Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

This is the story of a French Jewish family that spans the years from the mid-1930s to the mid-1980s. The opening scenes, taking place in 1955, introduce us to two of the principal characters, Francois at age 7 and his mother Tania. Francois is seen as shy, skinny, and nonathletic, which is a contrast with his mother's being, strong, beautiful and an accomplished swimmer. Soon the scene shifts to 1985 where Francois is dealing with a shy son of his own. There is an unexpectedly touching scene where Francois' son tenderly grasps his father's arm while seated next to him at a table. The 1985 scenes are filmed in black and white and that helps in keeping the time frames straight, since there are many time shifts. In movies that jump around in time I always wonder what the effect would have been to present the story in a linear way. But, since we are kept in the dark about the secret referenced in the title, the plot device of jumping back and forth in time is a logical plot device and it required my attention.In 1955 we are introduced to Francois' father Maxime and Louise (a close family friend). Maxime is a handsome, athletic guy and that advances the theme of Francois' being mismatched in physical ability to Maxime and Tania. Francois feels that he is a disappointment to his dad. As portrayed, Maxime was in fact disappointed with Francois; a big reason why is revealed in the flashbacks to the 1930s.Early on in the 1930s Maxime is seen wanting to deny his Jewishness. It was not clear to me if he could see what was coming down the pike with the Nazis or whether his denial was coming from some more philosophical, intellectual, or intuitive basis. In one voice-over Francois comments, "Playing sports made dad hope he could erase his origins." In any case, how the characters relate to their Jewishness is at the very heart of the story.There is no end of stories that have come out of the Second World War, even some sixty years later. This movie is one of the better ones that concentrates on a single family's experiences rather than staging big battle scenes. The movie is based on the book, "Memory: A Novel," by Philippe Grimbert; we are told at the beginning that the story and its main characters are based on true events. I found the movie more engaging knowing that.The acting by all concerned is first rate, as is the filming. The unobtrusive score by Zbigniew Preisner is effective. I found the time sequencing, together with the large number of characters, made a first viewing challenging, particularly with having to read the English subtitles. A second viewing was rewarding.

All François knew was that his father wasn't overly fond of him. Part of it may have been because he wasn't as athletic as his parents. His father would get upset when he talked of an imaginary "brother." No one talked of the family secret until he was 14 and Louise (Julie Depardieu) decided he should know. She tells him of life during WWII, and his father's first wife, and his son. Unbeknownst to him, they were all Jews, even though his father never practiced his faith. During the war they escaped France. All except his wife (Ludivine Sagnier) and son. She decided to demonstrate her independence at the wrong time. Of course, she was also upset that her husband (Patrick Bruel) couldn't keep his eyes off her brother's wife (Cécile De France). Who could? What happened didn't become known until François (Mathieu Amalric) was older. We, the audience knew what was going to happen, but the Jews at the time had no clue. Julie Depardieu really excelled in this engrossing tale. Cécile De France was also very good. It was a brilliant work of art.

The heart of the story is fatally flawed by an idiotic premise which negates an otherwise decent movie. We are told a mother betrays her son to the Nazis -- an act of lunacy or depravity which is not explained or supported by the rest of the movie.The movie is presented as a series of flashbacks. These flashbacks jump back and forth among several different time periods; they seem more like gimmicks than useful tools for telling the story. A flashback to one previous time should have been enough to show the family secret.Watching this movie leaves one with the feeling that the director and writer are obtuse or that they think the audience are.

Claude Miller wrote & directed this excellent drama about a family in France From the 1930's to more recent times.It is based on Philippe Grimbert biographical novel about his family & the decisions some members had to make during the war in order to survive.Some say it is a holocaust tale, They do mention & we see fleeting images of that tragic event. This is a sometimes funny, sometimes sad & also tragic as well. ALL these elements are part of life, & we have them all in this 100 minute movie. It is done in a flashback style using various color patterns(including black & white, to cover the period depicted. It can be a bit confusing BUT when you pay close attention everything becomes clear.This is also about wonderful people,the sort of persons we all would like to have known, we may very well know some people like those portrayed in this fine film.Since this is a French film,most of the cast may not be known to us,They ALL do an excellent job. Everything in this film is very well done.It was released in the US in Nov. 2008 & played till early March 2009. BUT only in a very small handful of theatres.This is the type of film that should have played in many theatres all over. It is that good a drama.I feel it would appeal to all types of families.Rent this, you will not be sorry, You may even want to purchase it.Ratings; **** (out of 4) 97 points (out of 100) IMDb 10 (out of 10)