One of better British movies I have watched these years, "Secrets & Lies", despite not garnering Oscars, is no loser at all.
In my opinion, this film had all the necessary ingredients to make a memorable film: good script, fine direction and a score of praiseworthy performances. But its real strength, and potential "weekness" were in the same spot: acting. There were one too many performances to ignore. Apparently, none of them, even those by Brenda Blethyn as the sturdy old good-for-nothing white mother or Mrianne Jean-Baptiste as the steady, young self-sufficient black daughter, managed to produce as thorough an effect as that of stand-alone performance by Frances McDormand in "Fargo".
A matter of fact: When I watched "Frgo", I appreciated McDormand's acting a lot, but I already knew about her having won an Oscar. When I watched "Secrets & Lies", I told myself about Blethyn's performance: this must be, at least, nominated for Oscar. And about the Baptist girl: this must be Oscar-nominated too. I did not knew they were, nor that they lost or to whom.
It is hard to compare "greatness" of these two films though. As regards the test of time, I think both films have (so far) come out with flying colors. If "Fargo" appears on AFI's list of 100 greatest American movies (at number 84), so does "Secrets & Lies" on BFI's similar list of British movies (at number 40).
Somehow, this movie reminded me of another good one: "Guess Who Is Coming To Dinner?". Guess why?
In my opinion, this film had all the necessary ingredients to make a memorable film: good script, fine direction and a score of praiseworthy performances. But its real strength, and potential "weekness" were in the same spot: acting. There were one too many performances to ignore. Apparently, none of them, even those by Brenda Blethyn as the sturdy old good-for-nothing white mother or Mrianne Jean-Baptiste as the steady, young self-sufficient black daughter, managed to produce as thorough an effect as that of stand-alone performance by Frances McDormand in "Fargo".
A matter of fact: When I watched "Frgo", I appreciated McDormand's acting a lot, but I already knew about her having won an Oscar. When I watched "Secrets & Lies", I told myself about Blethyn's performance: this must be, at least, nominated for Oscar. And about the Baptist girl: this must be Oscar-nominated too. I did not knew they were, nor that they lost or to whom.
It is hard to compare "greatness" of these two films though. As regards the test of time, I think both films have (so far) come out with flying colors. If "Fargo" appears on AFI's list of 100 greatest American movies (at number 84), so does "Secrets & Lies" on BFI's similar list of British movies (at number 40).
Somehow, this movie reminded me of another good one: "Guess Who Is Coming To Dinner?". Guess why?
