Si j'étais toi

In THE SECRET, Ben (David Duchovny) and Hannah (Lili Taylor) are having problems with their teenage daughter Sam (Olivia Thirlby). The troubles escalate until Hannah and Sam are involved in a terrible automobile accident that leaves them both clinging to life. Tragically, Hannah succumbs to her injuries.

Later, Ben is confronted with the possibility that his wife has somehow transferred her consciousness into Sam's body.

This movie does a good job of exploring some of the bizarre, unsettling aspects of such a situation. Ms. Thirlby is very convincing as the daughter / mum, making her character fascinating. Duchovny is also believable in his bemused role...

The reason why I didn't disapprove it was because up to a certain extent it was an original film that made me question unquestioned things and it was quite good to watch. Must be added here that if I might enjoyed it more than other people since I haven't seen the original film and the book source of this.

"The Secret" (or "Si j'étais toi" it only got this title because the director is French. Go figure.) looks like one of those magnificent films with supernatural themes, very close to Bruce Joel Rubin's scripts ("Ghost" and "Jacob's Ladder") in the sense of making us wondering of things that would happen after someone's death, the kind of strange experiences of someone who can't let go of the living world. Only looks like but it never gets close to those examples. The challenge here is given to a happy family (or close to such situation) after a car accident involving mother (Lili Taylor) and daughter (Olivia Thirlby) where the mother died but her spirit was "transported" into her teenage daughter, who seemed to get trapped somewhere. It gets stranger when the omnipotent spirit has to deal with her loyal husband (David Duchovny). At first he rejects this happening, later accepting it when the daughter starts to reveal personal details of the couple, like when they first met and other things. From this moment on, we follow the bizarre process of the couple (or father/daughter if you prefer) in dealing with the current situation; the father trying to find a way to live with this and the woman having to go through the high school years again, but this time living everything her daughter (who never liked her) is experiencing with her friends, boyfriends and on and on. And if you think the woman will let go of her husband, wrong. She wants him even trapped in this new body and you might guess the upcoming problems from here.

If this was a comedy I would have appreciated it more. It has all the required elements for a well humored and crazy project, but unfortunately this wasn't a comic film (although it has some funny moments). Filled with anguish, a little bit thoughtful and very unexpected, the supernatural aspect of the movie is the thing in which we connect more, the things to be watched. Can't say the same about the family drama after the spirit/body conversion, specially towards the conclusion and we know about the daughter's life in school, her relations and the way he sees the world around her. She's young, trying to make her way and trying to escape from her mother's dedicated attention and affection at the same time she quotes in her diary about no one caring for her - when she's surrounded of people who like her - being intelligent is underappreaciated, life sucks. It says one thing but shows another, totally unconvincing and it's one of those things that is really hard to relate. Try real contempt, little girl then you'll know about life. I really urge you to pay attention to those moments since they're what makes the poor and unlikely ending. And we didn't know much about the mother before the accident, it doesn't show much and we should have more scenes with her, maybe some flashbacks rather than seeing her inside of a unlikeable teen.

Go forward with low expectations and you'll be rewarded with some mildly decent entertainment and some thoughtful issues. But only if the last one would speak higher than the first one, then we would have THE movie. 6/10

A direct-to-video release in the United States, this French directed film stars Americans and is a remake of a Japanese film called Himitsu. Although the film deals with the supernatural, it is not a J-horror remake. In fact, it's quite a touching and intelligent movie. I think the reason it was never released over here is because it is an intelligent film. The attempts to market it as a thriller, from the title and the video cover, probably wouldn't have worked if it had been released normally. David Duchovny stars as an optometrist whose wife and daughter (Lili Taylor and Olivia Thirlby) get into a serious car accident at the open of the film. His wife passes away in the emergency room, but his daughter survives. As soon as she wakes up, however, she claims not to be the daughter, but the wife trapped in her daughter's body. Smartly, the film doesn't spend too much time with Thirbly's attempts to convince Duchovny – the evidence is overwhelming. The film spends most of its time with the difficulties the peculiar situation raises, especially between the married couple. The two also find evidence, when Thirlby talks in her sleep, that the daughter is still somewhere inside her. They expect she may come back to them one day, but then the wife's personality will disappear. The film is far from perfect. Its best in the small scenes, and worst when director Perez is trying to create set-pieces. You can see the cheapness especially in the emergency room sequence – it looks nothing like an emergency room. The real news here is Olivia Thirlby's performance – her first, if we are to believe the opening credits. And proud this film should be to introduce her – it was obvious enough even in a mediocre film like Juno that Olivia Thirlby was going to be a star. Of the four films I've seen her in so far, this is the best proof that she's a keeper. She plays two different characters, one over twice her own age. The role requires a tour de force performance, and Thirlby delivers one effortlessly.

Hiroshi Saitô's screenplay was reworked by Ann Cherkis to take place in America.

Hannah, the mom (Lili Taylor - "Six Feet Under") and her daughter Sam(Olivia Thirlby - Juno) are in a car accident and through some magic the soul of the mother is transferred to the daughter.

You can imagine the hilarity as Sam, who is now Hannah, but looks like Sam, returns to school as Sam (she is 16) and discovers that her daughter is smoking pot and having sex. Or, when she pops into her husband's office and sees him flirting with her guidance counselor.

Her husband/father (David Duchovny) doesn't know what to feel. He hers his wife, but sees his daughter. Now, that is messed up.

Thirlby was amazing in a dual role.

The ending was messed up.

Even though his performance was decent for the most part, it was still horrible casting. Duchovny can do comedy and wit, but show emotion? Too forced Dave, too forced.

The Secret was a good surprise though. After a horrible car crash involving Benjamin Morris's (Duchovny) wife and daughter, the man becomes involved in a horrible occurrence. Turns out, that after dying, the spirit of the mother becomes trapped in the body of the reawakened daughter. Freaky Friday much?

The body swap idea that has been seen from time to time has been given a more mature approach here. The mother has to get an education that she didn't get, via her daughter's body; she also has to experience teenage angst, constant attacks by horny males, and the self realization that she is she, but she is not she. Ben believes her, but things get far more psychologically complex as the movie progresses. Thankfully, nobody asks advice from a priest (about damn time).

The script was well done, but what made it above average were the characters and situations that arose. Plot holes further hurt the movie, not to mention Duchovny's unconvincing portrayal as a father who EASILY gets aroused by her daughter's possessed body. Maybe it was because of the director (Vincent "Crow 2" Perez), or maybe it was because of both.

Now, Olivia. What a magnificent, tour-de-force performance you gave here. You did everything Dave didn't do- convince. People, better watch this one, she has a bright future ahead of her. Lilly Taylor gives a subtle performance here, almost too subtle. You forget about her the minute she stops showing up in the movie. Wait, what she in the movie?

Statement: The Secret is a huge surprise. Almost too huge. I expected a clichéd Dragonfly, but I got an intelligent viewing. Not to mention that this movie features one of the best performances of 2007 by the beautifully talented Olivia Thirlby. You can't expect much more than this I'm afraid, but you won't expect much by looking at the DVD cover.

6.7/10