English writer/director Mike Leigh's most successful film. Back in 1996 it won the Palm D'Or and Best Actress prizes at the Cannes Film Festival and three BAFTAs (Best British Film, Best Actress and Best Screenplay).
SECRETS AND LIES features Brenda Blethyn as Cynitha, a permanently emotional, low intellect and anxious single mother in her late 40s living with her 21 year old daughter Roxanne (Claire Rushbrook). Cynthia is down-trodden, smokes and bursts into tears a lot. This happens a great deal because her long lost daughter Hortense (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) appears from nowhere. She's a likable and easy-to-relate to 27-year old optician. Hortense's adoptive mother had died, so she set off to find her biological one. But Hortense is black and Cynthia is white.
Leigh's strength is the roundedness of his characters. His film is a pithy observation of mid-1990s London life - part heartwarming and part tragic. In his previous film NAKED, London was shot in washed out and drab colours during winter. Here, everything seems bright and drenched in summer sunshine to reflect the more humane mood.
The other principle character is Maurice (Timothy Spall), Cynthia's bearded bear of a brother who is a successful photographer. The best scenes are of his clients posing for the camera (including Alison Steadman - Leigh's ex-wife - as a dog owner). Other memorable moments include an encounter between Maurice and the person he bought the business from (Ron Peck), who is now an embittered drunk. Also, a lengthy unbroken single take of almost 8 minutes as Hortense and Cynthia meet for the first time at a café in Holborn.
The interiors of the houses speak volumes about the social divisions in 1990s England. Maurice and his wife live in colour-scheme luxury (three bedrooms, a four-poster bed); Cynthia and her daughter live in a dilapidated hovel still with an outdoor toilet.
The climax takes place at Maurice's house on Roxanne's 21st birthday. Cynthia reveals Hortense's identity to everyone. This is a shock for Roxanne and Maurice, then Maurice - previously calmly understated - makes a passionate speech about how much better everyone would be if they didn't keep secrets from each other. Hortense was determined to discover the truth and take the consequences. There is much tears and hugging before the happy resolution with Cynthia, Hortense and Roxanne all sitting together reconciled in Cynthia's back yard.
The details of the acting, camera work and art direction in this film demand a second viewing for full appreciation of its excellence.
SECRETS AND LIES features Brenda Blethyn as Cynitha, a permanently emotional, low intellect and anxious single mother in her late 40s living with her 21 year old daughter Roxanne (Claire Rushbrook). Cynthia is down-trodden, smokes and bursts into tears a lot. This happens a great deal because her long lost daughter Hortense (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) appears from nowhere. She's a likable and easy-to-relate to 27-year old optician. Hortense's adoptive mother had died, so she set off to find her biological one. But Hortense is black and Cynthia is white.
Leigh's strength is the roundedness of his characters. His film is a pithy observation of mid-1990s London life - part heartwarming and part tragic. In his previous film NAKED, London was shot in washed out and drab colours during winter. Here, everything seems bright and drenched in summer sunshine to reflect the more humane mood.
The other principle character is Maurice (Timothy Spall), Cynthia's bearded bear of a brother who is a successful photographer. The best scenes are of his clients posing for the camera (including Alison Steadman - Leigh's ex-wife - as a dog owner). Other memorable moments include an encounter between Maurice and the person he bought the business from (Ron Peck), who is now an embittered drunk. Also, a lengthy unbroken single take of almost 8 minutes as Hortense and Cynthia meet for the first time at a café in Holborn.
The interiors of the houses speak volumes about the social divisions in 1990s England. Maurice and his wife live in colour-scheme luxury (three bedrooms, a four-poster bed); Cynthia and her daughter live in a dilapidated hovel still with an outdoor toilet.
The climax takes place at Maurice's house on Roxanne's 21st birthday. Cynthia reveals Hortense's identity to everyone. This is a shock for Roxanne and Maurice, then Maurice - previously calmly understated - makes a passionate speech about how much better everyone would be if they didn't keep secrets from each other. Hortense was determined to discover the truth and take the consequences. There is much tears and hugging before the happy resolution with Cynthia, Hortense and Roxanne all sitting together reconciled in Cynthia's back yard.
The details of the acting, camera work and art direction in this film demand a second viewing for full appreciation of its excellence.