Charlie Stratton's feature directorial debut is an engaging thriller, regarding love and murder. Scott Gentry reviews "In Secret".

"In Secret" (15)
Director: Charlie Stratton.
Starring: Elizabeth Olsen, Oscar Isaac, Tom Felton, Jessica Lange, Matt Lucas and Mackenzie Crook.
Rated: 15 for containing strong sex and moderate threat. 
Running time: 107 minutes.
Released in UK cinemas from the 16th of May, 2014. 

Period dramas are in many ways, a difficult genre to master, yet many directors such as Ang Lee ("Sense and Sensibility") and Joe Wright ("Pride and Prejudice"), have managed to succeed in creating pieces which are of an acutely high grade. In the case of "In Secret", it delivers a costume drama that is not only captivating, but also riveting. 

Directed by Charlie Stratton (also writing and producing) and based on the novel "Thérèse Raquin" (published in 1867) by Émile Zola, "In Secret" tells the tale of Thérèse (Elizabeth Olson), a sexually repressed young woman, who years after being adopted by her aunt, Madame Raquin (Jessica Lange), is quickly married to her first cousin Camille (Tom Felton), and whisked away to Paris in search of new beginnings. Unexpectedly, that is exactly what she finds, in the form of Laurent (Oscar Issac), a painter, with a penchant for nude art. Soon, Thérèse develops a love for Laurent, and what was briefly considered as an adventure into sexual immorality, soon turns into a dangerous affair. 

Marriage can be murder... A still of Oscar Issac and
Elizabeth Olson, from "In Secret". 

It may be considered quite the formulaic concept now, but in the year of its publication, Émile Zola's first major literary work was met with critical acclaim and commercial success, due to its scandalous story and a review published by a French book critic named Louis Ulbach, who classified the book as "putrid". However, this condemning report proved to be pointless, as Zola used the review to his own advantage and was eventually met with further publicity, eventually selling far more copies of his book, than ever before. 

So, despite its formulaic concept and having been adapted for television and film thirteen times, how was Stratton going to produce an endearing piece that offered something fresh and exciting, yet honour the text?

Messing about on the river...
Tom Felton, Oscar Isaac
and Elizabeth Olsen in a still from "In Secret".

Well, the answer is to change nothing. The reason why "In Secret" works so well as an +adaptation is because of its appealing cast, including in particular, Elizabeth Olson. Now at the age of 25, Olson has acted in thirteen feature films (also counting the upcoming "Avengers: Age of Ultron"), delivering auspicious performances in most, confirming that Olson is a progressing star that is definitely worthy of her EE “Rising Star” award nomination, at this year’s BAFTA celebrations. Here, she proves her versatility and proficiency to adapt into a performance that she is not particularly used to. 

Oscar Issac is also one of the film’s standout cast members, as the charming but poisonous Laurent, who enjoys his role to the full, by providing a fiendish performance and yet again provides a notable portrayal of one of literature’s greatest villains. 

Jessica Langes stars as Madame Raquin;
a still from "In Secret".

The formidable actress Jessica Lange also makes an appreciative appearance in a role that is noteworthy and suited to her style as an actress, providing admirable support for the rest of the cast, including Matt Lucas and Mackenzie Crook, who both prove to be beneficial and humorous within their roles. 

The film’s visually striking cinematography by Florian Hoffmeister, the score by Gabriel Yared and the direction of Charlie Stratton are also points which deserve recognition, as they are all used to bodacious effect and proves that Stratton’s move from Television to Film, was the right decision. 

 Tom Felton and Oscar Isaac find friendship; a still from "In Secret".

Aside from the exceptional cast, cinematography, score and direction, the film falters upon its script, leaving each actor striving to provide a performance which could have been improved, with the addition of sharper, more intelligent dialogue. However, the entire cast provide marvellous performances that include the emotional and moral complexity that the novel demands. 

Verdict

Preserving the moral ambiguity, Charlie Stratton’s promising directorial debut is exciting, suspenseful and superbly acted; a career high for Elizabeth Olson. 

7 Stars out of 10

Written by Scott Gentry.

Film Rating Key

1-2 stars out of ten = Awful.

3-4 stars out of ten = Average.

5-6 stars out of ten = Good.

7-8 stars out of ten = Excellent.

9-10 stars out of ten = Amazing.