Secrets & Lies (1996)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Red L

  
  What do you do when the baby you put up for adoption 25 years ago suddenly calls you out of the blue and wants to meet -- especially if you are not all that happy with your life at the moment. This movie takes us through that. What I found amazing is that I read that most of the… More
  What do you do when the baby you put up for adoption 25 years ago suddenly calls you out of the blue and wants to meet -- especially if you are not all that happy with your life at the moment. This movie takes us through that. What I found amazing is that I read that most of the lines were improv. The actors were given their roles, but no actual script.

• Pierluigi P

  
  It's been quite a while since something provoked me tears and laughter at the same time. A film with incredible humanity. Zany, tender and quite funny.

• Jameson W

  
  Stunning film! A powerhouse drama fueled by a BRILLIANT cast and a great script. One of the best indie films I have ever seen. A near perfect film about people who are all connected and must face their "secrets and lies." An extremely low-budget indie film, but this grabs… More
  Stunning film! A powerhouse drama fueled by a BRILLIANT cast and a great script. One of the best indie films I have ever seen. A near perfect film about people who are all connected and must face their "secrets and lies." An extremely low-budget indie film, but this grabs you and never lets go. <br/> <br/>Brenda Blethyn should have won the Oscar for Best Actress, NOT Frances McDormand! She gives a devastating, emotional, and stunning performance. A must see!

• Cassandra M

  
  Mike Leigh's superb comedy-drama of family relationships. Heart-rending, bitter and delightful by turn Leigh's modern classic captured a brace of Oscar nominations but went home empty handed in the face of The English Patient's near clean sweep. Even Blethyn's… More
  Mike Leigh's superb comedy-drama of family relationships. Heart-rending, bitter and delightful by turn Leigh's modern classic captured a brace of Oscar nominations but went home empty handed in the face of The English Patient's near clean sweep. Even Blethyn's Cannes-winning performance lost out to Frances McDormand's Fargo turn (hard to challenge this decision, although in any other year the brilliant Blethyn would have deserved to win). The film eventually racked up a considerable number of awards, its Oscar success aside. The story, every bit as believable and real as the rest of Leigh's work, centres on a woman, Cynthia Purley (Blethyn ), whose mid-life crisis is further exacerbated by the appearance on the scene of the daughter she gave away at birth, the wonderfully named Hortense Cumberbatch (Baptiste) - a young, beautiful, professional black woman who causes a few eyebrows to be raised in the family, and forces Cynthia to come to terms with her past. Alternating between high comedy, scathing one-liners (Blethyn telling daughter Rushbrook she has a face like a "slapped arse" is a moment to treasure) and tear-jerking poignancy, with Spall, Rushbrook and Baptiste all offering strong support, this is nothing short of superb. Verdict A genuine hit for Mike Leigh, Secrets And Lies has the coarse grain of real life, sympathetically and affirmingly fashioned.

• familiar s

  
  Though I didn't like it as much as "Naked", I felt it to be an entertaining humorous family drama. Mike Leigh's execution is just amazing; I like the way he creates funny moments from the ordinary routine circumstances.

• Anthony L

  
  Not my favourite Mike Leigh film, but still a good film! The cast are fantastic!

• Mark H

  
  Dysfunctional family drama about people haunted by the past. Reportedly most of the performances were improvised with director Mike Leigh simply providing the actors with an outline of their characters. This makes Brenda Blethyn's stunning performance all the more amazing,… More
  Dysfunctional family drama about people haunted by the past. Reportedly most of the performances were improvised with director Mike Leigh simply providing the actors with an outline of their characters. This makes Brenda Blethyn's stunning performance all the more amazing, however it also explains the lack of focus that plagues the film. The surprising realization that forms the basis of the film, doesn't even come to light until fully one hour into this overlong 142 minute film. The film recovers a bit, but by then it's too little too late.

• Michael S

  
  *On my "best of the 1990s" list.

• Tim S

  
  It's like the greatest soap opera ever made!

