The Secret (Le Secret) 23 years old

Marie, who works as a successful door-to-door encyclopedia salesperson, has been married to her husband Francois for 12 years and has a two-year-old son. Though she is relatively content with her life, she feels something is wanting. Enter 50-year old African-American Bill. Initially she is annoyed by his insouciance, but she finds that she is irresistibly attracted to him. Soon the two are in the midst of sordid illicit affair. She knows little about her new lover, and he seems uninterested in learning about her, but the long sessions of lovemaking are something else entirely. Feeling out of control, Marie is increasingly repelled by her own actions. Psychologically, she struggles to reconcile her torrid encounters with Bill and mundane domestic chores such as bathing her son. Moreover, she finds herself incapable of hiding her adulterous behavior, rather she comes home with scratches and hickeys all over her body, to the devastation Francois.

Credits

The Secret Cast

Name Character
Tony Todd He was 45, now 69 years old as Bill
Jacqueline Jehanneuf She was 75, 93 years old when she died as Mère de Marie
Valérie Vogt She was 37, now 61 years old as Séverine
Anne Coesens She was 32, now 56 years old as Marie
Michel Bompoil He was 40, now 64 years old as François
Frédéric Sauzay He was 34, now 58 years old as Luc
Charlotte Pradon as Mélanie
Natalya Ermilova as Ana
Quentin Rossi as Paul
Aladin Reibel He was 48, now 72 years old as Rémy

The Secret Crew

Name Department
Virginie Wagon as Director. She was 35 (now 58) years old Directing
Virginie Wagon as Writer. She was 35 (now 58) years old Writing
Erick Zonca as Screenplay. He was 43 (now 67) years old Writing
Jean-Marc Fabre as Director of Photography. He was 36 (now 59) years old Camera
Yannick Kergoat as Editor. Editing
Brigitte Brassart as Production Design. Art
Brigitte Slama as Costume Design. Costume & Make-Up
The Secret poster
The Secret (23 years)

  • Release day: Wednesday, November 01, 2000
  • Runtime: 107 minutes