The truth will out. (Secrets & Lies (DVD))

Member Name: peel.rebekah

Product:	Secrets & Lies (DVD)
Date:	17/08/01 (155 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Yes.

Disadvantages: No.

When a British film perspires social comment and sneezes the nasal residue of class culture, then we all know there can be only one man behind the script and the camera.

*The Film.

With the death of her adopted mother and the squabblings of her siblings in the funeral's wake, Hortense decides to go in search of her birth mother.

In a five bedroomed Barrat home with knobs on and a toilet suite in every corner (along with Venetian blinds in matching pastel shades), live Maurice and Monica. She, a busy and anally retentive housewife; he, a robust and stalwart photographer, who maybe looks too far down his own lens.

Cynthia lives with her sullen and dour daughter in the same council house that she and her brother, Maurice, were born and raised in.

These seemingly nowhere and nothing lives are about to evolve: About to look within themselves, face the past and the future, and admit the secrets and lies that have kept them so distant from one another:

Hortense...Oh, did I forget to mention that she is a well educated, middle class professional career woman...who just happens to be black...discovers the name and address of the woman who gave her up for adoption those many years ago. She is shocked at the news that her 'real' mother is white, but continues on her quest, eventually summoning the courage to telephone this undisclosed enigma of a parent, and to make her claims as the prodigal daughter.

Cynthia answers the phone.

Cynthia hangs up on Hortense.

Hortense perseveres and manages to persuade Cynthia to meet her; but in her complex emotional state, she omits to enquire as to the appearance of her 'mother', and of course, to inform Cynthia that she is black.

As the two stand outside the train station, they look desperately through the passing crowds in search of their own blood...when Hortense eventually realises which stranger is her mother, she introduces her
self:

As she looks into her own daughter's face, Cynthia denies her own child (which leads us to one of the most emotionally strained and uncomfortably anxious scenes ever witnessed in a Leigh film - for me, this scene and the apocalypse monologue from Naked surface above all others). Belatedly, Cynthia recollects the distant memories that make it possible that Hortense is indeed her daughter...and here is where their relationship begins.

The history is already a secret that Cynthia keeps from her other daughter, Roxanne; so the present seems to be easier if kept in the same manner. The truth will only out when other family tensions squeeze on Cynthia's sense of being...and those secrets and lies seem to pour forth from the mouths of nearly everyone involved.

*The Acting.

Dear God, grace me with a silvery tongue that waxingly wanders:

Brenda Blethyn as Cynthia is a working class goddess of huge white trash proportions. Her mouth contorts with her dirty fag end accent and squealing high noted anxiety; she lives on the very pinnacle of her emotional mountain, ready to plunder into tight tears and pursed lips at the drop of an H. This woman's "Darlin'" is another actor's death throw - she seeps and weeps the sorrow of her downtrodden, forgotten youth and self - her mascara pools with her tears - and she's just so goddamn good.

The cafe scene (Cynthia and Hortense's first conversation) was apparently ad libbed. It was also thrust forward into the emotive piece of acting that we see on screen by Leigh's insistence and bloody mindedness. While the wonderful Brenda is only smiggins away from a nervous breakdown, Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hortense) flings her composed and intelligent character to the disappointed and frustrated sentiments that are clear and perfectly understandable, letting only one tear be shed for the emotional crisis she finds herself in - and this leads to a w
onderful dichotomy between the actresses:

Marianne is that touch plus aloof as Brenda is in our face.This does nothing to detract from Brenda's performance and pulls our eye to Hortense's far seeing visions; through this quiet observing glance of Marianne's, we see that Hortense knows, excepts and judges not.

Timothy Spall out acts himself as Maurice: He rolls his earthy humour around his belly before it manifests itself in some humdrum way, and he gets to be the character that we trust in. I don't know, he just seems to be himself.

Phyllis Logan is the highly strung Monica.There is a part of you that hates Cynthia just as much as she does, and for all the same reasons - but in the end Monica's flouncy middle class needs and twisted secrecy make her a much more dislikable figure.

Claire Rushbrook must have taken classes to look this right for a Mike Leigh movie: Her jaw never stops chewing the cud of gum, and her brow never unties itself from a woeful scowl. Her accent is nearly as gutter full as her supposed mother's, and her topnotch hair, her lumpy leggings and gormless boyfriend complete the picture.

One other mention: Lesley Manville as the social worker that informs Hortense of her mother's name - she's just SO a social worker that you want to slap her.

*The Direction...

...Is perfect. The characters are full bodied and well honed; the chosen actors' talent surpasses expectations; the storyline is layered and intense; the decor is as class obvious as it possibly could be.

There are no faults.

Leigh creates these multi membranes of the story, making it difficult to pry the meanings and reasonings apart: As important as Hortense and Cynthia's revelations and relationship is to the film, so is the unspoken past and envy that lies between Cynthia and Monica. Side lined to this, as these two women fail to see the truth that lies between them, is
the photographer who sees all, but is trapped in his love, reluctant to be the bearer of painful truths.

The 'strangers' who walk into this scenario bring their own gifts: Stuart is the previous owner of Maurice's business; now he's a tired old drunk who appears to have lost the vision and clarity of his work. Maurice comments, "And there but for the grace of God go I". And of course Hortense, who is an optometrist, brings her new eyes to the state of affairs when she inadvertently brings the truths bubbling to the surface.

There are true moments of humour, as there are of utter sorrow. Leigh bounds us through (yet again) a fine resource of bare boned human emotions, daring to show that even 'boring' has darkness and light.

*Conclusion.

Oh, I think I've said it all: A social metaphor that rings true whoever you may be. Beautiful acting that stirs the soul and a director who really does deserve our continued support and adoration.

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