A blue-chip cast and handsome stagings do little to prevent this French movie being a muddled, pretentious washout. Substantial re-editing might have helped.
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10/18/08
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Un Secret (2008)
80
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Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:50
Fresh:40
Rotten:10
Average Rating:7.1/10
Consensus: A Secret is poignant, sad, and beautifully crafted, featuring fine performances that stave off a drift toward soap opera territory.
Rated: 15
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:09-05-2008
Synopsis: A SECRET follows the saga of a Jewish family in post-World War II Paris. François, a solitary, imaginative child, invents for himself a brother as well as the story of his parents` past. But on his... [More]
Starring: Cecile de France, Patrick Bruel, Ludivine Sagnier, Julie Depardieu
Director: Claude Miller
Reviews for Un Secret
Top CriticEngaging wartime drama that pulls off a bold narrative shift, thanks to impressive direction and superb performances from a talented ensemble cast.
10/18/08
Despite strong performances, this is a rigidly uncinematic effort.
10/18/08
Top CriticNot very easy to follow, but the twists and turns are gripping and emotional
09/07/08
It is a deeply moving and heartfelt story that makes an indelible impression on the viewers' hearts and minds.
04/04/09
The title of this movie suggests the difficulty in writing about it. You can't reveal a secret without spoiling it, and in this intriguing, complex family drama spread out over several time frames covering half a century, the secrets keep on coming
03/06/09
In Un Secret, French filmmaker Claude Miller expertly weaves together a family history, merging the personal and political, the celebratory and the tragic, while incorporating three distinct time periods.
02/27/09
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02/19/09
Sagnier beautifully plays the most crucial moment. She's part of a fine ensemble cast that somewhat obscures the heavy-handed symbolism and punch-pulling finale.
01/09/09
Avoiding histrionics and overstatement, Un Secret reveals a story about a family's past suffering that may not be unique, but in this telling is quietly powerful.
12/31/08
Miller's lyrical use of fleshy details, such as the way de France's black bathing suit clings to her proud body, brings his movie a tactile humanity.
12/30/08
A structural mess that turns contrived just when it should be hitting home.
12/19/08
Miller and his excellent cast create characters whom we can understand and even empathize with, even as they commit horrible breaches of faith.
11/12/08
Beautifully and poignantly captures the complexities of being a Jew in France from the 1930's to the present, where layers of a family's history are revealed by jumping back and forth in time.
11/01/08
A Secret is a showcase for great acting.
10/24/08
A fine drama that stands as Gallic vet Claude Miller's best in at least a decade.
10/18/08
Top CriticA remarkable film with an unusual story.
10/18/08
Given its crackerjack performances and fine evocation of period, Miller’s film has already been a popular offering in Paris and should not long remain a secret from sophisticated moviegoers when it opens in the States.
10/18/08
Suitably tense, sad, and deeply poignant.
10/18/08
The acting is exceptional. If parts of A Secret veer toward soap opera, the ensemble work reduces the suds to a minimum.
10/18/08
Latest News for Un Secret
August 17, 2008:
Trailer & Poster review 
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