Review : ‘The Secret We Keep’ is reasonably entertaining

The word Secret raises many eyebrows. Most of the times one likes to keep one’s secret secret but is very keen to know other’s. ‘The Secret We Keep’, written by Ryan Covington and Yuval Adler goes deeper into a young lady’s secret which she has kept it uninformed to her husband. When any secret has violent memories it affects the brain, mind, body and soul. Director Yuval Adler has tried to peep into a dark secret of a protagonist, who could easily be termed as an antagonist by some, while subtly raising a moral question on where to draw the line with seeking justice.

Set in America 15 years after World War II, the film revolves around the dark past of Maja (Noomi Rapace), a Romanian who now lives in the US with her husband Lewis (Chris Messina). Maja works with Lewis, a physician, in his medical clinic. The movie opens with a scene where Maja is enjoying a lackadaisical picnic with her young son, Patrick (Jackson Vincent). She suddenly goes into high alert when a tall blond man walks by and listening to his peculiar whistling she follows him to have a proper look at his face. After following him to his home, she’s convinced that he’s a German ex-military guy (Joel Kinnaman), a Nazi Officer, who had abused her and her sister physically one and half decades back.

She wants to seek vengeance for the heinous war crimes she believes he had committed against her. So she kidnaps him in broad daylight. She drives him to a remote location where she’s already dug a grave, but, unable to shoot him due to mental anguish she takes him home. She convinces her husband to bring the guy into the house and keeps him entrapped in the basement. Tied to a chair in the basement, the man insists that he’s a Swiss citizen named Thomas, not the Karl of Maja’s most traumatic memories. A devoted husband, Lewis becomes her reluctant co-conspirator after Maja confesses her ordeals. Police visit their house as they have received a missing complaint about Thomas but she skilfully evades suspicion. All she wants from Thomas is a confession of his war crimes. Will she get it? Will Thomas be kept captive or killed?

In an emotionally charged narrative the director keeps audiences invested in the story. But at some places the movie drags and becomes too heavy emotionally. Question could be asked whether anyone could go to any length, like Maja does. The art direction is superb and the period created looks authentic. The background score is effective and doesn’t get noticed immediately. The silent parts, without music, are more effective though. The central character of Maja is effectively played by Noomi Rapace. Her ease in all the scenes keeps you engrossed in the happenings. The various shades of character are forcefully displayed by her. Chris Messina also stands out as Lewis as he gives logic to the situations. He has played his role convincingly. Joel Kinnaman as Patric is good but his screen time is limited.

‘The Secret We keep’ is reasonably entertaining with powerful performances overall, especially Noomi Rapace.