In her second full length feature film, Isabel Coixot continues to explore unconventional characters and what lies behind their seemingly weird personalities. This time, the focal point is on the life of war refugees, unable to relate with the world outside them after witnessing horrible crimes and acts of violence.
Hannah Amir is a partially deaf Balkan war refugee living a solitary existence, working in a factory in Northern England, with no further interest in making her own life any more enjoyable. After working in the factory for 4 years, Hannah is forced in to having a holiday by her manager.
While on this so called �holiday� at a desolate rainy seaside town, Hannah overhears a man looking for a nurse to take care of a man who was heavily wounded in a fire on an oil rig and willingly volunteers for the job. On the rig, we are greeted to a multitude of charismatic characters, all living life on a bare minimum, not unlike Hannah herself. Her patient, Joseph (Robbins), has been temporarily blinded by the fire and needs round the clock treatment.
Over the course of Hannah�s stay on the oil rig, the various crew members, especially Joseph, try to make a connection with her in a different way, which at first she resists, but through her identification with her patient, we see that her emotional barriers slowly begin to come down, revealing a deeply affectionate person.
The Secret Life of Words, like its predecessor, My Life Without Me, is a quiet, somber film, which explores the basic human need to make a connection, despite the multitude of obstacles facing us. Coixot, for the most part handles this matter without resorting to the regular tactics of Hollywood manipulations on the viewers heartstrings. Polley is, as usual, incredible, delivering an understated multi layered performance. Why she still has not been nominated for an oscar or a golden globe for her string of amazing performances to this date is beyond me. Robbins and the rest of the supporting cast, including a cameo appearance by Julie Christie, give superb performances.
The only thing that really lets the film down, is its last 15 minutes, where Coixot seemingly gives into the temptation of resorting to a very neat and happy ending. This ending is not only wrong for the movie itself, but it feels like it is betraying the message Coixot is trying to send out regarding the destinies of the thousands of refugees from the Balkan wars.
Overall, I found The Secret Life of Words to a great film, only let down by its final act, but besides that one flaw, it is a brilliant film that challenges its audience as well as teaching it something new.
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