Product DescriptionTwo young women discover the power of sex to get what theywant in the male-dominated business world. Nathalie, a performance artist-stripper, instructs her new friend, the beautiful but inexperienced Sandrine, on the art of seduction. Without delay they put their skills to the test at a Parisian bank, where both rise to the top. But they meet their match in the ruthless son of the bank's president -- a vain, unbridled, power-hungry monster. - Actors: Aude Breusse, Blandine Bury, Patricia Candido Trinca, Lydia Chopart, Alain Couesnon
- Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
- Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled
- Language (Original Language): French
- Language (Subtitled): English
- Region Code: 1
- Release Date: 2004-11-23
- Running Time: 112 minutes
- Theatrical Release Date: 2002
Customer ReviewsReviewed on 2008-06-10  
Devoured hearts and cynical libido
It's difficult to know what to make of writer-director Jean-Claude Brisseau's "Secret Things," mainly because the film tries to cram a lot into a couple of hours without bothering to connect much of it in a comprehensible way.
Ostensibly what in the US would be (inadequately) called an "erotic thriller," the film has as its main storyline the plan on the part of two young women, Nathalie and Sandrine, to sleep their way to the top of the corporate ladder. But underneath and twisted around this main plot are any number of subsidiary ones: the corrosive effects of power, as exemplified in the young and cold CEO Christophe; the bittersweet yearning of a middle-aged man for one last fling; the close connection between sexual passion and death; the polymorphous nature of desire; and the enslavement into which intense erotic love can lead us. Any one or at most two of these themes would've been difficult to handle in a single film. In "Secret Things," they spin round and round to the point where the viewer begins to think of the movie as a series of vignettes rather than a comprehensive whole. And to complicate matters even more, there's a good deal of symbolism--for example, a shrouded women carrying a heart-devouring hawk on her forearm--that mystifies in the way that only Gallic cinematic images can.
Still, the visuals of the film are incredibly beautiful: perfect human bodies, deep, eye-catching colors, brilliant whites. The cinematography is also creative, with special emphasis on frozen, actor's viewpoint shots. Finally, the acting is good. Sabrina Seyvecou (Sandrine) and Coralie Revel (Nathalie), the two lead actresses, shine (especially Seyvecou). Roger Mirmont puts in an admirable performance as Delacroix, the middle-aged man seduced by Sandrine. Fabrice Deville offers a rather wooden Christophe, but it's not clear if his performance is poor or if Brisseau intended Christophe to be lifeless. And finally, the erotic scenes for the most part have a freshness and authenticity to them that stimulates both the physical and aesthetic senses.
At the end of the day, then, the film is a good visual experience. As a narrative, though, it falls short. |  | Reviewed on 2008-02-12
Much wasted potential.
Secret Things (Jean-Claude Brisseau, 2002)
While I'll rush to admit that Secret Things is the first NC-17 film I've seen to date that actually deserves (by the current film industry's standards) an NC-17 rating, that's the only thing about it that makes it worth watching. Why is it that no one has yet come up with an "erotic thriller" (of the porn/NC-17 variety, I mean) with an actual plot as good as its sex? That is a question that may forever go unanswered, but it's sometimes interesting to document the failures.
This one centers on Sandrine (Sabrina Seyvecou) and Nathalie (Coralie Revel), who work in the same strip joint in Paris until they both get fired. They decide to try and find work in a more socially appropriate setting while smashing as many social taboos as possible; the best place to do this, of course, is in an office. Problem is, the guy who runs the company is even more debauched than they are...
When a sex film breaks out the long philosophical discussions, you know it's time to hang things up. In this one, it happens within the first half-hour. This is not to say it's not worth watching for the sex, which, while staged, can get pretty steamy at times, but if you're looking for some substance to go with your style, you'd be best served looking elsewhere. Where, I'm not quite sure. But I'm sure it exists somewhere. **
| | Reviewed on 2007-09-15
How To Succeed In Business (the hard way)
This is a movie about two young women who start out in the gutter and then use their sexual prowess to move into a higher class gutter.
First though the more experienced one has to teach the younger one the ropes about manipulating men. She 'breaks her in' we might say although the younger one learns fast.
Once this training period is over they use their new found powers to get ahead in the business world.
Unfortunately they cross paths with someone who is even more ruthless and perverse than they are.
This is not a realistic movie and is more like mythology. It pulls in a lot of philosophy about the nature of good and evil, love versus lust, etc..
Jeff Marzano
Possession
Irreversible
The Beast (La bête)
Images in a Convent
| | Reviewed on 2007-07-12
Lesbianism, incest, self sexual exploration, sexual harrassment in the workplace....what more do you want?
You can call this film a "chick flick" but guys should check this out. It's well written about the devious nature of women. How they can interpret man's weaknesses and use that to control the world around them. Nathalie was a stripper at some low class drinking dive and Sandrine just started working there as a waitress/bartender. The men that they work for put them both in a disposition to make them feel like they should "put out" if they want to keep their jobs. They both got fired for rejecting them.
Sandrine is impressed with Nathalie's feminine nature and learns to explore her own yearnings of sexual conquest. These girls get each other off together once in a while, but then they both apply at some big office run by many men and Nathalie learns about every guy's background (especially upper management), and looks for their weaknesses and uses these weaknesses to gain some control over the men of the office.
However, there is Christophe, the son of the president of the firm. He's handsome and quite the womanizer. He's the spawn of the devil if there even could be one in a film about sexually evil men.
He even enjoys sex with his own sister. He has a secret relationship with Nathalie that she never tells Sandrine about until it's too late. Nathalie already knows that women have committed suicide because of him and now he's already bringing Nathalie to that point. Christophe catches Delacroix, one of his office managers having sex with both Nathalie and Sandrine in his office so Christophe pulls Delacroix into his office and gives him a reduced role at the office and almost fires him. Then Christophe has the two girls make love to him. He puts Sandrine in the disposition of having to marry him so that his dying father will give Christophe the role of President of the firm before he dies. After his father dies, he will then divorce Sandrine.
After the wedding, Nathalie shows up ready to set herself on fire in front of Christophe. He laughs at her as she pours gasoline on herself. But, as he laughs, she then pulls out a gun, shoots and kills him. Now, Sandrine is the president of the firm and Nathalie goes to prison for murder. I guess she didn't spend much time in prison because she was released after serving her time and she sees Sandrine hopping out of a limousine. Neither girl looked like they aged at all.
It's a strange French light porn office fantasy film. It's fun to see a movie with someone so evil as Christophe. I'd like to go to one of his parties.
| | Reviewed on 2007-04-15
..enjoyable sensual drama..
I bought this looking for some decently explicit lesbian movies and in many ways I found this to be quite enjoyable, a believable, well acted story line with some srong characters...
The story revolves around 2 young women one sexually experienced and confident the other shy and innocent... how they use their sexuality to manipulate men... all works well but soon things turn ugly for both... there is a fair amount of nudity and lesbian sex scenes which fit in well with the story... as usual the lighting, camera angles and distance from the subject make it a little less graphic than it could have been... all in all it was enjoyable. | |
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