THE SECRETS

Director: Avi Nesher

Stars: Ania Bukstein, Michal Shtamler, Fanny Ardant, Adir Miller, Seffy Rivlin

Year: 2007

Rating: R

(in Hebrew and French w/English subtitles)

A film that seems to move forward on sure footing even as when you're not sure exactly what direction its taking, The Secrets is - at its center (I THINK) - a story about women's roles in Orthodox Israeli society today that, part-way through, segues into a tearjerker/love story with a smarmy, unreal ending that may leave viewers unsatisfied.

Ania Bukstein stars as Naomi, the beautiful, brainy daughter of a traditional Orthodox rabbi who has been studying Jewish law and tradition all of her life - even as she seeks, in time, to affect change in the way her own faith perceives women and their roles in the Jewish faith (her goal is to become the first female Orthodox rabbi). When Naomi's father wishes to marry her off to a strictly old-world student of his, she instead talks him into sending her to an all-girl seminary in Safed, to pursue her religious studies. Soon Naomi arrives at the school, where she meets her three roommates - one, in particular, being the chain-smoking, ill-tempered Michelle (Michal Shtamler) from Paris.

Naomi takes an instant dislike to Michelle, but soon is forced to set her feelings aside when the two girls are put in charge of taking food to a very ill Parisian lady staying nearby (Fanny Ardant, who brings the film its spark) - a woman with a scandalous, secret past that no one will discuss ... making the girls, of course, even more curious about her.

The woman finally reveals her past to the girls, but only because she wants them to help her find salvation for what she's done before she dies. Naomi is reluctant to help, knowing that doing so could get her in disastrous trouble, while Michelle of course is ready to jump in and do whatever it takes to make sure this lady dies cleansed of her sins. As Anouk (Ardant) becomes more ill and Naomi fights against time to find the correct rituals to see the woman off properly, a subplot begins that also finds Naomi and Michelle growing more and more attracted to each other physically - only adding to the risks they take as Anouk's time grows ever shorter.

The Secrets isn't a bad film - it's well-made, well-acted, and downright intriguing in places - yet somehow it unravels somewhat through the last third, as if it's still trying to decide just what kind of film it wants to be. The performances of the three leads are pretty solid, making it easy to get caught up in the characters - but what feels like an "important" film in the beginning turns into little more than a soap operatic love story with a too-neat, too-unrealistic (and slightly annoying) ending that ties everything up in a pretty (and conventional) bow that may have the echo of "I sat through all of this, for this?" running through your mind. ** - Reel Mediocre