• Sarah G

  
  It tells the story of Hortense Cumberbatch, a successful black woman who traces her family history and discovers that her mother, Cynthia Rose Purley, is a working class white woman. Cynthia's brother, Maurice Purley, is a photographer who is married to a petty house-proud… More
  It tells the story of Hortense Cumberbatch, a successful black woman who traces her family history and discovers that her mother, Cynthia Rose Purley, is a working class white woman. Cynthia's brother, Maurice Purley, is a photographer who is married to a petty house-proud suburban housewife. <a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/sarah88_uk/images000.jpg" border="0"alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a> Wow! is all I can say. . This is a feast of tremendous acting, by a most talented ensemble who really become their characters. The scenes play out very naturally, and you really feel a part of the story, with special empathy towards - in no particular order - Cynthia, Maurice and Hortense. As the film builds towards a showdown/climax at the birthday party, you can even take a step back and at least sympathize with Roxanne and even, Monica. Alternating between high comedy, scathing one-liners (Blethyn telling daughter Rushbrook she has a face like a "slapped arse" is a moment to treasure) and tear-jerking poignancy, with Spall, Rushbrook and Baptiste all offering strong support, this is nothing short of superb. I loved the attention to detail on families. Having only watched Vera Drake before, I can still see how imprtant Leigh pays attention to Families her. You really get the sense of the trouble and tormnt that the family is going through. Hortense has made a name for herself and Cythia his living in poverty- you can see the socail differances clearly there. <a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/sarah88_uk/images345.jpg" border="0"alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a> Leigh's direction is admirable in its restraint. He recognizes that he has a winning story and he gets performances from his actors, building up to the climax of the film without giving up any tension along the way. I loved the way the camera was placed in front of them in the restaurant. Not at one point did the camer move away from them. That way you see what is really troubling them and the emotions that they are feeling. Brilliant stuff. I love the layering of the story, the characterizations so unexpected. Such as the child abandoned at birth and put out for adoption being the most centred and focused of everyone. The drunken ex-owner of the business that Maurice bought bringing Maurice to a place of awareness that it could be him wandering around drunkenly, speaking of his past achievements. The flashes of mini-plots portrayed by the subjects of Maurice's photographic settings. The heart-breaking scene where Maurice's snobby wife reveals her secrets. The slowly developing warmth and comfort between Cynthia and Hortense. <a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/sarah88_uk/images234.jpg" border="0"alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a> Maurice?s photography clearly had some element of symbolism .He could get appropriate reactions from family members with obviously conflicting agendas and attitudes is representative of his abilities to steer the feelings of family members away from the harmful, hurtful reactions which they all wish to unleash on one another. He captures snapshots of groups as they wish to be captured. However, the mode in which they are photographed usually does not reflect their actual feelings at the time, and indeed may obscure peoples' true feelings about being there, in those circumstances, with those people Overall a brilliant,brilliant film which I hope everyone sees. <b>Highly Recommended</b>

• Mike T

  
  A multi-faceted melodrama that proves once again how deeply Mike Leigh understands the craft of acting, and how best to translate it to film. Masterfully woven to give a substantial amount of depth and insight into every character, the film is a showcase for a mosaic of outstanding… More
  A multi-faceted melodrama that proves once again how deeply Mike Leigh understands the craft of acting, and how best to translate it to film. Masterfully woven to give a substantial amount of depth and insight into every character, the film is a showcase for a mosaic of outstanding performances. The gradual buildup works to amplify a truly effective dramatic ending. One of the best films of the 1990s.

• Alec B

  
  A fascinating character study Secrets & Lies is about a black woman who goes in search of her birth mother who happens to be white. This however is really only the catalyst for an exploration into the lives of a family on the verge of collapse. Mike Leigh's direction is… More
  A fascinating character study Secrets & Lies is about a black woman who goes in search of her birth mother who happens to be white. This however is really only the catalyst for an exploration into the lives of a family on the verge of collapse. Mike Leigh's direction is subtle and yet brilliant. There are some wonderful still shot scenes that just let the characters carry everything. The best thing is the performances with Brenda Blethyn and Timothy Spall being the best of an immensely talented group of actors who make their characters completely real. Leigh's approach to having extensive rehearsals with the actors determing the dialouge and mood of a scene works brilliantly here. I think many people might argue that the end of the film, where peoples secrets come tumbling out might seem a bit forced, but I disagree. These are all people who have been burying the truth for so long that it just won't stay in any longer. An emotional and fascinating story.

• Brian R

  
  Landmark picture. A succesful black woman(Marianne Jean-Baptiste) looks for her biological mother when she finds out her mother is white this is where the film really takes off. Although I have mentioned race there is no wording of race in this film. Mike Leigh capture real life and… More
  Landmark picture. A succesful black woman(Marianne Jean-Baptiste) looks for her biological mother when she finds out her mother is white this is where the film really takes off. Although I have mentioned race there is no wording of race in this film. Mike Leigh capture real life and secrets ready to be exposed.

• Daisy M

  
  Mike Leigh is surely one of my favorite director and once again he proved it to me with his movie Secrets and Lies. It was suspenseful, with many secrets and lies which these dysfunctional family were based on, and the entire movie was just a slow buildup until everything exploded in… More
  Mike Leigh is surely one of my favorite director and once again he proved it to me with his movie Secrets and Lies. It was suspenseful, with many secrets and lies which these dysfunctional family were based on, and the entire movie was just a slow buildup until everything exploded in the end. Mike Leigh created strong and realistic characters with so much inner and emotional pain, that you felt sorry for each one of them as their secret were revealed. I admired Leigh's direction, once again he knew he had a winning story and for presenting us an interesting movie allowing the actors to give the performances of their lives.

• Sunil J

  
  I tried to watch this years back but got bored. I just watched it and it was a bit disfunctional and long but sweet enough. Mike Leigh has made far better films but this is still a solid work.

• Emily B

  
  Incredibly moving and real piece of cinema. One of the best British films of the 90s.

• Anthony V

  
  Another solid real life comedy-drama from Mike Leigh with some great performances.

• Barry L

  
  Great film.

Read all 18 featured audience ratings