Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Secrets & Lies Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 17, 2021

Mike Leigh's "Secrets & Lies" (1996) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; new program with the director and composer Gary Yershon; new video interview with actor Marianne Jean-Baptiste; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Some people just have it rough. They do everything they are supposed to do to succeed in life, but never get that big break that would push them out of the gutter. A few of them spend their entire lives hoping that things will get better, but the rest eventually get tired and frustrated and give up.

Middle-aged single mother Cynthia (Brenda Blethyn, Little Voice) is on the verge of giving up. Her life has been a total disaster and recently she has realized that her best years are behind her. Her boring job at the local factory has helped her raise her temperamental daughter, Roxy (Claire Rushbrook, Under the Skin), whose twenty-first birthday is just around the corner, but she hasn’t been able to save for retirement.

Cynthia’s brother, Maurice (Timothy Spall, Mr. Turner), has done better. He is a successful photographer with plenty of regular clients and a solid reputation in the local community. He is also happily married to Monica (Phyllis Logan, Another Time, Another Place), who genuinely loves him but has grown tired of his sister. For years Maurice and Monica have been trying to become parents, but now both are on the verge of giving up.

Single optometrist Hortense (Marianne Jean-Baptiste, The Cell) has lost both of her adoptive parents, but recently she has discovered that her biological mother is still alive. Now she wants to meet her, but is unsure how to approach her. In fact, she is unsure if she truly is her mother -- Hortense is black while the person listed on her birth certificate is apparently white.

On a bright and sunny day, Hortense phones Cynthia and after a few awkward exchanges the two women arrange to meet. The meeting overwhelms both and they agree that it would be best if they continue living their lives as they have in the past. Then days later, Cynthia phones Hortense and invites her to come to the family party Maurice is throwing for Roxy’s birthday. Hortense will be introduced as Cynthia’s good old friend from the factory.

Mike Leigh’s Secrets & Lies is like a big juicy apple with an uneven skin and more than a few brown spots. At times it could be deliciously sweet, but it has a genuinely bitter side as well. Indeed, it is a strikingly authentic film about real working-class people with the type of problems anyone can relate to.

The energy and intensity on display remind of John Cassavetes’ work. Leigh’s camera is essentially a casual observer that follows Cynthia, Maurice, Monica, Roxy, and Hortense with an unrestrained curiosity that makes different parts of the film look like extracts from an unedited documentary feature. The dialog is appropriately raw as well.

The film’s biggest strength, however, is its ability to enter British reality without producing any polarizing political statements. (Despite the fact that race and poverty are key elements of the narrative, they are never directly addressed). There is a good reason why this is done. For many that are stuck in it the big picture simply isn’t that important because they are too busy surviving.

Blethyn won Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival, but in this film the entire cast is magnificent. Spall, in particular, is exceptional as the diplomatic brother and husband who routinely makes important compromises. Jean-Baptiste is wonderful as the curious but reasonable

Secrets & Lies Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Secrets & Lies arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the leaflet that is provided with this Blu-ray release:

"This 2K digital restoration was undertaken by MK2. A new digital transfer was created on an ARRISCAN film scanner from the 35mm original camera negative and color-graded by director of photography Dick Pope and director Mike Leigh at Deluxe in London. The original 2.0 surround soundtrack was remastered from a 35mm magnetic track using Avid's Pro Tools and iZotope RX. Please be sure to enable Dolby Pro Logic decoding on your receiver to properly play the Dolby 2.0 surround soundtrack.

Transfer supervisors: Mike Leigh, Dick Pope.
Scanning: Eclair, Vanves, France.
Restoration: Hiventy, Boulogne-Billancourt, France."

The release is sourced from a 2K master that was initially introduced on Blu-ray by Channel 4 DVD/Film 4 in the United Kingdom. So, if you have seen this Region-B release from 2015, you will know exactly what to expect from this upcoming release.

I like everything about this master. It gives the film a very fresh, stable, and all-around healthy appearance that make it look practically brand new. The master has fantastic density levels as well, so folks with larger TV sets and projectors are in for quite a visual treat. A variety of nuances that feature different types of light and color shades are beautifully reproduced as well. In fact, next to the solid upgrades in delineation and depth, this is unquestionably the area where the master looks most impressive. There are no traces of problematic digital work. Image stability is outstanding. The entire film looks spotless as well. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Secrets & Lies Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless track is rock-solid. However, the film's original sound design accommodates plenty of organic sounds and noises and does very little to produce the type of dynamic contrasts you will encounter in big-budget productions. Understandably, dynamic intensity is quite limited. The dialog is crystal-clear, clean, and very easy to follow. There are no encoding anomalies to report.

Secrets & Lies Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for Secrets & Lies. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

• Mike Leigh - presented here are two video interviews with Mike Leigh.
  
  1. Interview One - in this new interview, Mike Leigh and composer Gary Yershon recall their collaboration on Secrets & Lies and address some fo the key themes that define the film. There are some quite interesting comments about the exact locations where the film was shot and how they have changed. The interview was conducted in 2020. In English, not subtitled. (30 min, 1080p).
  
  2. Interview Two - in this long archival audio interview, Mike Leigh discusses some important events that led to the creation of Secrets & Lies, how the title of the film came to exist, his working methods, some important themes that keep reappearing in his films, etc. The interview was was conducted by critic Michel Ciment in 1996. In English, not subtitled. (90 min, 1080p).

• Marianne Jean-Baptiste - in this new video interview, critic Corrina Antrobus talks to actor Marianne Jean-Baptiste about her involvement with Secrets & Lies. The interview was conducted in 2020. In English, not subtitled. (28 min, 1080p).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Ashley Clark as well as technical credits.

Secrets & Lies Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mike Leigh's Secrets & Lies is a bittersweet comedy about real working-class people with the type of problems anyone can relate to. It was completed twenty-five years ago, but it still feels fresh and relevant today. This upcoming release is sourced from a 2K restoration of the film that was supervised and approved by Leigh and director of photography Dick Pope, which was first introduced on Blu-ray by Channel 4 DVD/Film 4 a few years ago. I think that the restoration is outstanding, and I am convinced that fans of the film will be delighted with the makeover. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.