Choses secrètes (2002)

Director:

Jean-Claude Brisseau

Writer:

Jean-Claude Brisseau

Release Date:

16 October 2002 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

The delectably twisted fable centers on two penniless but shapely young women who set out to better their social station by manipulating men.

Plot:

Two young women find themselves struggling to survive in Paris, street-wise Nathalie, a stripper, and naïve Sandrine...

Plot Keywords:

Stripper | Sex | Friendship | Jealousy | Voyeur

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Coralie Revel	...	Nathalie
Sabrina Seyvecou	...	Sandrine
Roger Miremont	...	Delacroix (as Roger Mirmont)
Fabrice Deville	...	Christophe
Blandine Bury	...	Charlotte
Olivier Soler	...	Cadene
Viviane Théophildès	...	Mme. Mercier
Dorothée Picard	...	Delacroix's Mother
Pierre Gabaston	...	Bar Patron
María Luisa García	...	Sandrine's Mother (as Lisa Hérédia)
Arnaud Goujon	...	Personnel Manager
Liès Kidji	...	The Young Thief
Patricia Candido Trinca	...	Office Employee
Lydia Chopart	...	Office Employee
Michaël Couvreur	...	Office Employee
Boris Le Roy	...	Office Employee
Aude Breusse	...	Office Employee
Aurélien Geneix	...	Man at Party
Alain Couesnon	...	Bouncer 1
Bruno SX	...	Bouncer 2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sylvain Bourguignon	...	Client
Frédéric Marques	...	Bouncer
Jean-Claude Brisseau	...	Sandrine's Father (uncredited)

Directed by
Jean-Claude Brisseau

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jean-Claude Brisseau

Produced by
Jean-Claude Brisseau	....	producer
Jean-François Geneix	....	executive producer
Jean-François Geneix	....	producer

Original Music by
Julien Civange

Cinematography by
Wilfrid Sempé

Film Editing by
María Luisa García

Production Design by
María Luisa García

Costume Design by
María Luisa García
Monique Proville

Makeup Department
Elodie Barrat	....	assistant makeup artist
Stéphane Cavallié	....	hair stylist
Anne-Sophie Desquesses	....	assistant hair stylist
José Romero	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Olivier Caillard	....	unit manager
Charles Penvern	....	assistant unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Julie Navarro	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Eric Lingansch	....	assistant decorator
Pascal Ray	....	painter
Marc-Olivier Seguin	....	painter

Sound Department
Fabien Adelin	....	assistant sound mixer
Fred Bielle	....	adr artist
Frédéric Cattoni	....	sound consultant: DTS
Pascal Dedeye	....	foley artist
Franck Duval	....	sound assistant
Olivier Grandjean	....	sound assistant
Priscilla Hamon	....	assistant sound editor
Cyril Jegou	....	sound editor
Bernard Leroux	....	sound mixer
Xavier Piroëlle	....	sound

Special Effects by
Patrick Gentils	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Thierry Bellanger	....	electrician
Thomas Caselli	....	assistant camera (as Thomas Casselli)
Patrick Chizallet	....	grip
Patrizio Ciddio	....	grip trainee
Xavier Delamalmaison	....	camera operator
Nicolas Dollander	....	Steadicam operator
Marc Elusse	....	gaffer
Patrick Gentils	....	key grip
David Grinberg	....	camera operator

Casting Department
Didier Trévisan	....	extras casting

Editorial Department
Sandrine Ferreira	....	negative cutter
Charles Fréville	....	digital color grader
Jean-Marc Grégois	....	color timer (as Jean-Marc Gréjois)

Other crew
Emile Anselem	....	production administrator
Patricia Candido Trinca	....	production assistant
Floriane Crépin	....	script supervisor
Olivier Guigues	....	press attache
Charles Penvern	....	unit assistant

Production Companies

• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC)
• La Sorcière Rouge
• Les Aventuriers de l'Image

Distributors

• Bir Film (Turkey)
• First Run Features (2004) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Longride (2003) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Video Audio Project (VAP) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Zima Entertainment (2004) (Mexico) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Alamode Film (Germany)
• First Run Features (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Officine UBU (2007) (Italy) (all media)
• Palisades Tartan (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Rézo Films
• Tartan Video (2005) (UK) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cinéphase  audio post-production
• Elison  sound re-recording
• Ercidan  titles
• Locaflash  electric equipment
• TSF  electric equipment
• Tapages  sound equipment
• Telegrip  grip equipment

Also Known As:

"Secret Things" - International (English title)
"Coisas Secretas" - Brazil (festival title), Portugal (imdb display title)
"Тайные страсти" - Russia
"Heimliche Spiele" - Germany
"Himegoto" - Japan
"Il potere dei sensi" - Italy
"Mahrem seyler" - Turkey (Turkish title)
"Salaiset leikit" - Finland
"Salakired" - Estonia
"Sekrety" - Poland
"Titkok" - Hungary (imdb display title)

Runtime:

115 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby SR

Certification:

UK:18 | Canada:R (Alberta/Manitoba) | South Korea:18 | Portugal:M/18 | Italy:VM14 | Finland:K-15 | France:-16 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:III | Japan:R-18 | Switzerland:18 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:18 (canton of Vaud) | USA:Unrated | Mexico:C

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Company:

Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC)

Trivia:

Chosen by "Les Cahiers du cinéma" (France) as one of the 10 best pictures of 2002 (#01, with "Ten")

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The end of the movie is supposed to take place after Nathalie is released from prison, several years after the main plot takes place. Yet the movies advertised on the advertisement pillar in the background (See Spot Run (2001), Town & Country (2001)) were released in France around the same weeks as the movies referenced in the main plot's time frame (Sleepwalker (2000) etc.).

Quotes:

Sandrine:[narrating as we watch Nathalie and her walk through the streets of Paris, eating and drinking at a cafe, while wearing only heels and long coats] It felt funny being naked under our coats in the unsuspecting crowd. Funny, but really pleasant. So we kept it up. I had begun to dare. It gave me a sense of superiority over people I'd pass on the street.

Movie Connections:

References Sleepwalker (2000)

Soundtrack:

Aria en FA MAJEUR

Les liaisons dangereuses

A film about manipulative, mean-spirited and, at times, downright nasty people - and I absolutely loved it.

It's so refreshing to see a truly adult film these days. Not to mention, a film that doesn't just say it is erotic, it goes ahead and proves it. This is not a film for prudes, for those who are easily offended. But for adults who are willing to see some frank discussion about sex and some deliciously devious sexual politics, this film provides wonderful entertainment.

"Choses secrètes" is enormously entertaining with two thoroughly captivating leads. Sabrina Seyvecou, who turns in a spellbinding performance, has a sort of Heather Grahamish innocence and sexiness to her and, along with Coralie Revel, provides some of the most titillating scenes seen in a mainstream movie in many years.

There really aren't any good/wholesome characters in this film. But that's OK. (I suppose Cadene qualifies as a nice chap, but he's a minor character.) Because the cunning of the two women is so absolutely engrossing that you're quickly drawn into their wicked world. Watching them use people for their own ends and not quite knowing who is manipulating whom is one of the many charms of this sensual and exciting film.

The film comes apart toward the end. Unravels a bit, especially when writer/director Jean-Claude Brisseau resorts to awfully heavy-handed (and needless) symbolism. There's also a superfluous orgy scene that comes out of nowhere. I wish Brisseau would have come up with an original, atypical, less conventional denouement for his story.

If you like the works of Neil LaBute - "The Shape of Things," "Your Friends and Neighbors" and "In the Company of Men" - you should appreciate and enjoy "Choses secrètes."