In Secret - Geheime Leidenschaft

A bit too stretched drama with elements of thriller, which is worth watching mainly because of the acting performances, which are simply good. The main young trio works surprisingly well, even despite the presence of Tom Felton, whom I really didn't expect much from. Overall, the acting performances are good. However, the film doesn't have much to amaze and even the atmosphere starts to bore towards the end. (26.06.2014)

I am giving this five stars because I haven’t been fascinated by a historical atmosphere like this one for a long time. A proper gloomy Paris, amovie based on a novel by Émile Zola and exactly the right actors are a very good prerequisite for a very good movie. However, the fact that the story isn’t really any innovative (even though Zola might have been the first one to come up with a story this rough) doesn’t take away from the movie’s quality at all; on the contrary. At first, there was a rough sexual drama with a hint of suspense, eroticism and desire. Over time, it turned into a non-compromising drama that made me hold my breath from how much I hoped to see the plot unravel. The actors have added an incredible amount of quality; I was especially surprised by one of the Olsen twins. I remember her and her sister as little girls whose movies brought me fun and suddenly, she’s having these grand actor orgasms. I was also surprised by Jessica Lange, whom I feel like I see way too often since the American Horror Story, each time in the position of the best the movie’s got to offer. And of course, Oscar Isaac and Tom Felton are also great. Their characters are perfect in this historical story. What more can I say… I like movie surprises and this as one of them; fortunately, these kinds of movies haven’t gone extinct and I can only hope that random passers-by increase the ratings. The movie deserves it. (22.08.2016)

For such a book I would have expected a juicier adaptations than what I actually got. Oscar Isaac and Elizabeth Olsen are a safe bet. We’ve known that about Isaac for a good while, with Elizabeth is something relatively new, yet she amazes with her passion and commitment as an actor. Unfortunately, however, I found the relationship transformation (a key element of both the film and the book) from great love to great hate a bit rushed, with a lack of dramatic arc, in other words, not credible. The atmosphere of Paris and its winding streets is great, but the characters fade into obscurity. Certainly worth watching, though the ratings are quite on point. (19.06.2017)