The Secret

2000 1h 47m FR

👍

7.2

SOLID

⭐

6.1

IMDB

★7.2TMDB · 133★6.1IMDB · 848

RomanceDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Marie, who works as a successful door-to-door encyclopedia salesperson, has been married to her husband Francois for 12 years and has a two-year-old son. Though she is relatively content with her life, she feels something is wanting. Enter 50-year old African-American Bill. Initially she is annoyed by his insouciance, but she finds that she is irresistibly attracted to him. Soon the two are in the midst of sordid illicit affair. She knows little about her new lover, and he seems uninterested in learning about her, but the long sessions of lovemaking are something else entirely. Feeling out of control, Marie is increasingly repelled by her own actions. Psychologically, she struggles to reconcile her torrid encounters with Bill and mundane domestic chores such as bathing her son. Moreover, she finds herself incapable of hiding her adulterous behavior, rather she comes home with scratches and hickeys all over her body, to the devastation Francois.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Anne Coesens
Marie
Michel Bompoil
François
Tony Todd
Bill
Jacqueline Jehanneuf
Mère de Marie
Aladin Reibel
Rémy
Quentin Rossi
Paul
Valérie Vogt
Séverine
Frédéric Sauzay
Luc

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Virginie Wagon
Writers: Erick Zonca, Virginie Wagon
Languages: French
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 6

ERA

Did you know

26 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

CRAFT

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Virginie Wagon, shot by Jean-Marc Fabre. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Yannick Kergoat shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Anne Coesens and Michel Bompoil and Tony Todd carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0227458 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Virginie Wagon directs. Jean-Marc Fabre behind the camera. Yannick Kergoat cuts. Produced in France. Dialogue in French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

126 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
3Directed by Virginie Wagon, shot by Jean-Marc Fabre. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Editor Yannick Kergoat shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Anne Coesens and Michel Bompoil and Tony Todd carry the top of the cast.
6IMDB entry: tt0227458 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Classified under 10 themes, including "paris, france", "marriage crisis", "women's sexual identity", "deceived husband".