" Anonymous "

Year : 2011
Verdict: 9/10
Directed by: Roland Emmerich 

 


Actors: 
Rhys Ifans - Earl of Oxford
Vanessa Redgrave- Queen Elizabeth I
David Thewlis- William Cecil
  




The curtain's drawn and the stage is set, 
as the crowd filled the theatre and patiently waits for the play.  

 

This is your run of the mill Elizabethan inspired era, but to me, 
what makes this interesting is its story and the new twist of «What if ». 

 

 

 

 

 

 


I wasn't drawn to it at first, but got intrigued by the title and got more curious 
when it was featured in Dias del cine episode. 
I'm also not a fan of V. Grave, so I thought this must be another inane film about Elizabeth. 
But I was wrong. 
Of course, if you're the type who starts yawning at the sight of elaborate dresses, 
huge castles, kings and queens, the speeches of 'thou, thy and my Lord ', 
then, this isn't your cup of tea, skip it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 This isn't your usual Shakespeare story or even the dame Queen's ,
In it, Viewers were given a whole new possibility, 

What if, W. Shakespeare is just a fictional character, used as a pen name 
from a writer who comes from an influential background, but 
couldn't share his talent because, plays and theatres during that time 
were considered blasphemous. 

 


What if, Queen Elizabeth I have more (than she could count) affairs,
that at one point, engaging into having an incest relationship? 

 



What if, someone is merely pretending to be someone who's not? 









 

 


What if, all the scandals, political conspiracy, the illicit affairs, 
the rise and fall during that period. 
Maybe, there's still a dark secret that needs to be told. 

 

 

 

In the end though, 
it is still about power, revenge, betrayal and love. 
« How words will prevail greater than swords »

I think, Rhys Ifans, delivered this role, the best i've seen so far. 
He was believable and intense.
Although, I still can't help picturing him in his semi exposed butt ( excuse the word). 
If you've seen Notting hill, then you might be familiar with Hugh Grant's room mate then, called Spike, who is awfully hilarious. 
This role was  a definite 360 turn for him. 

Also, the cruel Cecil, played by David Thewlis. 
His crookedly cunning role, will made you hate him, 
but at the same time, will also feel sorry for him. 

" Un Secret "

Year: 2007
Verdict: 7/10
Un film de: Claude Miller





Starring: Patrick Bruel
Cecile de France
Ludivine Sagnier























* Based on a true story, in search for what's lost, finding the truth and a secret that's been
withheld for long.
The scenario was divided into three parts, the summer of WWII, the early 1955 and
the late 1985.
As opposed to other films, the past was done in colored and the present in b*w, so at first,
the whole story might be a bit confusing.
The narrator of this film is in his thirties, as he recalls the past, he was a young Jewish boy then,
uncertain of the things that are happening around him.
He never understood why his dad was distant around him, he always felt he was unworthy of his love and care.
Little did he know that a secret was kept from him.











Rewinding back to the early years, his father was originally married to Hannah, played by Ludivine Sagnier,
It was almost a perfect Jewish family, they had a son who was training for the Olympics, hoping to be a swimmer.
But things started falling apart, when war broke out, destroying innocent lives and the change that has brought
each one of them.
To make matters worse, his father fell madly in love with another woman named Tania, a model played by Cecile de france,
who was the narrator's mother.
Hannah knew something wasn't right but didn't do anything about it.
She was perplexed by this dilemma and decided to surrender her life and her son, costing both of their lives
that ends in a most tragic way.














This time, both Tania and the narrator's father played by Patrick Bruel can't fight their feelings any longer
and finally gave in to this forbidden relationship, even though they knew it was wrong.
When war finally ended, the couple had a son ( the narrator), they named Francois ( the narrator ).
He was almost the perfect one, but at a young age, he was forced to be someone he's not,
he always felt he had a lost brother he didn't know, he actually did and no matter how much they wanted to
forget about the past, the awful memories kept coming back.






It was a tragic tale and a bitter ending, but a film that was well told.
Although, we've seen quite a few films about this kind of genre already,
It was still interesting as the actors played well and the almost Sepia tone of the film was nice.




The setting was a bit repetitive in a sense that it was going back and forth, but still something worth watching.