Tribeca: "Every Secret Thing" with Dakota Fanning & Diane Lane
Thursday, April 24, 2014 at 11:25AM Tribeca coverage continues with your host Nathaniel on a new feminine driven mystery
Twisted women are an easy hook for this movie nerd and Every Secret Thing's premise provides. Ronnie (Dakota Fanning) and Alice (Danielle MacDonald) are just out of juvenile prison for a gruesome crime they committed when they were all of 11. Rivals rather than friends as children, in no small part because of Alice's single alcoholic mom (Diane Lane) who pours affection on both girls, biology be damned, they impulsively kidnapped a baby girl one terrible day. Years later, the two disturbed girls are back in their hometown and the years in lock-up have obviously further scarred them. Ronnie has withdrawn into a vaguely Goth shell and Alice, who has eaten her feelings for years, still protests her innocence.
But then another baby goes missing...
Every Secret Thing is written by the gifted Nicole Holofcener (based on Laura Lippman's novel of the same name) but directing duties this time go to Amy Berg. Berg is an Oscar nominated documentarian making her first narrative feature though she's been in the news lately because of the Bryan Singer allegations and the new documentary she's making about Hollywood sex rings. Holofcener's involvement is both surprising and not. On the one hand the film is largely about interpersonal relationships between women (her specialty) but on the other it lacks the kicky personality and wit of her other films. Just about the only laughs in this sometimes monotonous drama come from the gallows. Alice, memorably if arguably overplayed by MacDonald, has an odd relationship to the truth which sometimes makes for the kind of laughter that you have to swallow half-way through from guilt (Should I be laughing at this?)
Though Every Secret Thing has enough solid actressing to keep you engaged (Lane and MacDonald are trying to push the material to the weirder place that it should live in but the film isn't brave enough to follow) it's usually no more than solid. Fanning's role is disappointingly the slimmest of the four principle women. Elizabeth Banks' straight-laced detective, who investigated the original case and is on the case again, is too one note to maintain interest. In the end Banks's work and the underlit cinematography reflect a kind of dreary punch-pulling in the acting and direction, that make the film far too sedate given its pulpy plot points. Every Secret Thing keeps blanketing the sharper edges of its actually gruesome story, just when it should be exposing you to bracing truth, like it's tucking you in drearily so you won't have nightmares. B-/C+
Reader Comments (9)
It sounds extremely grim and like something I would usually keep miles away from but that lineup of actresses might be hard to resist. Diane Lane works far too little and in things that aren't worthy of her talent to let a chance to see her in a large part go by.
I don't mean to be a sour puss, but Elizabeth Banks doesn't do anything for me. Her delivery always seems super actor-y and forced, especially in comedy. Maybe I just wanted Alec Baldwin to end up with Julianne Moore...
Nathan, thanks for this review. Diane Lane is one of those actresses I'll pretty much watch in anything, so I'll check this out. I'm still stunned she had to settle for playing that old lady in Man of Steel, that really upset me.
Nathaniel-do you think that Dakota Fanning will be able to cross over as an adult performer? I have yet to see something with her as an adult that resonated the way she did as a child performer.
I thought 'Every Secret Thing' was excellent. Very dark, moody, compelling and atmospheric. Diane Lane is really exceptional in this.
John - i agree that she hasn't quite nailed it as an adult yet but i'm rooting for her. I did think she was strong in THE RUNAWAYS
It's no nice to see Diane Lane in a different role for a change... she can do "newly divorced mom redisovering second chance at life" better than anyone... but love to see her stretch !! Good for her!
@brookesboy - could not agree more. Hollywood turning Diane Lane of all people into the frumpy mom archetype was unforgivable.
I really wish Diane Lane would be in more high level films - she's talented, beautiful, professional, popular, and classy. Yet... Underused and overlooked. A real shame. Maybe, she likes just doing occasional movies though :(