Secrets & Lies (96)

3/18/97

A little over 30 years ago, a young couple in Northern California visited an adoption agency. Knowing only a handful of facts, they decided that a little boy should become part of their family. That boy was, of course, me. I probably went through different things than you did while seeing Secrets & Lies.
I must confess that I've seen Director Mike Leigh's other movies. LIFE IS SWEET was so strongly British, that I had no idea what the actors were saying to one another. His other films seemed so grey and depressing, with little reason to care about the characters. This was quite an exception. Funny and thoughtful throughout, it tells the tale of an adopted black woman who, after her mother's death, decides to hunt for her biological mom. Often shedding tears, but rarely wavering, she begins the quest, which she knows will not be a smooth ride. She has done quite well for herself. Her family enjoyed exotic vacations, she's finished college, has her head about her. But something seems to be missing.
Her birth mother is single, living paycheck to paycheck. She works in a factory, her 21-year-old daughter is literally a street sweeper. The two co-exist as well as they can. Mother a bit jealous that daughter has a lot of dates. Once the contact is made, the family will never be the same.
I couldn't think of a single weak link in this film. Each and every character is well drawn out. Each has problems of his own and each actor conveys pain and pleasure very well. As the adoptee, Marianne Jean-Baptiste is calm, brave, and confident. She shows us the utter terror and self-doubt as she begins her search. But the revelation of this picture is the sheer brilliance of Brenda Blethyn. She seems to pour all the doubt, envy, and love directly through her face. There is a scene in a coffee shop, where the mother and secret daughter go for their first meeting. In a single take, the mother first tries to comfort the daughter as her information must be mistaken, then as the possibility dawns on her that it indeed might just be her own child, her face makes the most amazing transformation I think I've ever seen on screen. I haven't seen Emily Watson in BREAKING THE WAVES, and I didn't see MARVIN'S ROOM with super-stud Diane Keaton. I didn't think Kristin Scott Thomas' role was that superior. I find myself torn between the brilliant comedy of Frances McDormand in FARGO and Brenda Blethyn in this one. The film as a whole could have been trimmed a little bit, and it's uncomfortable to see so many tears on screen (and in the audience), but the performance of Blethyn was unforgettable.
Timothy Spall Phyllis Logan Brenda Blethyn Claire Rushbrook Marianne Jean-Baptiste Elizabeth Berrington Michele Austin Lee Ross Lesley Manville Alison Steadman Cinematography by Dick Pope Written and Directed by Mike Leigh
40 critics 9.4 Ebert **** Maltin ***^ Shulgasser 3.25 Guthmann 5.0 Gleiberman B
~~Academy Award Nomination for Best Picture of 1996
~~Academy Award Nomination for Best Director for Mike Leigh
~~Academy Award Nomination for Best Original Screenplay for Mike Leigh
~~Academy Award Nomination for Best Actress for Brenda Blethyn
~~Academy Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Marianne Jean-Baptiste
~~Los Angeles Film Critics Winner for Best Picture of 1996
~~Los Angeles Film Critics Winner for Best Director for Mike Leigh
~~Los Angeles Film Critics Winner for Best Actress for Brenda Blethyn
~~Cannes Film Festival Winner for Best Picture of 1996
~~Cannes Film Festival Winner for Best Director for Mike Leigh
~~Cannes Film Festival Winner for Best Actress for Brenda Blethyn
~~Director's Guild Nomination for Best Director for Mike Leigh
~~Golden Globe Winner for Best Picture of 1996
~~Golden Globe Nomination for Best Actress for Brenda Blethyn
~~Golden Globe Nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Marianne Jean-Baptiste
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