# Secrets & Lies (1996)

> A black optometrist’s search for her birth mother exposes the fragile secrets, class wounds, and possibility of healing within an extended London family.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/movie/6178

## Facts

- Runtime: 142 min
- Genres: Drama
- Director: Mike Leigh
- Cast: Brenda Blethyn, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Timothy Spall, Phyllis Logan, Claire Rushbrook, Lee Ross, Lesley Manville, Elizabeth Berrington
- TMDB rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117589/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: none
- Mood: candid, intimate, painful, reflective evening, character drama night

## Synopsis

A poignant exploration of identity and belonging unfolds as two women from vastly different worlds come together.

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- [Another Year (2010)](https://ember.film/movie/28818)
- [Nil by Mouth (1997)](https://ember.film/movie/12787)
- [A Taste of Honey (1961)](https://ember.film/movie/14844)
- [Lovely & Amazing (2002)](https://ember.film/movie/33744)
- [Louise (2025)](https://ember.film/movie/1201797)
- [Oranges and Sunshine (2010)](https://ember.film/movie/49586)
- [The War Zone (1999)](https://ember.film/movie/27701)
- [Empire of Light (2022)](https://ember.film/movie/579865)
- [All or Nothing (2002)](https://ember.film/movie/7110)

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