In Secret – Geheime Leidenschaft (2013)

In Secret – Geheime Leidenschaft: Directed by Charlie Stratton. With Elizabeth Olsen, Oscar Isaac, Tom Felton, Jessica Lange. Thérèse grows up with her aunt and cousin. Around 1860 the aunt decides they move to Paris and that her son and Thérèse get married. The joy- and loveless life changes when her husband brings a friend home. The affair turns ugly for all.

“Elizabeth Olsenu0026#39;s latest title role performance is not as showy as her first; when she broke out with u0026quot;Martha Marcy May Marleneu0026quot; in 2011, her characteru0026#39;s heart and mind were the primary focus of the film. She used her bland looks like the Japanese Noh mask or the Greek Archaic smile, which you could interpret as an expression of any emotion you would like, thus lending mysteries and ambiguities. In u0026quot;Thereseu0026quot; Olsen goes a lot lighter, allowing us to detach from, or even dislike the apparent protagonist if we choose so.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBy contrast, Thereseu0026#39;s mother-in-law, Madame Raquin is played by Jessica Lange with a heavy emotional emphasis. Few actresses entertain the idea of playing characters with special physical conditions. Fewer can play them convincingly. Even fewer can play them without words. With Lange they all come as standard. While seemingly playing an antagonist, Lange makes a surprisingly gratifying character.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eTom Feltonu0026#39;s frail Camille is Thereseu0026#39;s arranged husband, and Oscar Isaacu0026#39;s strong Laurent is Thereseu0026#39;s extra-marital affection; these two actors are also solid as they play friends and enemies with polar opposite characteristics.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhile by employing a comedic tone director Charlie Stratton takes away some gravity from the serious subject, he nonetheless makes the antique material accessible by wider audience. It is a rather simple story with nothing mysterious about its plot or its charactersu0026#39; feelings and motives, but at the same time, so cleverly ambiguous on the moral ground that you cannot easily decide for which character to root.”