“Best to tell the truth, eh? That way nobody gets hurt.” This line uttered late in the quiet masterpiece that is Secrets & Lies from director Mike Leigh (Naked) sums up the general thesis of this landmark film. The intricate yet natural web that Leigh weaves with his colorful array of characters takes seemingly mundane plot developments and crafts them into a narrative that is riveting from beginning to end. Leigh is a filmmaker who has made a career out of conjuring electricity without injecting unnatural dramatic flashpoints into his stories. That ordinary life is a rich narrative well from which to draw is readily apparent to the acclaimed auteur. The inherent drama of life is right beneath the surface, and it only takes a keen storyteller such as Leigh to harness it into something honest and beautiful. Part of this is done through his distinctive way in which he shapes his characters through collaboration with his actors which allows the honest moments to blossom naturally and the performances to feel lived-in in a way that is captivating. Secrets & Lies may just be the defining example of this process, earning him the Palme d’Or at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival and five Oscar nominations including Best Picture.
A young Black woman (Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Fatman) is first seen at her mother’s funeral amongst a group of mourners as a beautiful hymn is sung to mark the passing. This is Hortense Cumberbatch, a successful North London optometrist, and this woman is actually her adoptive mother. In the midst of nursing the pain of losing one of the most important people in her life, Hortense decides to make inquiries into the identity of her birth mother. She says she is not looking for a replacement for her mother; she is only trying to get some answers about her identity. Elsewhere, a White working-class factory worker named Cynthia Purley (Brenda Blethyn, Pride and Prejudice) lives a life of regret and frustration. Nearly all of her relationships are strained in some way, be it her street-sweeping daughter Roxanne (Claire Rushbrook, Enola Holmes) or her distant photographer brother, Maurice (Timothy Spall, Harry Potter franchise), who lives a more plush lifestyle in the suburbs. That the very White Cynthia is the long-lost mother to Hortense is quite a shock to both parties involved in a way that is quietly fascinating.
As always, Leigh treats each relationship with the deft human touch needed to sell the drama without making it seem obvious or overwrought. Upon their initial meeting, Cynthia is already carrying the weight of the recent resurfacing of the long-buried secret of her teenage pregnancy, which Blethyn wields like the sharpest knife you have ever seen. This performance is a knockout as you see her shift from sad nervousness to relieved confusion to the eventual emotional wreck when she realizes that Hortense is her daughter. The devastation comes not from the fact that she has a Black daughter, but from further processing a past that has brought about so much pain. The moment is equally riveting on the part of Jean-Baptiste, who exudes a palpable restraint that stems both from her larger place as a Londoner as well as a Black woman who has had to adapt to the world. These two could not seem more different, but the growth of their relationship is a heartening one only plagued by the insistence of further secrets from Cynthia’s established family – a secret begging to be brought to the surface.
Secrets & Lies is a simmering analysis of perception and class structures that plays out brilliantly throughout the story. While Cynthia loves her brother, there is a perception on her end that his life is more perfect than might be the truth which leads to some raw emotions. The stoic, paternal Maurice is not without his pain, though, as hidden issues with his wife Monica (Phyllis Logan, Downton Abbey) are bubbling just beneath the surface. As with the competing storyline, Leigh does not go as much for the obvious marital spats. Instead, moments of strained mundanity hit you in the gut, such as a sequence in which Maurice returns home to a flustered Monica who is busy with housework. The moment is fraught with tension, but Leigh allows the moment to rest deep inside your bones rather than have an explosive confrontation. Timothy Spall gives what is perhaps his best performance in his role as Maurice, a man whose job it is to manufacture perfect moments to reflect back upon when times are tough.
This mid-career masterpiece finds Leigh working at the height of his powers. Every moment of this nearly two-and-a-half hour runtime is replete with carefully constructed moments that exist simultaneously as a feat of narrative craftsmanship and beautiful naturalism. This is a story that will hit you like a ton of bricks on your initial viewing, and will only further reward with each subsequent viewing as the layers of symbolism and foreshadowing reveal themselves. From the largest role to the most fleeting appearances, every performer is doing something special to elevate this narrative to the best version of itself. This is a story filled with a lot of pain, but such pain is mostly the fruit born from the hidden truths that we are too afraid to bring to the light. It is only through confronting the truth that we can begin to heal. Secrets & Lies is a truly remarkable feature that will leave you better than when you started.
Video Quality
Secrets & Lies has been granted a director-approved 2K restoration from the original camera negative via the Criterion Collection for this stunning new Blu-Ray disc in its original 1.85:1. The film grain present is beautifully natural and consistent while allowing fine details to shine through. Facial features are detailed with fine lines and pores detectable alongside natural skin tones. Colors are vibrant without being unnatural for the environment. The general aesthetic of the movie is dull and bleak, but the transfer affords several opportunities for colors to pop off the screen at specific points. Black levels are deep and inky without any noticeable blocking or compression artifacts. Subtle details stand out with greater clarity than ever before, especially in clothing or elements of the production design. Exploring these locations with this new transfer almost makes it feel like a whole new film. This is by far the best the film has looked on home entertainment.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that accurately captures the intended sound of the film. The score from Andrew Dickson is used well to establish the mood of the story, and this track handles it elegantly throughout the duration of the film. There is never a moment where it threatens to overwhelm competing sounds, and it maintains a good balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. The suburban environmental sounds are rendered well alongside everything else. There does not seem to be any majorly noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear. The Criterion Collection has given this film a perfectly preserved audio presentation that brings the movie to life in a most pleasing manner.
Special Features
The Criterion Blu-Ray of Secrets & Lies includes a foldout booklet featuring the new essay “Seen and Not Seen” by film programer and critic Ashley Clark in which he discusses his deep love for the film, along with the themes and cultural relevance of the picture. Clark is also not afraid to bring up some criticisms of the film that are perfectly valid. This provides a great amount of context and insight into the film that is so worthwhile. The on-disc special features are as follows:
- Mike Leigh
-
- 2020 Interview: A 30-minute interview in which director Mike Leigh has a virtual conversation with friend and composer Gary Yershon recorded in December 2020 in which they discuss the themes of the film, the initial ideas for the story, the shooting locations, the importance of the minor characters within the story and more.
-
- 1996 Interview: A 90-minute audio interview with director Mike Leigh from 1996 conducted by critic Michel Ciment in which he discusses his reasons for making this story, his approach to filmmaking, recurring themes throughout the film and much more. It is fascinating to see the difference between Leigh initially promoting the film then and reflecting on the film now.
- Marianna Jean-Baptiste: A 28-minute virtual interview with actress Marianna Jean-Baptiste conducted by critic Corrina Antrobus in December 2020. This is a very incisive piece in which the actress discusses her relationship with the film, the ways in which she developed her character with Leigh, her role as a woman of color in this story and much more.
- Trailer: A two-minute trailer for the film is provided which plays up the Cannes awards and gives a decent overview of the film.
Final Thoughts
Secrets & Lies is a film that sneaks up on you with its quiet passion and emotional strength that it wields so expertly throughout its runtime. The way in which Mike Leigh weaves these stories together so thoughtfully with performances so lived-in and natural is a feat at which to marvel. This is an example of cinema at its finest. The new Blu-Ray from the Criterion Collection is graced with a splendid A/V presentation and some fascinating special features. This is a release that any film fan should be proud to own. Highly Recommended
The Criterion Collection edition of Secrets & Lies is available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: The Criterion Collection has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
