The Secret

2000 ""

The Secret

6.1 | 1h47m | en | Drama

Marie, who works as a successful door-to-door encyclopedia salesperson, has been married to her husband Francois for 12 years and has a two-year-old son. Though she is relatively content with her life, she feels something is wanting. Enter 50-year old African-American Bill. Initially she is annoyed by his insouciance, but she finds that she is irresistibly attracted to him. Soon the two are in the midst of sordid illicit affair. She knows little about her new lover, and he seems uninterested in learning about her, but the long sessions of lovemaking are something else entirely. Feeling out of control, Marie is increasingly repelled by her own actions. Psychologically, she struggles to reconcile her torrid encounters with Bill and mundane domestic chores such as bathing her son. Moreover, she finds herself incapable of hiding her adulterous behavior, rather she comes home with scratches and hickeys all over her body, to the devastation Francois.

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6.1 | 1h47m | en | Drama , Romance | More Info

Released: November. 01,2000 | Released Producted By: Les Productions Bagheera , Country: France Budget: 0 Revenue: 0 Official Website:

Synopsis

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Cast

Anne Coesens , Michel Bompoil , Tony Todd

Director

Brigitte Brassart

Producted By

Les Productions Bagheera ,

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Trailers & Images

Cast

Anne Coesens

as Marie

Pandora Farewell Mister Haffmann Mothers' Instinct Never Grow Old Marquis de Wavrin, from the Manor to the Jungle April and the Extraordinary World Not My Type Diamond 13 Private Lessons

Michel Bompoil

as François

Eugénie Grandet Flashback The Translators Notre Dame The Conquest The Secret A Single Girl

Tony Todd

as Bill

Hellblazers Stoker Hills DOTA: Dragon's Blood The Changed Traveling Light Insight Night Night The Lockdown Hauntings Destination Marfa

Reviews

bjarias Whatever the reason, once you enter into a 'secret' affair you've really broken the relationship, and from all the signs this woman is evidencing, contrary to her declarations of 'love,' she truly wants out of the stifling situation with her husband and child. Proclaiming to 'love' him, but then deliberately and cruelly humiliating him time and again, paints her in a very despicable manner. She says it's necessary for her to choose herself or him, and like all adulterers, she selfishly chooses 'me.' It would be nice to see the sequel, if she were to reach the much needed psychiatrist's couch, and if it could help save her, for she is now doomed for a breakdown with the 'path' she has presently chosen. It's completely delusional, no one would survive for long the current choices she is making. It's a troubling storyline (with an ending that is confusing and senseless), and the acting overall is good. A lot rests on her shoulders, and outside of a misstep or two, she does fairly good work. It would have been nice with more explanation as to why, and a bit more dialogue, but that was not the creators intention. It definitely benefits from additional viewing.

cara_coetzee Le secret is not only an emotional exploration of relationships, both marital and extramarital, but also provides a stark reflection on one woman's search for a life of perfection and fulfilment. This focus and move away from the traditional marriage narrative is what renders Le Secret different from other films of its genre. Coesens plays Marie, a confused mother who turns to American Bill for what to the spectator seems to be mainly for adventurous sex. Le Secret's narrative holds back much of the emotional drive resulting in Marie's affair and without Coesen's subtle yet telling acting the viewer would be lost in her intense personal struggle. To an extent, the ambiguous nature of Marie's emotions towards her husband and lover give the viewer a certain freedom to interpret her relationships for themselves. Even the end of the film, in which Marie and Francois seem to reunite carries an ambiguity and uncertainty with it. The often reserved nature of the script and acting provides a welcome change and challenge in a genre which is often overly predictable and simplified. Much of the dialogue between Marie and her lovers is refreshingly realistic in its uncertainty and honesty.

raymond-15 It's a common theme where an ex-marital affair almost destroys a seemingly happy family. Under the pretence of a heavy workload promoting the sale of a "World Encyclopaedia". Marie makes repeated visits to Bill a dance director who formerly had his own Dance Theatre in America. He is big and strong and dominant and black. On her second visit after a whiskey or two she disrobes while he is answering a telephone call in an upstairs room. Imagine his surprise when he returns. She virtually offers herself to him. I cannot believe what I am watching. No subtlety at all. It seems a most improbable situation. Just a wisp of a woman and a mountain of flesh!Apparently Marie finds excitement in their continuing sexual encounters (although she shows very little emotion) and is constantly knocking on his door for more. He is happy to be of service. His sexual acts become increasingly wild and violent and love bites on her neck finally give her little game away.The acting throughout is truly professional, even their baby boy is great and lovable. The script is questionable at times. The ending in the swimming pool is utterly ridiculous. I guess the script writers are trying to tell us something...they are giving us a symbolic gesture of cleansing...a washing away of past sins...and a promise of a new beginning.

cogs "Le Secret" is a fairly mediocre French film which focuses on a woman's attempt to find some existentialist truth, or some such crap, through the exploration of rather graphic sex. In that sense it is a little like Brellait's "Romance" but it seems to lack that film's intensity of design. So for the most part it seems distanced and closed. There is an expectation of the conclusion which is not met and the film is to some extent redeemed by this (unexpected?) ending but what has come before makes the film as a whole unbearable. Also, the acting and writing is pretty average.