of Mike Leigh creates an authentic family atmosphere that is brought to the audience as if it was the audience's own family. This generates a genuine feeling within the audience as the story unfolds. The cast performs brilliantly as they enhance the cinematic quality of the story. Brenda Blethyn performs as Cynthia with real conviction, and she received the reward for best actress for this part in Cannes in 1996. Ultimately, Secrets & Lies offers a truly brilliant cinematic event that touches the soul as the characters exorcise the family demons. |
|
DIRECTED BY |
|
|
COUNTRY |
|
|
UK / France |
|
| REVIEWED | |
| 8/28/2004 | |
| GRADE | |
 |
|
|
|
The Internet Movie Database. |
