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Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready....
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Since 1996 |
Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready....
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A
Secret
Stars: Patrick Bruel, Cecile de France, Ludivine Sagnier, Julie Depardieu, Mathieu Amalric, Nathalie Boutefeu, Orlando Nicoletti, Valentine Vigourt (Francois as a child) and Quentin Dubuis (Francois as a teenager) Director: Claude Miller Scriptwriters: Claude Miller and Natalie Carter adapted from the novel by Philippe Grimbert (based on a true life experience) Composer: Zbigniew Preisner Cinematography: Gerard de Battista UGC YN Film Production Hebrew, Yiddish, French and German with subtitles Rating: no rating but could be R for war scenes and sexual situations Running Length: 106 minutes Life never goes the way you want it to. There is always something standing in your way, either the conventions of life, war or a moral code, but when you really want something, you may get it...with a price. This is the premise of A Secret, based on the experiences of Philippe Grimbert and his family during WWII and later. The family is of the Jewish faith, but it was dangerous to be Jewish in the 1930's and 40's so at times, there was subterfuge. The story is told in flashbacks, with the past in black and white and the present in color. The story is about the Grimbert family who have changed the spelling of their last name to blend in with society. Tania (Cecile de France) is a model and married to Robert, away at war. Maxime (Patrick Bruel) is married to Hannah (Ludivine Sagnier) and they have a boy, Simon (Orlando Nicoletti), who is the apple of their eye. However, Maxime has eyes for his sister-in-law, Tania, though she does not return his attentions. As more and more of the Jewish community escape to other countries, or are severely restricted as to business, the Grimbert family decides to go, also. Orthodox members stay behind, and gently chide those who would travel. Tania, Maxime, Maxime's sister (Julie Depardieu), Hannah and Simon are to go as a group, but they become separated. Fast-forward years, and Maxime and Tania are married, with a sickly son, Francois (variously played by Valentine Vigourt or Quentin Dubuis). During his youth, Francois makes up an imaginary brother and when this is found out, Francois is dealt with harshly. One day, Francois learns the family secret and why his parents are variously happy and unhappy. The adult Francois is played by Mathieu Amalric. Secrets are kept and secrets are broken. Life goes on. Acting in A Secret is precise, especially Cecile de France as Tania, a champion swimmer, whom everyone envies, but it lonely inside. Julie Depardieu as the unmarried sister, slowly lets you enter the life of this character with secrets of her own. Ludivine Sagnier's "Hannah" is an insecure woman who doesn't know where to turn when she is confronted with a challenge in her marriage. The wearing of a yellow Star of David is meant to show outsiders who you are, but inside, the family knows who they are and what the word "preserve" means. A Secret moves along at a leisurely pace, and this is the pace the Grimbert family lives. Nazi's are in the background as the family sticks together. They value sports, good food, music, dancing and friends. This is a Holocaust story on the fringe of the Nazi regime, beautifully photographed and a wonderful soundtrack. It is almost peaceful here...almost. Copyright 2009 Marie Asner
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