Review of The Secret Life of Words (2005) by Jose M — 31 Jul 2010
A film that relies almost entirely on dialog to convey its emotional core, Isabel Coixet's second English Language film (after 2005's excellent "My Life Without Me) is nonetheless a powerful film that will polarize viewers.
It is a film that explores the themes of pain and trauma, and how these emotions can be sated by the forces of love. Sarah Polley and Tim Robbins play off of each other beautifully; giving some of their strongest performances, respectively.
Polley's character in particular is remarkably intricate in spite of her relative silence throughout. She has a very deep, dark secret that doesn't come out until the latter half of the film in one of the most moving scenes you'll see on film.
This is a movie that churns emotional muck into cinematic gold. You'll either find it to be thoroughly moving, or sufficiently cumbersome. I can see either one of these perspectives being correct.
This review of The Secret Life of Words (2005) was written by Jose M on 31 Jul 2010.
The Secret Life of Words has generally received very positive reviews.
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