Secrets and Lies | Timothy Spall, Phyllis Logan | Classic Mike Leigh flick finally makes it to DVD

Secrets and Lies | Timothy Spall, Phyllis Logan | When is this movie coming out??

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Secrets and Lies

	Secrets and Lies Timothy Spall, Phyllis Logan 20th Century Fox, 2005 average customer review:based on 67 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Classic Mike Leigh flick finally makes it to DVD

Dysfunction is better than no function at all in Mike Leigh's "Secrets and Lies". Finally available on DVD to coincide with the Oscar nomination actress Imelda Staunton received for "Vera" (another film directed by Leigh), "Secrets and Lies" tells the story of a successful and well-to-do black woman Hortense Cumberbatch ( Oscar nominated Marianne Jean-Baptiste of "Without a Trace") who tracks down her birth mother. It seems her mother was a lower-class white woman named Monica Purley (Brenda Blethyn, Golden Globe winner and multiple Oscar nominee). Monica denies that she's Hortense's mother but gradually comes to accept and embrace her daughter despite their differences. A bittersweet comedy full of commanding performances, "Secrets and Lies" was a surprising box office success (hence its recognition by the Academy and the multiple nominations it deservedly earned). With rewarding performances all around and Leigh's naturalistic style, "Secrets and Lies" was a winner whether or not it pulled down any gold at Oscar time. Not bad for a guy who used to play in a band with Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music fame.

Many of Leigh's films feature uncompromising performances and partially improvised scripts. This collaborative method makes Leigh's films both unique and memorable even when they aren't very good. Luckily, "Secrets and Lies" is very, very good.

Sadly, this is a pretty bare bones affair. We get the original theatrical trailer and the theatrical trailers for "Author! Author!", "Blood & Wine" and "Class Action". It's a pity as 10 years on, it might have been interesting to catch up with the actors and the impact that their Oscar nominations had on their respective careers. There's also no commentary track but the drama speakes pretty well for itself.

A terrific, bittersweet comedy "Secrets and Lies" details the ordinary secrets we keep to ourselves and hide from each other. Leigh's marvelous direction and the ensemble cast's terrific performances elevate this from a simple movie-of-the-week on something like the Lifetime channel. Leigh's inspired approach to improvising much of the movie's dialogue with his cast (based on his character sketches and background story) creates a drama that is much closer to neo-realism in approach than just about any other film made within the last two decades. Although Leigh's made a number of stunning films, "Secrets and Lies" certainly deserves its reputation as one of his finest glimpses behind the curtain of subterfuge that's a part of the ordinary people in this terrific story.

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When is this movie coming out??

This movie is genius in the fact that there was no script and absolutely phenominally acted. It received Oscar nominations that included major categories (Best film, actress, and supporting actress). It is one of the best movies from England and should have received more attention. Please watch this movie, it is incredible!

Mike Leigh's Brilliant Depiction of Private Family Life...

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 prove 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.

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highly recommendable

This movie about family secrets is wonderfully funny and touching at the same time, very entertaining, how a black girl, well educated and wealthy, finds out about her real mother. That one is a white frustrated working class lady, who first cannot accept the truth. Thrilling how all the family secrets are finally unveiled. A film for all ages.

Mike Leigh's most accessible, emotional film - just perfect

I've seen a good number of Mike Leigh's films over the years, from early works like Bleak Moments and Abigail's Party to later indie hits like Life Is Sweet, Naked, and High Hopes, but THIS is his BEST, most perfectly realized film to date - from the pitch-perfect performances of the entire cast (due to months of exhaustive rehearsal to develop the each character no matter how small or large the role) to the understated, minimalist direction to the somber score to the conversational "script," SECRETS & LIES slowly builds until its cumulative effect toward the climax is one of the deepest emotional blows ever deliver on film - you feel as if you KNOW and LIVE with these people, so that they cease to be mere characters on screen and, well, like your own circle of family and friends - not always pretty, often messy, always brilliant, SECRETS & LIES deserves to be on DVD to a wider audience can share in its spell it casts over you. My only gripe is Fox's typically bare-bones DVD format - c'mon, NO commentary from Leigh on his creative process, NO insights from the cast, many of which went on to win a clutch of awards and crossover American work (Blethyn, Baptiste, etc.), NO featurette or DELETED scenes! The film itself is enough, I just wish there were a bit more to flesh out the entire experience.

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