In Case You Missed It: The Secret Life of Words

In Case You Missed It is going to be a new ongoing series like Retro Reviews. These are movies that are less than 15 years old that I have recently discovered. Last week was free movie night at my local library so Saviabella and I decided to take advantage of it. We went to see the Secret Life of Words from 2005 starring Sarah Polley and Tim Robbins.

I quickly looked it up on IMDB because I had never heard of it and it looked intriguing. I was so not prepared. Polley plays a foreigner named Hanna who is hearing impaired. Her boss needs her to take a vacation because other employees are complaining that she is making them look bad having never taken a sick or vacation day in the past four years. Hanna agrees reluctantly but needs to keep busy so she finds a job for the month nursing Josef (Robbins) back to health after an accident on an oil rig. Hanna adapts to life on the oil rig and meets an eclectic crew of people that work on the rig. The most noteworthy are the chef Simon (Javier Camara) and the oceanographer Martin (Daniel Mays).

The scenes are stark and sparse. The weather is always grey, Josef's room is drab, and the rest of the rig is utilitarian. This sets the stage for an honest and real relationship to form. Josef and Hanna are two broken down individuals who help each other heal both mentally and physically. Polley transforms herself in this role and is nothing short of phenomenal. Robbins manages to be cocky and vulnerable at the same time. These two have a surprising on-screen chemistry.

The Secret Life of Words is like a gladiola, very slow to bloom, but once it does it takes your breath away. There are very sensitive topics discussed and foul language so I would definitely put an advisory warning on it. I highly recommend this movie and give it 5/5 geese. (Watch the movie and you will understand.)