A Secret

This quietly devastating indictment of French anti-semitism under the Nazis doesn't need evocative images of cattle trucks or concentration camps to make its heartwrenching point.

Instead, veteran director Claude Miller chooses to illustrate the cruelties of institutionalised genocide from within one tightly-knit Jewish family.

Ten years after the war, seven-year-old Francois Grimbert (Valentin Vigourt), a shy sickly youngster, has an almost idyllic view of his parents.

His mother Tania (de France) is a lithe, former athlete and his dad Maxime (Bruel) is a gruff, no-nonsense type who clearly resents his son's lack of physical prowess.

It's not perfect but it's simple enough. That is until Francois draws out the truth about his family from his neighbour and confidante Louise (Depardieu).

Based on Philippe Grimbert's novel, this gripping family saga revolves around one crucial and tragic decision taken by Maxime's first wife.

What lends dramatic punch is that her actions are not merely influenced by her beliefs but entwined with the punishment her heart is taking thanks to her husband's presumed infidelities.

Viewed from three key perspectives - Maxime's original wartime family, his post-war domestic scene and his old age, it's complex but not over-complicated.

It's the story of a tragedy but one on a human rather than industrial scale and all the more powerful for that.

Tim Evans