His Secret Life (2001)

After a deathly car accident, Antonia starts dating her husband's friends and finds the truth about his life.

Director:

Ferzan Ozpetek

Writers:

Gianni Romoli (screenplay), Ferzan Ozpetek (screenplay)

Stars:

Margherita Buy, Stefano Accorsi, Serra Yilmaz

15 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Margherita Buy	...	Antonia
Stefano Accorsi	...	Michele
Serra Yilmaz	...	Serra
Gabriel Garko	...	Ernesto
Erika Blanc	...	Veronica (as Erica Blanc)
Andrea Renzi	...	Massimo
Koray Candemir	...	Emir
Lucrezia Valia	...	Mara
Filippo Nigro	...	Riccardo
Ivan Bacchi	...	Luciano
Maurizio Romoli	...	Angelo
Carmine Recano	...	Israele
Luca Calvani	...	Sandro
Rosaria De Cicco	...	Luisella
Edilberta Caviteno Bahia	...	Nora

Storyline

AIDS doctor Antonia's husband is killed by a car. She gets depressed until she learns he had been cheating on her with a man. Following her newly born curiosity for life, she goes to see her husband's lover, Michele, and finds a huge apartment that he shares with gay and transgendered friends, including a Turkish immigrant and a prostitute. Antonia is reluctant to tell these people of her relationship to the dead man, but needs prompting to move on to a new phase of her life.

---

Plot Keywords:

aids | caught in the rain | purchase | inscription | watching television | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and sexuality

Did You Know?

Quotes

Title Card: [written on the back of the painting] To Massimo, for our seven years together, for that part of you that I miss and I will never have, for every time you said I can't, but also for every time you said I'll be back... Always waiting, can I call my patience love? Your ignorant fairy

---

Connections

Referenced in Quasi quasi... (2002)

---

Soundtracks

Parole Non Dette
Composed by Andrea Guerra
© 2001 EMI Music Publishing Italia S.r.l.
Licensed To Virgin Music Italy S.r.l.

User Reviews

Life after a death of a loved one would not be same, then there is this 'life'....

Antonia was living the life of most women would dream of. A good medical career, a loving husband, and a wonderful marriage. All that came to a crumble one day when he died in an accident leaving Antonia is grief and mourning.

But an accidental discovery of a painting hinted that Antonia's husband Massimo has another lover. Burning with anger, Antonia sought to find out more about this lover. But there is a catch; Massimo's lover is a man, Michele. Which shocked Antonia more to realising that her husband had lead a double life; one a straight married man, the other a gay lover.

Through Michele, she learnt more of her husbands secrets. A circle of friends Massimo has known through Michele, drag queens, immigrants, gay men, quirky apartment neighbours, and also AIDS patients. This circle of friends shared a warmness that all frienships has. Her open minded curiosity led her to befriend Massimo's circle of friends. Indirectly, she has replaced the vaccuum left by Massimo's death. At the same time, there is a growing attraction between her and Michele, as both are brought closer together. She then contrasts her life with Massimo and then with this 'new life' she has found after his death. Furthermore, she has to address her growing affections for her departed husbands lover.

Turkish director Ozpetek captures the warm bindings of this motley group of friends and in realistic detail in the confines of Michele's flat which serves as the groups meeting point for dinners and chats. The audience can feel the warmth emmitted from the togetherness of these people. A beautiful scene is where we see the dance party which is played to the tune of a slow song number overshadowing the dance beat in the background. We see all the circle of friends, Antonia and Michele included having a good time, bonding (yes even literal bonding!). Longing glances were exchanged between Antonia and Michele. This serves as a powerful scene and many assumptions or predictions can be made from this tease.

There are many side stories to Antonia and Michele's friendship as well such as dealing with rejection, pain suffered by an AIDS patient. Some of these issues are delicately dealt and while some humorous. There is plenty of humour in this film. Never has it made me laugh out loud. We see quirky characters like Louiselle the quirky supermarket cashier, Serra the 'apartment secretary', Mara the drag queen turned transvetite, Ricky, Sandora and Emir, all of them add together the humouros elements and warmth. A special mention would be Antonia's mother whose opened and profound views on life and adultery really had my sides splitting. The main leads by Margherita Buy and Stefano Accorsi depicts two people coming in terms of both of their loved one's death are very well potrayed. The emotion and the passion is felt from these two actor's performances.

Cheers to Ozpetek for creating such a warm and sentimental film! Almost made me shed tears when the ending loomed.

Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Italian Turkish

Release Date:

20 September 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

His Secret Life

Filming Locations:

Rome, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$18,316, 22 September 2002

Gross USA:

$215,449

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$500,930

Company Credits

Production Co:

R&C Produzioni, Films Balenciaga, Les, MEDIA Programme of the European Union

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1