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Secrets & Lies (Mike Leigh 1996)
See that screenshot? That's my reaction to the film.
Now, don't get my wrong, I loved the subject matter which was right up my alley. In fact I expected to like this. The two lead actresses were good too.
I hate to describe a film as boring but I was bored with Secret & Lies and that's the truth. Everything felt so artificial, so much like a daytime TV soap opera. There was barely 90 minutes of relevant story here, which leaves an additional 50 minutes of added padding. Hence part of the reason I was bored.
I felt like each character was doing their own little monologue and wasn't really connected to the film's universe. It was like each actor got a bit of 'me time' to do their own personal, emotional breakdown scene. One after another they all delivered their little scenes at the birthday party and I didn't but any of it. Eventually I ended up laughing out loud at these people, really I did! Only it wasn't suppose to be funny....After the movie I read on IMDB that the director let the actors improvise a lot of their own dialogue, I'm not surprised either. I've found that when actors get to go off and improv the script it usually doesn't improve a film.
I can't say I like Mike Leigh's films, at least the ones I've seen. Twice in the past I was perusing the shelves of my local library when I came across a DVD that starred Sally Hawkins. I really like Sally Hawkins and the movie sounded good, so I borrowed it and watched it...then after 10 minutes of inane, fake sounding dialogue I shut it off, it was Mike Leigh's Happy-Go-Lucky. I can't stand his movie Naked either with the same chatter driven, faux characters. His Mr Turner (2014) was OK, so maybe there's hope.
Secrets & Lies (Mike Leigh 1996)
Reaction: hmm
See that screenshot? That's my reaction to the film.
Now, don't get my wrong, I loved the subject matter which was right up my alley. In fact I expected to like this. The two lead actresses were good too.
I hate to describe a film as boring but I was bored with Secret & Lies and that's the truth. Everything felt so artificial, so much like a daytime TV soap opera. There was barely 90 minutes of relevant story here, which leaves an additional 50 minutes of added padding. Hence part of the reason I was bored.
I felt like each character was doing their own little monologue and wasn't really connected to the film's universe. It was like each actor got a bit of 'me time' to do their own personal, emotional breakdown scene. One after another they all delivered their little scenes at the birthday party and I didn't but any of it. Eventually I ended up laughing out loud at these people, really I did! Only it wasn't suppose to be funny....After the movie I read on IMDB that the director let the actors improvise a lot of their own dialogue, I'm not surprised either. I've found that when actors get to go off and improv the script it usually doesn't improve a film.
I can't say I like Mike Leigh's films, at least the ones I've seen. Twice in the past I was perusing the shelves of my local library when I came across a DVD that starred Sally Hawkins. I really like Sally Hawkins and the movie sounded good, so I borrowed it and watched it...then after 10 minutes of inane, fake sounding dialogue I shut it off, it was Mike Leigh's Happy-Go-Lucky. I can't stand his movie Naked either with the same chatter driven, faux characters. His Mr Turner (2014) was OK, so maybe there's hope.