Une vie secrète

This is a beautifully written, directed and acted little film. The script is very original, parabola like and very sweet. It's a timeless wonderful little gem.

This movie delicately captures how humans who are governed by fear not only rendered helpless, but are also transformed to alien versions of their former selves. What are the enduring repercussions of civil wars and dictatorships? What does life mean under these conditions? Is life a mere survival or do we stop living once our souls and spirits are crushed? Does a crushed soul and a defeated person stand a chance of living again? Can love survive military dictatorships?

This movie is an attempt to address all of these questions and its take is moving, heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time!

The story is set in Spanish Civil War time. A man is trying to escape from Nationalists in a village in Andalusia. His strategy is to hide. In the town there are doubts about where he is hidden, people suspect. Not only Higinio suffers his persecution, but his wife, Rosa, has to face many difficult moments. The setting of that time is perfect, also clothing and language. It is slow and long. It lacks emotion and intensity. 147 minutes are excessive for the story itself.

Like all dictatorships, it comes with victims, beneficiaries, traitors and so on. This movie ignores most of that and instead it shows the suffering of a single family for over three decades, showing it well in a very intimate way. In times of today it is very hard to believe that this period actually wasn't so long ago.

Beyond of historical movie and many more unforgettable scenes I would like to mention about actress Belen Cue's unbelievable performance,she was at movie stunning who kept me in movie till the end,last deceda she was one of the best performance I have seen,and movie contains psychological standpoint,loyalty and endless patience,absolute must watch.