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First, the Recap:
What’s done is done. The past is just that–the past. We tend to look at those instances in life where something has occurred that cannot be altered, whether for good or ill, and hence must accept any ramifications associated with it. However, while we ideally hope that said situations are actually nothing that will hinder or scar us (at least not permanently), what happens when that which has been revealed creates an entirely different and potentially unsettling reality? University student Cerys (Alysia Dyke) has come home to Wales to visit her mum Delyth (Lara Crawford) in order to share about a decision made. But, when Cerys discovers an old photo that prompts her mum to reveal a long kept familial secret, the outcome will change both of them forever.
Next, my Mind:
The comfort and challenges of being home, the memories it elicits, the decisions we’ve chosen to make, and the possible meanings and consequences that manifest from them all form the core foundations of this 20-minute indie short film from writer/director/producer Sofia Mavrou plus associate producer Robert Jee (who also takes on cinematography and editing duties as well), creating an uncomplicated but effective, compelling, and impactful dramatic portrait of the inherent power dormant secrets can have when awakened. Utilizing present day as its primary setting but then also employing flashbacks to fill in the film’s key turning points, the project is executed with precision and adept pacing that allows us as the viewer to be taken in one initial direction only to then be thrust into a much grander and more evocative tale which delivers a stirring, emotive punch that once hidden revelations so often do.
The narrative finds itself focused on the return home of a university student to see her mother with a particular agenda in mind that then gets sidetracked upon an inadvertent unveiling of the family’s history via a photo then a journal chronicling times past which have a greater influence and mark on them than was ever known, equally significant to them both. Whether what is exposed will bring a mother and daughter closer together or drive them apart becomes the question as events unfold, and the writing here very astutely permits us to remain with that question all the way through to the excellently crafted finale that hits you with one last moment of divulgence to burn the film’s ultimate intent into your mind. This critic felt that the flashback sequences, which are integral to the narrative’s course, were likewise presented in such a fantastically apropos manner so that we do SEE what’s transpiring, glean what is developing, yet then get left with a clever amount of conjecture to cap it off as the third act comes around.
As with so many films when taking the time to look beyond the surface of what’s delivered, there is a wealth of thematic explorations one sees here which are all adopted with the appropriate degrees of screen time/presence for maximum impact. Missing family, the pressures of learning, knee-jerk reactions to that which is hard to accomplish, the curiosity of what has been previously concealed, coping with the past and confronting it even if attempting to avoid it instead, the harsh actualities of war’s toll on people in multiple ways, the strength of the will and heart vs. the immediate need for comfort and companionship, and how the disclosure of the truth might be the beginning of healing–or the start of further hurt all get exhibited throughout the story depicted and, most importantly, illustrate the magnitude of grounded humanity the film offers to us, that accessibility in which we relate to it and are therefore pulled into the events with engaging potency.
Additionally, the film’s orchestrally-based music score does an evident, purposeful, yet quietly energetic job at atmospherically enhancing the emotional ups and downs, air of mystery, joy, and disbelief the film portrays. Dyke presents a wonderfully executed picture of young adult angst, uncertainty, inquisitiveness, and then total fortitude in both moments of personal healing and sudden, but unspoken, questioning through her role here as Cerys, a student at university coming home to spend time with her mother who’s about to be on the receiving end of her daughter’s major announcement the trip has actually been for. Even after this, and tensions flare, Cerys’ random discovery of an old photo prompts her and her mother to explore a family secret long since buried that will create a newfound bridge between the pair but could also open up old wounds while seeing a newer one arise.
It’s a straightforward performance that is mainly centered on somewhat understated intensity, but is still delivered quite believably by Dyke throughout. In a similar manner, Crawford plays the doting mother combined with a figurative yet literal “caught-with-her-hand-in-the-cookie-jar” mentality through her turn as Delyth, Cerys’ mother and a woman initially bearing an undisclosed truth that will alter the relationship with her daughter drastically, though whether for the good or bad will remain unanswered at first and even in the aftermath of her secret being revealed. Begrudgingly accommodating Cerys’ desire to know the family history in the way it has been brought up, it takes every ounce of Delyth’s premonitory attitude to bear with the story being shared, but as it seems to bring a better perspective between them that bodes for the better, she complies–until unbeknownst to her that aura of happiness may not last.
Like Dyke’s performance, Crawford brings credibility to the performance that very adeptly serves the character and the situation with a controlled level of both soft fervor and vulnerability that again suits the scenario here skillfully. Mavrou steps out from behind her directing duties to appear as Megan, Delyth’s mother/Cerys’ grandmother whose own individual saga from the past forms the key factor being looked into through her journal being read through by her present day daughter and granddaughter. I loved the emotive persona that Mavrou brings to the role, as it is such a heartening yet also heartbreaking account of love and need in a time of war that resonates with you when watching her journey come forth. Then there is Joseph Madders and his appearance as Giovanni, an Italian solider/prisoner of war who gets sent to Megan’s farm to assist her, only to find that more than just being that helping hand might be starting to come to life as he gets to know her more.
Like so much of the film’s overall tone, it’s a performance brought about with poise and purpose while making the viewer get drawn into Giovanni’s embattled soul and desires, a credit to Madders who plays it all with nicely conveyed vitality and realistic spirit. The sole supporting role arrived from Landon Sweeney as Evan, Megan’s existing farm hand who is witness to what is happening with her and Giovanni. So, in total, “An Impossible Secret” sheds a pertinent and dynamically expressive light on the importance of family, the support and encouragement it should provide, and the value of being honest with one another while at the same time morphing into a persuasively cautionary examination of just how upending cloaked verities can be when we remain unaware that such things can have an enduring, and negative, affect on more than just ourselves when held in.
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
