Un Secret (2008)
Un Secret (2008)
5.5/10
Un Secret is a dramatic World War II story buoyed by the impressive performances and presence of the actors involved. It is based on a true story, showing us scenes from 3 different generations. The shortest one shows Francois Grimbert (Mathieu Amalric) grown up and looking for his father, now missing after his dog was run over by a car. He narrates the film as we are shown scenes of him as a young boy for most of the first act. Young Francois is exceedingly smart making top marks in all subjects except for gym, the most important subject for his father Maxime (Patrick Bruel). Francois narrates about his childhood and experiences with Maxime and his mother Tania (Cecile de France). He is especially close with a family friend Louise (Julie Depardieu) who eventually tells him about their past which is laden with tragic circumstances and adds an entirely new understanding of his place within the family. These flashbacks which detail the lives of Maxime and Tania through World War II are what occupy most of the film.
This all sounds a bit busy right? It is. Clocking in at a mere hour and forty-five minutes, the film has quite a lot to get through during that time. At first the story seems to be a coming of age tale about a young boy in post World War II France and his relationship with his parents. Then it becomes the melodramatic tale of his parent’s past. It handles all of the stories it is telling well enough but because of the balancing act, the film merely skims the surface of everything it intends to explore. It never becomes fully engrossing because of its multitasking. For example, the scenes with older Francois probably add up to less than five minutes of screen time. He also narrates the film placing him in a central role when the film ultimately does not require it. If the film had spent more time going into Francois and how learning the past traumas of his parents’ affected him as an adult as opposed to the films mere acknowledgment that Francois has been affected by it, maybe these bookended segments would have felt more relevant.
This brings us to the real problem with Un Secret; its balancing at, while successful in the sense of pacing, is a failure in its inability to decide which story it is telling. The characters suffering from survivor’s guilt which include Maxime, Tania and Louise are kept at a distance even in the flashback segments. Francois’ presence in the scenes featuring his childhood and his narration during the flashback scenes aligns us with him in the observational tone. However, the film never delves deep into Francois’ reconciliation of what he has learned or how it has shaped him. What does this bring? A film that neither delves deep into the child who learns of his parents’ past nor does it explore the survivors’ guilt pervading over Maxime and Tania.
The film relies on the performance to keep everything interesting amidst an unfocused story. Luckily the cast featured here is exemplary. Cecile de France, Patrick Bruel and Julie Depardieu all perform very well. Ludivine Sagnier is the standout here as Hannah, a woman who haunts the present with her lost life force and eventual choice.
Un Secret spends a bit too much energy trying not to come off as a melodrama. At the same time, the film never allows the characters to explore the potential drama hidden in a situation. The film maintains interest and through the actors is allowed to be a decent film. However, it makes once wish Un Secret had been the story of Hannah (Ludivine Sagnier) instead of the story of many different undeveloped mildly interesting things.
5.5/10
Un Secret is a dramatic World War II story buoyed by the impressive performances and presence of the actors involved. It is based on a true story, showing us scenes from 3 different generations. The shortest one shows Francois Grimbert (Mathieu Amalric) grown up and looking for his father, now missing after his dog was run over by a car. He narrates the film as we are shown scenes of him as a young boy for most of the first act. Young Francois is exceedingly smart making top marks in all subjects except for gym, the most important subject for his father Maxime (Patrick Bruel). Francois narrates about his childhood and experiences with Maxime and his mother Tania (Cecile de France). He is especially close with a family friend Louise (Julie Depardieu) who eventually tells him about their past which is laden with tragic circumstances and adds an entirely new understanding of his place within the family. These flashbacks which detail the lives of Maxime and Tania through World War II are what occupy most of the film.
This all sounds a bit busy right? It is. Clocking in at a mere hour and forty-five minutes, the film has quite a lot to get through during that time. At first the story seems to be a coming of age tale about a young boy in post World War II France and his relationship with his parents. Then it becomes the melodramatic tale of his parent’s past. It handles all of the stories it is telling well enough but because of the balancing act, the film merely skims the surface of everything it intends to explore. It never becomes fully engrossing because of its multitasking. For example, the scenes with older Francois probably add up to less than five minutes of screen time. He also narrates the film placing him in a central role when the film ultimately does not require it. If the film had spent more time going into Francois and how learning the past traumas of his parents’ affected him as an adult as opposed to the films mere acknowledgment that Francois has been affected by it, maybe these bookended segments would have felt more relevant.
This brings us to the real problem with Un Secret; its balancing at, while successful in the sense of pacing, is a failure in its inability to decide which story it is telling. The characters suffering from survivor’s guilt which include Maxime, Tania and Louise are kept at a distance even in the flashback segments. Francois’ presence in the scenes featuring his childhood and his narration during the flashback scenes aligns us with him in the observational tone. However, the film never delves deep into Francois’ reconciliation of what he has learned or how it has shaped him. What does this bring? A film that neither delves deep into the child who learns of his parents’ past nor does it explore the survivors’ guilt pervading over Maxime and Tania.
The film relies on the performance to keep everything interesting amidst an unfocused story. Luckily the cast featured here is exemplary. Cecile de France, Patrick Bruel and Julie Depardieu all perform very well. Ludivine Sagnier is the standout here as Hannah, a woman who haunts the present with her lost life force and eventual choice.
Un Secret spends a bit too much energy trying not to come off as a melodrama. At the same time, the film never allows the characters to explore the potential drama hidden in a situation. The film maintains interest and through the actors is allowed to be a decent film. However, it makes once wish Un Secret had been the story of Hannah (Ludivine Sagnier) instead of the story of many different undeveloped mildly interesting things.
