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A Secret (2007)

Director: Claude Miller

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From Time Out London

French director Claude Miller is noted, positively, for his Truffaut inheritance. Sadly, his handsomely mounted, ably acted adaptation of Philippe Grimbert’s novel of the travails of a Parisian Jewish family – pre- and post-Occupation – shares much of the crippling, morally neutered inconsequentiality of one of his mentor’s worst films, the wartime-set ‘The Last Metro’. ‘A Secret’ suffers from the hazards of the split time-frame movie – it intercuts from the ’30s and ’40s to 1962 and 1982 as Mathieu Amalric’s François slowly pieces together the secrets of his family.

It also suffers from Miller’s diversion to concentrate on romantic intrigue and the guilty sexual past of his parents (Cécile de France, Patrick Bruel). Dark subtexts equating physical prowess and Fascist anti-semitism muddy the waters further. On the other hand, the film is free of fake portentousness, allowing the family’s reluctance or inability to recognise the implications of Hitler’s rise to power to assume tragic dimensions.

Author: Wally Hammond

Time Out London Issue 1968, May 8-14, 2008

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User reviews of this film

Veronica said...

Posted on Jun 13 2008 11:22 Miller presents us with a lovingly crafted film, which pulls out all the stops. Yes, it is a homage to his mentor Truffaut but hey, let's forgive him, those of us who miss that great french master of "filmic indulgence", should
celebrate!
Miller takes us through the years pre and post the rise of Hitlers anti-semitism. We see how this affects members of a Jewish family in very different ways. True to the wonderful way french cinema manages to depict domestic life, we are pulled into the drama through the thoughts of the awkward,14 yr old Francois.
The film does, however, take some concentration to follow the flashbacks and time chnges,but, I for one was intriged by the use of b/w film for the present day. It has love, pain, jealousy, misunderstandings, and a little passion. Together with a fine cast, this is an unmissable example, especially for lovers of the Gallic genre.

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