Secret Things (2004)

This is indeed twisted as another reviewer suggest. Right from the start there is something different. And I'm not talking about the staging of the first scene (which gets you in the mood for the rest of it, with its deception, although you will be able to see through it). I'm talking about a quiet figure in the background. More about that later, because the film does focus on one specific character who's also kind of narrating the whole thing.And while narrating might not be the best way to go, developing the story that is, it fulfills its purpose here. The young woman in question and a friend, will have quite a ride, with some nude and sexual scenes along the way. And while the drama is the focus point of it all, it does deal with where women stand in society and how they might be able to improve. Don't expect it to be too philosophical though (I personally would have liked that), but it does have an interesting personal story to tell ... with some extra flavor that it

This film won awards, which only goes to prove that you never can tell. After a start that is at least intriguing, the movie appears to settle on unremarkable terrain, the story of two young women who resolve to sleep their way to the top, but who come unstuck when they meet a man meaner than they are. Frequent explicit scenes features lashings of masturbation, lesbian sex and even incest can't really hide the orthodox nature of the story; and then, when the film does become original again, it does so in a way that is over-the-top, bizarre and unbelievable. What makes it worse is that this movie seems to take itself seriously, and though the entire cast is attractive, endless shots of gyrating bodies grow tiresome after a while. Strip them away, and what's left is both confusing and empty.

First of all I think something should be clarified, namely the explicitness of this film. If you are familiar with French films, there is a relatively little amount of full frontal nudity. And the sex scenes are on par with those of many a British film. Though that being said whilst the nudity of french cinema might be there to merely add a simple level of realism or aesthetic to the film, and the sex of British cinema be there again to add realism and a bit of British bravado. Les Choses Secretes uses sex merely as a plot device, and since the plot is pretty awful, so is the sex and by extension, the film.The film starts with a woman masturbating in front of a big crowd of people at a bar. The bar tender is a young twenty something who seems to have formidable maths skills yet is working at a sleazy bar(?). She befriends the masturbating lady and from then the two girls seem intent on playing a game of manipulating men for no apparent reason other than to assert their female dominance on them.What has the potential of being an interesting treatise on feminism, ends up essentially being a misogynistic bore. Whilst the first two acts keep you mildly interested with suspense to see how things unfold, it is the third act which ruins the film. Too much is given too late, we are suddenly confronted with a character, and a whole other plot dimension within the last 10 minutes. We are left asking many questions and none of them are answered. This coupled with a bizarrely surprising orgy scene and a curiously operatic score, shows how confused the film is. It sits on the fine line between potentially an arty shoot and a soft core porn shoot.It would have been a lot better if it chose to be one or the other.

One of the best movies I've seen in a while. Not for the conservative minded or squeamish, from beginning to end there is little more than sex. But that's integral to the plot. This is a movie that showcases the violence and the decay that is just under the surface of respectable society. It's about two strong characters who begin down the road to a tragedy of their own making. It questions morality, it pushes the limits, it steps over 'that thin line', and it takes us over the line with it. It is human weakness, irrationality, and most of all, obsession, on film. The acting, both in and out of the "bedroom" was excellent. It is sometimes hard to follow, especially with the subtitles, but that only makes watching it a second time more worth it. I've never seen it on sale or for rent in a store, but if you have an online DVD rental service, then you'll have no problem getting a hold of it.