The Secret Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

The Secret Blu-ray Movie Review

A story with great potential can be a blessing or a curse depending on the filmmaker.

Reviewed by Dustin Somner March 22, 2009

I can only think of a handful of straight-to-video films that I’ve actually enjoyed. More often than not, there’s a reason the production studio chose to forgo a costly marketing campaign, and simply release the film to a hungry rental market. We can all admit there are plenty of knock-off sequels that hit the straight-to-video market, but we expect those to be cheesy follow-up productions to films that were never really sequel-worthy in the first place. In the case of The Secret, we have a film that likely sounded good on paper, but just didn’t translate well to the screen. Perhaps it was the unsteady direction of Vincent Perez, or the questionnable casting of David Duchovny, but the final product is a prime example of a brilliant concept with bad execution. For that reason, The Secret never made it’s way into theater chains across the nation, and was unceremoniously released to home video.

"Alright, somebody give this guy his teddy bear back"

Since the entire premise of the movie hinges on something that takes place within the first 10 minutes of the film, I don’t think I’m giving too much away by revealing “the secret” in this plot synopsis. The main players in the film are Ben (David Duchovny), his wife Hannah (Lily Taylor), and their teenage daughter Sam (Olivia Thirlby). Hannah and Sam are involved in a car accident, and both women are declared dead at the hospital. Within moments, Sam’s pulse returns, and she undergoes a rapid recovery. When Sam wakes up, she seems nothing like the rebellious teenager we were originally introduced to, and it is soon revealed that Hannah has taken over Sam’s body. For the rest of the feature, Hannah and Ben try to deal with their precarious physical situation, and attempt to figure out what happened to their daughter’s spirit.

As you can imagine, The Secret has potential. The film is actually a remake of a 1999 Japanese film called Himitsu, so I’d be curious to see if that film was better able to portray the dysfunction that would result from having your wife inside the body of your daughter. Clearly there are sexual implications (both behind closed doors and in the public eye), as well as complexities with trying to portray your daughter (while not letting on that you are in fact a middle aged mother), but the film never sufficiently explores these themes. For instance, Hannah goes back to Sam’s school following the accident, but how could she realistically live as someone else and assume others around her are going to buy into it. She shows up to school and asks her daughter’s friends what her locker number is, but how would she know where her daughter’s classroom is, or what her teacher’s names are. By skipping these details, the credibility of the film is diminished, and the impact of the events that transpire are a bit too convenient. I was also frustrated with the ending to the film. After waiting for something profound to occur, I was let down with an ending that drops the ball, and offers little explanation for what takes place.

I’ll apologize in advance to any Duchovny fans out there, but the guy just can’t play a role that requires a variety of emotions. I appreciated his acting style in "X-files", but his understated tone did not feel appropriate for this film. When the director requires emotion from him (such as a stairway scene where his character and Sam have a verbal fight), his unconvincing outbursts seem comical. In his defense, some of the subject matter in the script is difficult to decipher, since there are moments when tongue-in-cheek lines pop up in serious scenes, and are completely out of place. Duchovny probably had to ask himself whether he’s supposed to maintain the serious tone of the film, or let the scene digress into comedy. Fortunately, Thirlby does an excellent job in her role as Sam. Having to play two characters at different points in the film is difficult, but she nails the mannerisms of Hannah, and demonstrates the ability to bring her characters to life. I’d imagine we will see a lot more from this young lady in the near future.

The Secret Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Image Entertainment delivers The Secret to Blu-ray in an underwhelming transfer utilizing the AVC codec, at an average bitrate of 20 MBPS. If I had to summarize the transfer in one word it would be "inconsistent". Close-up shots show a nice level of detail, but wide shots take a hit in the clarity department. Black levels also vary from scene to scene, with nighttime shots taking on a dark grey appearance. These same sequences also have a disappointing lack of shadow detail, which isn't too surprising considering black levels and contrast aren't rendered well (see screenshot #18 for an example). Daytime scenes look much better, but the image still lacks the three dimensional pop that is apparent on other Blu-ray releases. On the bright side, I didn't detect edge enhancement or digital artifacting, noise was mostly absent (there is one shot of the moon toward the end of the film with minor noise), and the color spectrum appears appropriately cold given the tone of the film.

The Secret Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Presented in DTS-HD MA 5.1, the lossless track is decent, but far from spectacular. This is a dialogue driven feature, so one of the most important aspects of the track is a balanced volume level. I'm pleased to report I never had to strain to hear the dialogue, or deal with jarringly loud transitions. Unfortunately, the track failed to impress when it came to my surrounds. With the exception of the car crash scene at the beginning of the film, and one party scene late in the film, the majority of the audio track is front-heavy, and a little boring. It isn't fair to judge this audio track next to an action film, but even if you compare the track next to other modern films that are heavy on dialogue, you'll usually find a nice level of surround separation through the use of music, or ambient sound effects. That complexity is mostly absent from this feature, and left me wanting more.

The other track is a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, which is slightly softer than the lossless track, and lacks the crisp detail of the superior mix. It's still a decent track, but I'd recommend you stick with the DTS choice.

The Secret Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Cast Interviews (1080i [4:3] with 2 channel audio): There are three independent interviews with Lily Taylor, David Duchovny and Olivia Thirlby. Each interview lasts between 10 and 12 minutes, and the actors are asked various questions about making the film, or themes that are touched on in the film. I don't think many will find this supplement that interesting, unless you appreciate the film more than I do.

Behind the Scenes (1080i [4:3] with 2 channel audio): this eight minute feature shows director Vincent Perez working on location at several sets. The footage is rough, and not that interesting.

The only other extra on the disc is a trailer for the film, presented in 480p, with 2-channel audio.

The Secret Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Secret could have been so much more than it is. The premise is interesting, and should have given the filmmakers a treasure trove of material to use. Unfortunately, the final product feels like a collection of play-it-safe scenes that only hint at what could have been. Regarding the technical qualities of this release, I've seen films on Blu-ray that are 20 years old, but still look and sound better than The Secret. You'll still know your watching a high definition product, but the difference between the Blu-ray and DVD won't be nearly as noticeable as with other films. I'd only recommend this as a rental if you have an interest in the premise, and a willingness to leave your brain at the door.