Secret Smile (TV 2005)

Charming Brendan Block dates Miranda Cotton and gets seriously committed. But she dumps him, claiming he invaded her privacy. A few weeks later, Brendan gets engaged to Miranda's sister and... See full summary »

Director:

Christopher Menaul

Writers:

Kate Brooke (screenplay), Sean French (novel),

Stars:

Kate Ashfield, David Tennant, Claire Goose

2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Kate Ashfield	...	Miranda Cotton
David Tennant	...	Brendan Block
Claire Goose	...	Kerry Cotton
Jill Baker	...	Marcia Cotton
John Bowe	...	Derek Cotton
Keira Jane Malik	...	Naomi (as Keira Malik)
Susannah Wise	...	Laura
Robert Lowe	...	Troy Cotton
Rory Kinnear	...	Nick
Tim Faraday	...	Mick
Rufus Jones	...	David
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Charlie Condou	...	Lawrence
James Daffern	...	Tony
Susie Gossling Valerio	...	Landlady
Ella Kenion	...	News Presenter

Storyline

Charming Brendan Block dates Miranda Cotton and gets seriously committed. But she dumps him, claiming he invaded her privacy. A few weeks later, Brendan gets engaged to Miranda's sister and is welcomed as ideal son-in-law by everyone else. From then on, nasty things keep happening to her loved-ones.

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Plot Keywords:

diary | funeral | party | engagement | drinking | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Details

Country:

Canada UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 December 2005 (UK)

Also Known As:

Der Feind in meinem Haus

Filming Locations:

Acton, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canada TV, Granada Drama

Technical Specs

Runtime:

180 min 180 min (2 parts)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

When Naomi gets back from talking to Miranda in the car and enters the apartment, her hair is up in a clip when she puts the key in the door. It's down when she is coming in through the door and then it is back up in a clip when she pushes the door too.

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Quotes

Brendan Block: [just found out that Miranda wants to break up with him] Miranda, I love you.
Miranda Cotton: Just go.
Brendan Block: You Bitch.

User Reviews

Woman dates man, woman dumps man, man gets even with chilling results

I had the misfortune of missing the first part of this mini-drama. How foolish do I feel now? Incredibly. From what I have seen though, wow! Brief summary: woman dates man, woman dumps man, spurned lover tries to get his own back any way he can. I had previously seen David Tennant in Casanova and found him to have an irresistible charm.Tennant's television history as I know it was based in comedy and so I was intrigued to see him starring in a thriller.However, he did not fail to impress me in Secret Smile. His portrayal of a spurned lover hell bent on revenge was both captivating and chilling. One can see how charming he is but one constantly has to remind oneself about what he really is. The supporting cast are amazing. I did not think Claire Goose would be able to make the transition from soap acting in Casualty to such a serious drama. However, I was pleasantly surprised and her role showed how easily people can be controlled and manipulated. Furthermore, I admit I was not enamoured with Kate Ashfield until now. You were with her every step of the way, feeling her anger and frustration. It is not very often that such a suspenseful drama that actually holds you to your seat comes along. Television nowadays has become highly predictable but I am pleased to say that this was not. It was a superbly acted and directed piece. Best performance must go to Tennant. He was able to capture and exemplify how easy it is to dominate one person and how deep an impact that it can have.This is highly prevalent in a society where stalking and domestic violence remains taboo. I was afraid that Tennant would lose his edge with going to mainstream television, but if this is anything to go by, I had nothing to worry about.