• Home
  • Meetings
  • Events
  • Blog
  • E-Board
  • Around Boston
  • Join
Northeastern University's Film Enthusiasts Club
.

Elizabeth Johnson-Wilson on In Secret

2/21/2014

1 Comment

 
Picture

In Secret
is the twisted Romeo and Juliet story of Thérèse Raquin (Elizabeth Olsen), a 19th century French woman who was abandoned by her father at a young age to be raised by her domineering aunt, Madame Raquin (Jessica Lange). Raquin eventually becomes trapped in an unemotional marriage to her sickly cousin Camille (Tom Felton), while engaging in a steamy love affair with her husband’s friend, Laurent (Oscar Isaac).

So, I will start with the good: there was beautiful cinematography throughout - the camera was always in an interesting place, and the lighting was soft and romantic. It was always lovely to look at and the acting was good. I mean, she's Jessica Lange, what else would you expect? Olsen and Isaac were good, Felton was believable enough. They and the rest of the cast, as actors, did what they were supposed to do.

However, though the film looked beautiful, it had absolutely no substance. The writing wasn't great, the story arc was weak, the pacing was forced and anticlimactic, the message was convoluted and forgotten. The director Charlie Stratton adapted the story from a book, and I could tell, but not in the good way; basically, this story should have stayed in novel format.

Also, the sex, i.e. the film’s main selling point, wasn't steamy at all: it tried so hard and failed. Nothing felt warranted, and there was little emotional impact on the audience. It was hard to feel with the characters; I mean, Lange did perform an epic mourning breakdown that tickled a couple of my heartstrings, but I felt little throughout the film besides that, and that speaks to the effectiveness of her performance and efforts, not to the effectiveness of the movie as a whole. Some of it even skewed comical and absurd, which I would say was unintentional. I don’t know what to say: should I call it a beautiful disaster, or a waste of my (and all those talented actors’!) time?

Rating: D-

1 Comment
jam link
9/6/2015 07:45:37 am

Great information here. This information is very helpful for film maker.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    AJ Martin
    Andy Robinson
    Anime
    Anthony Formicola
    Anu Gulati
    Arjun Agarwal
    Arzu Martinez
    Ben Garbow
    Brandon Isaacson
    Brian Hamilton
    Carter Sigl
    Dan Simeone
    Discussion
    Elizabeth Johnson Wilson
    Eliza Rosenberry
    Emily Fisler
    Erick Sanchez
    Eric Tatar
    Essays
    Festivals
    Gabrielle Ulubay
    Haley Emerson
    Here's Some Movies
    Ian Wolff
    IFF Boston
    IFFBoston 2015
    Interviews
    Isaac Feldberg
    Kunal Asarsa
    Library
    Lists
    Marguerite Darcy
    Marissa Marchese
    Mary Tobin
    Meghan Murphy
    Mike Muse
    Mitch Macro
    Neel Shah
    Netflix Instant Watch
    Parth Parekh
    Patrick Roos
    Profiles
    Reviews
    Short Films
    Television
    This Week In Movies
    Tyler Rosini

    Want to Write for Us?

    Contact NUFEC President Ian Wolff at nufecblog@gmail.com if you're interested in writing for this blog!

    Archives

    April 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    October 2019
    September 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.