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Secrets & Lies



Writer-director Mike Leigh reached new levels of expressive power and intricacy in his ongoing contemplation of unembellished humanity with this resonant exploration of the deceptions, small and large, that shape our relationships to those we love. When Hortense (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), a Black optometrist who was adopted as a child, begins the search for her birth mother, she doesn’t expect that it will lead her to Cynthia (Brenda Blethyn, winner of the Cannes Film Festival’s best actress award), a desperately lonely white factory worker whose tentative embrace of her long-lost daughter sends shock waves through the rest of her already fragile family. Born from a painstaking process of rehearsal and improvisation with a powerhouse ensemble cast, Secrets & Lies is a Palme d’Or–winning tour de force of sustained tension and catharsis that lays bare the emotional fault lines running beneath the surface of everyday lives.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

• New 2K digital restoration, supervised by director Mike Leigh and director of photography Dick Pope, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray
• New conversation with Leigh and composer Gary Yershon
• New interview with actor Marianne Jean-Baptiste
• Audio interview with Leigh from 1996 conducted by film critic Michel Ciment
• Trailer
• English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  PLUS: An essay by film programmer and critic Ashley Clark

James Corden joins the collection.

Unless that's a joke I'm not getting, you're probably thinking of All or Nothing, Corden isn't in this one.

No essay? I hope that's just a site error.

Boosmahn wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:29 pm No essay? I hope that's just a site error.

It’s either a secret or a lie




































































Get it

The Narrator Returns wrote: Tue Dec 15, 2020 6:25 pm Unless that's a joke I'm not getting, you're probably thinking of All or Nothing, Corden isn't in this one.

Bloody confusing conjunctions. It is probably too telling about me that I got that pair mixed up though.

You nearly gave me a heart attack knives.

Now you’re thinking of a Coronary, not a Corden

I would have thought this is a pretty big title, and yet no scholarshit, no Brenda Blethyn, producer, production team, whatever, interviews....?!?

There are a couple new interviews/conversations- hopefully Marianne Jean-Baptiste's invites some analysis of the racial elements at play.

Stupid aside- I don't know why it's bothering me, but in the description I just noticed that the racial adjective "Black" is capitalized while "white" isn't, and it's been beaten into my brain by every teacher I had in grad school that- while there’s no rule for whether these demographic descriptors are capitalized or not- they should always be in sync with each other’s capitalization for consistency... did the rules change?

therewillbeblus wrote: Wed Dec 16, 2020 7:46 am There are a couple new interviews/conversations- hopefully Marianne Jean-Baptiste's invites some analysis of the racial elements at play.

Stupid aside- I don't know why it's bothering me, but in the description I just noticed that the racial adjective "Black" is capitalized while "white" isn't, and it's been beaten into my brain by every teacher I had in grad school that- while there’s no rule for whether these demographic descriptors are capitalized or not- they should always be in sync with each other’s capitalization for consistency... did the rules change?

Here’s the current guidance of the Associated Press on the matter. Not sure what style guide Criterion uses.

DeprongMori wrote: Wed Dec 16, 2020 8:09 amHere’s the current guidance of the Associated Press on the matter. Not sure what style guide Criterion uses.

The listing for that Assistant Web Editor job implies they follow The Chicago Manual of Style, which has said that both "white" and "black" can be capitalized in racial contexts. I think capitalizing either is completely idiotic, but alas...

Having worked for various magazines, I can tell you that there is always a house stylebook and a major stylebook, like AP or Chicago. Differences are usually most obvious in datelines. AP, for instance, has a list of "standalone cities," both foreign and domestic, and Aspen, Colo., is not on it. But the house stylebook at a travel publication might not require the state after Aspen, because if you're reading T&L, you know Aspen is in Colorado. It's a big travel destination. On the other hand, Business Week might use "Colo."

In this case, I would suspect that it's being capitalized following AP. I have noticed, for instance, that People magazine began capping it a few months ago, and I assumed it was because of the AP announcement.

Interesting, thanks for the responses- I'm with Boosmahn in finding the capitalization of either unnecessary, but that's from a bias of going to grad school with a significant percentage of black peers who I recall unanimously stated in multiple conversations in our racial dynamics classes that they had issues with its capitalization- though I'm aware that's not a viable sample of entire populations within those who identify as black. For what it's worth, as someone who works in clinical agencies and writes "black" and "white" as demographic descriptors in assessments every week, sometimes daily, I can't recall ever encountering another clinician's work who chose to capitalize in IEPs, treatment plan documents, or for insurance purposes- and a decent portion of my colleagues also identify as black and I've used their formulations as examples. Not that there's a right or wrong way to do it, but within my own little liberal bubble of social work in a very progressive city, that's my experience.

