FILM REVIEW
His Secret Life (2003)
QQQ1/2
Middle-aged Antonia (Margherita Buy) uncovers a hidden side of her husband's (Andrea Renzi) life after his unexpected death. She reads an inscription on a painting from his office and becomes convinced he was having an affair. She tracks down the sender, only to discover the "other woman" is a man. That's the premise of the latest picture from Turkish filmmaker Ferzan Ozpetek, the talented director behind 1997's mesmerizing Steam: The Turkish Bath.
When Antonia first encounters the strikingly handsome Michele (Stefano Accorsi) at his tasteful flat, she's somewhat overwhelmed by the cold, matter-of-fact revelation of his seven-year relationship with her husband, Massimo. But driven by a curiosity to understand this hidden alternative family, she becomes entangled in the lives of Michele and his loyal circle of friends, and together the two eventually help each other recover from their shared loss.
To Ozpetek's credit, each of the characters gets a chance to shine. Despite the fact that on the surface they may appear to be gay archetypes -- the motherly lesbian, the HIV-positive friend, the transsexual -- none is ever reduced to stereotypical set dressing.
It occurred to me often during the film that it would be a wonderful candidate for a U.S. adaptation, but it's doubtful that an American director could maintain the film's complicated blend of wisdom and warmth without giving in to the temptation to pad the story with Will & Grace-inspired sarcasm.
His Secret Life works so effectively because in many ways it's very foreign, yet in the same breath it makes you feel right at home.
In Italian with English subtitles. 105 min., not rated
(adult subject matter, mature themes)