Way too neat and tidy in its conclusion - otherwise, this is perfection. It's become immediately apparent that I need to see everything from Leigh.

Brenda Blethyn was simply perfect, great film.

I was sorely disappointed by this. It's dull and occasionally annoying, and for some reason I never moved from "idly noting the performances are good" to "being involved with the characters". The moral of the film is summed up rather awkwardly at the end, too: "Be'er to tell the truth, intcha?" "Yeaaaaahh..."

Melodramatic to a level that nearly destroys any attempt at realism, this plays out more like a corny stage production than a film. Brenda Blethyn's hysterics happen with such zeal and so frequently that they become comical, with one scene of her weeping like Laurel next to the eye rolling Marianne Jean-Baptiste as Hardy being a particular stand out. Still, not every scene is delivered with the subtlety of a meat tenderizer, there are restrained performances and you can't say it's ever boring.

Devastating and intense family drama in working-class Britain, with characters constantly confronted with things outside their experience. The ways they react are the meat of the film.

Holy shit, awkwardness galore! It's truly amazing to watch as these various lives cross paths, headed for the inevitable clash as it slowly becomes clear how all the stories fit together. The acting is superb and the direction has some inspired moments that really capture the human aspects of these situations. A wonderful ending as well, there's little to criticize beyond the emotional toll it can take to watch it, but even that is deftly tempered by some lighter moments.

At first it seems like a fairly routine family drama, but as these characters work their way under your skin, they develop rich complexities and rewarding relationships. The results are intensely moving, and I'm not ashamed to admit that by the end I was a blubbering wreck. Not a note of it seems phony, contrived or forced. The cast is brilliant across the board. A warm, touching, magnificent look at family, the barriers that keep them apart, and the roles and disguises we maintain.

don't remember well, could be anywhere from 80 - 90, so just went with RT average rating.

It's good but I didn't really connect with it like I'd hoped.

Could have been easily named "Teary and Weary"

A well-acted film. However the ending was a disappointment. It was also very convenient to have the rather young main character's parents already deceased, allowing the writer to entirely avoid the dynamic between the natural family and the adoptive family. The omission of any information about the father was also unconvincing, since I doubt the adopted woman would stop asking about her father until she got the truth. Despite all this it's an impressive film.

Superb. The performances are great, Blethyn and Spall being the cream of the crop. Leigh's preproduction method ensures maximum believability. Only nitpick would be an ending that seemed maybe a little too clean for real life, especially for these characters.

"Secrets & Lies is littered with scenes that begin at a fever pitch before descending into a becalmed, meditative state." - Eric Henderson

Such a well done film, it brings a smile to my face, even as grim and awkward as it gets.

Thankfully, there's enough humor to balance out the heavy subject matter. Brenda Blethyn is annoyingly hysterical, but at the same time she's still immensely watchable. One of Leigh's best.

Emotionally exhilirating. The whole thing is just riveting in its awkwardness, its realism, its deft mix of humour and emotion (the former complimenting the latter making it feel more sincere, truthful and effective), its sheer level of compassion for these characters, the intelligent look at its subject matter (which includes, but is not limited to, adoption, parenting, the class divide, race and family). Terrific stuff. "Secrets and lies! We're all in pain! Why can't we share our pain?"

Powerful characters and performances. A perfect rainy day movie.

Leigh's script and direction pushes all the right emotional buttons without getting overly melodramatic.