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A Secret

Play trailer Poster for A Secret Released Sep 5, 2008 1h 45m Drama History War Play Trailer Watchlist
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78% Tomatometer 45 Reviews 63% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
When French teen Francois (Mathieu Amalric) learns a confusing family secret from his aunt (Julie Depardieu), he sets out to discover his true history. Francois struggles to understand his identity in light of the realization that, in the face of German occupation of Paris, his father, Maxime (Patrick Bruel), made the difficult decision to erase his Jewish heritage and transform the family into the Grimberts -- faux-Catholics who would have a better chance of surviving the Holocaust.

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Critics Consensus

A Secret is poignant, sad, and beautifully crafted, featuring fine performances that stave off a drift toward soap opera territory.

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Critics Reviews

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Ben Kenigsberg Time Out Rated: 4/5 Nov 18, 2011 Full Review Elisabeth Vincentelli Time Out Rated: 4/5 Nov 17, 2011 Full Review Jonathan F. Richards Film.com 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 Mar 6, 2009 Full Review Yasser Medina Cinefilia An anodyne and predictable drama about the tragedy of the holocaust. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 5/10 Aug 6, 2021 Full Review James Vance Tulsa World It's such a handsomely mounted and well-acted piece that few serious cinema-goers are likely to mind the circuitous path it takes in getting there. Rated: 2.5/4 Feb 6, 2018 Full Review Keith Cohen Entertainment Spectrum It is a deeply moving and heartfelt story that makes an indelible impression on the viewers' hearts and minds. Rated: 3.5/4 Apr 4, 2009 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member Beautiful, moving and absorbing film Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Le film a été très puissant. J'ai apprécié la distribution polyvalent. Mon grand-père a vécu en France, et il a dû s'échapper pendant la Deuxieme Guerre mondiale. Alors, ce film a été très important pour moi. J'ai pleuré quand François a été regarder les images de l'Holocaust. Bien que j'avais une connexion avec l'histoire dans le film, j'ai pensais le montage était incompatible. Francois's frére imaginaire n'est apparue qu'une petite quantité de temps. Je n'ai pensais pas qu'il était nécessaire. Les transitions ont été mouillé. Mais, j'adore l'interprètes. Le premier rôle féminin était élégant et talentueux. L'éclairage du le film fait ses semblent très. Cecile De France et Ludivine Sagnier ont fait un merveilleux travail. Elles ont apportées le complexité dans le film. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/28/23 Full Review Audience Member UN SECRET, then, is a stunning work that explains many aspects of the varying responses of Jews to that horrid period of history designed by Hitler. It is a deeply satisfying and profoundly moving film. Highly recommended. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review flixster f Nothing extraordinary or a secret that most can't see coming, yet I liked it. Maybe because besides being based on real events, the execution too was good enough & that it's not just a Holocaust/war movie. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member A deliberately paced story of a Jewish family in France affected by WWII. It's not a typical Holocaust story, and in fact it's hard to believe it's based on a real-life story. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Audience Member Excellent movie, but knowing the outcome hampered my enjoyment of the movie, though only a little bit since it is a very different kind of movie. Definitively not commercial so it was better! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis When French teen Francois (Mathieu Amalric) learns a confusing family secret from his aunt (Julie Depardieu), he sets out to discover his true history. Francois struggles to understand his identity in light of the realization that, in the face of German occupation of Paris, his father, Maxime (Patrick Bruel), made the difficult decision to erase his Jewish heritage and transform the family into the Grimberts -- faux-Catholics who would have a better chance of surviving the Holocaust.
Director
Claude Miller
Producer
Yves Marmion
Screenwriter
Claude Miller, Natalie Carter
Distributor
Strand Releasing
Production Co
UGC YM, Integral Film
Genre
Drama, History, War
Original Language
Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 5, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 25, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$623.4K
Runtime
1h 45m
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