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My Favorite Movie

 "Secrets and Lies" is really about a sibling relationship. It's a relationship that will be instantly recognizable to most of the Western world: Two kids grow up in a chaotic home, and they look out for each other. The older child eventually collapses--runs with the wrong crowd--and has a few complicated pregnancies. The younger child has an easier time and climbs to a "higher" rung on the socioeconomic ladder. The class difference is a source of resentment within the family. Whenever the two adult siblings meet, there is a deep well of unarticulated gratitude and pain.


Maurice--the "lucky" sibling--marries Monica, and Monica seems snooty. Cynthia--the "unlucky" sibling--can't tolerate Monica. A main issue is that Monica once insisted that Maurice receive his portion of "the inheritance." Maurice didn't need the money; Cynthia did. This small envelope of cash has essentially ruined three lives. (Additionally, Cynthia cannot understand why Monica won't "give" a child to Maurice; it doesn't occur to Cynthia that biology may have a role in this sad outcome.)

It's the genius of this movie to add a new storm to an already volatile situation. At fifteen, Cynthia had a child and surrendered her to adoptive parents. Now, the child--grown, well-bred, in mourning--wants to find and meet Cynthia. Her choice will have an impact on multiple lives.

This movie is remembered for Brenda Blethyn's monumental performance. (Blethyn lost the Oscar to Frances McDormand from "Fargo." Everyone loves "Fargo." Yet it's possible to watch "Secrets and Lies" and think, "Brenda Blethyn was robbed.") I love Blethyn--and I also love the two climactic scenes in this movie. They're unlike anything else I can think of. Cynthia has her new "friend" (her rediscovered daughter) attend a family barbeque. But Cynthia says that this person is "just a colleague." The unraveling of this lie is a pleasure to watch. The daughter concedes that she is an optometrist with a college degree. "Why, then, do you work with Cynthia at the box factory?" Quick on her toes, the optometrist suggests that she is "just doing research." ....In the second climactic scene, once the lie is exposed, Maurice essentially has a nervous breakdown. The exhaustion in Timothy Spall's performance is extraordinary stuff. Although this is really "the Blenda Blethyn movie," it briefly (somehow) becomes "the Timothy Spall movie." On top of that, the movie manages to end in a hopeful way--and the ending feels earned.

I watched this while reading "Whistler," a novel that felt like a big, nauseating lie. "Secrets and Lies" does not feel like a lie. It's a work of art.
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