Criterion's listing has been updated and an essay from Ashley Clark is now included.

Before this announcement, I was quite certain that Vera Drake would be the next Leigh release from Criterion. There's already a zone B release of Secrets & Lies available from FILM4. Like Career Girls and All or Nothing, Vera Drake has had NO bluray release of any kind. Thankfully all 3 of those titles are now available to stream in HD.

I've found much enjoyment and education in each of Leigh's commentaries, the track with Topsy-Turvy being the most edifying. A shame that there's not one for this film.

With this release, Leigh will be tied with Gilliam for number of CC releases. I can't really imagine what other Gilliam film might be given a Criterion edition. Possibly Munchausan, which would be most welcome. Not that there's any certainly that there WILL be another Gilliam before Leigh. (They're my 2 favourite UK directors; that's the reason for my comparison.)

Now, more than ever, I expect (and hope) that a Vera Drake edition will be forthcoming. 👍🏿

FrauBlucher wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 6:33 pm Beaver

Looks like the same exact master, but if it does have a higher bitrate, it could look better in motion. It may be a negligible improvement because I watched the Channel 4 BD a few months ago and nothing came up that was an egregious example of inferior encoding.

FWIW, for those who are region-free, on a budget and unconcerned with Criterion's extras, the UK BD has been repressed with new (albeit inferior) artwork and a budget price. I think rarewaves et al often sell it for about $10 shipped.

I've been slowly going through Leigh's work and viewed S&L this afternoon and it didn't disappoint. I had seen him tackle this working class English slice of life before with Life is Sweet, which was serviceable; however, the stronger material here combined with the performances really achieves a magnificent naturalistic portrayal that leaves the viewer anticipating every necessary scene. Nothing is wasted here. It's one of the most voyeuristic films I have seen in a long time that couldn't be fairly described as a feux-documentary (I mean that as a compliment). Vera Drake has been my favorite Leigh until this, and I give S&M the edge over VD because the latter is a historical piece. Nothing wrong with that, but Leigh seems to really shine working with his own material as he does here. The only other Leigh film I have seen is Naked years ago, which didn't completely enamour me at the time, but I should revisit it because I feel I get Leigh's style and aesthetic now. Other than those four, what else is absolutely essential outside of me revisiting Naked? Is Peterloo really a dud?

EDIT: I found the original thread where I asked a similar question recently

Thanks

I didn't like Peterloo or Mr. Turner but you might- I'm also not big on Vera Drake and think Life is Sweet is one of his best. Happy-Go-Lucky, All or Nothing, High Hopes, and Meantime are all strong- but I'd say everything up until his last two is worth watching.

Yeah, I just read the Peterloo thread and appreciated your conversation with Knives on this topic. I completely understand why VD, Turner, and Peterloo don't work for you (I haven't seen Turner either and had also heard mixed things about it when it was released). I'm really happy I decided to give Leigh another try though. I'm getting far more from him this round.

aox wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 6:16 pmI give S&M the edge over VD

Me too!

otis wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 9:08 pm

aox wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 6:16 pmI give S&M the edge over VD

Me too!

Touché

aox wrote: Fri Mar 19, 2021 6:16 pm I've been slowly going through Leigh's work and viewed S&L this afternoon and it didn't disappoint. I had seen him tackle this working class English slice of life before with Life is Sweet, which was serviceable; however, the stronger material here combined with the performances really achieves a magnificent naturalistic portrayal that leaves the viewer anticipating every necessary scene. Nothing is wasted here. It's one of the most voyeuristic films I have seen in a long time that couldn't be fairly described as a feux-documentary (I mean that as a compliment). Vera Drake has been my favorite Leigh until this, and I give S&M the edge over VD because the latter is a historical piece. Nothing wrong with that, but Leigh seems to really shine working with his own material as he does here. The only other Leigh film I have seen is Naked years ago, which didn't completely enamour me at the time, but I should revisit it because I feel I get Leigh's style and aesthetic now. Other than those four, what else is absolutely essential outside of me revisiting Naked? Is Peterloo really a dud?

EDIT: I found the original thread where I asked a similar question recently

Thanks

If we're not limiting ourselves to his feature length stuff, the Mike Leigh at the BBC is essential. There are the established pearls of Nuts in May & Abigail's Party, but better yet IMO is 77's Kiss of Death with a disaffected David Threlfall's first venture into first love. There is a key scene with Kay Adshead centred around a first kiss which is the most honest, empathetic and authentic take on the awkwardness of adolescent love.

And 1980's Grown Ups which I think, is Leigh's funniest film - yet you get a heartbreaking early turn from Secrets & Lies' Brenda Blethyn as a pain in the arse older Sister who under the pretense of being helpful to her younger sibling and beau, is ridding herself of a crippling loneliness.