Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

Search cinema listings

Browse cinemas A-Z

Search 20,000 reviews

 

Choses Secrètes (2002)

Director: Jean-Claude Brisseau

Average user rating
No reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

French writer-director Jean-Claude Brisseau has a (small) cult following, but this particular example of pseudo-surreal soft-core fantasy, purportedly progressive but in fact profoundly misogynist in its ‘subversive’ celebration of female empowerment through sexuality, is unlikely to win many admirers. Charting the adventures of two feisty Parisiennes – erotic dancer Nathalie (Coralie Revel) and barmaid Sandrine (Sabrina Seyvecou) – who, having been fired from a nightclub, decide to wreak vengeance and scale the social ladder by exploiting men’s desire for their nubile young bodies, the film proceeds from leaden satire to ludicrous melodrama, culminating in an implausible château orgy reminiscent of the likewise silly scenes in ‘Eyes Wide Shut’. The script’s risible, the performances perfunctory, the direction – despite all the lurid pretensions – pedestrian. As for it being a paean to female power, since any such control turns out to be entirely dependent on sexual display and deceit, and involves being not only objectified but gang-raped, the film is at best woefully misguided, at worst pernicious. It is also, crucially, tripe.

Author: GA 2005-07-18 12:51:38

Time Out London Issue 1822: July 20-27 2005


  • Print this page
  • Send to a friend

What do you think?
Post your review now

clear rating
Min 1 star. Zero stars will be treated as unrated.

*mandatory fields


Cast & crew

Director: Jean-Claude Brisseau

Producer: Jean-Claude Brisseau

Cast: Coralie Revel, Sabrina Seyvecou, Roger Mirmont, Fabrice Deville full cast

Rated: 18

Duration: 115 mins

UK Release: Jul 22 2005

Related articles




Top Stories

Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones

Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones

Peter Jackson ends a triumphant decade with a sentimental misfire with this lush Alice Sebold adaptation

On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'

On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'

Dave Calhoun meets Ken Loach on the set of his forthcoming Iraq war movie

Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'

Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'

Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him

Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?

Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?

How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains

Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'

Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'

We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon

A gateway to all things 'New Moon'

A gateway to all things 'New Moon'

In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.

London Children's Film Festival

London Children's Film Festival

Read our exclusive reviews of films playing at the 2009 London Children’s Film Festival

The films that deserve a TV spin-off

The films that deserve a TV spin-off

With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations

The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'

The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'

Masters of contrary comedy, Joel and Ethan Coen have struck gold again with their latest, ‘A Serious Man’

Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam

Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam

In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations