It's this memory-as-identity obviation that gives Secret Life its intermittent unease, reaffirming that long-held illusions are indeed reality, and that erasing them recasts the self. And it's this existential gerrymandering that's most compelling.
His Secret Life(Le fate ignoranti)
✭ ✭ ✭ Read critic reviews
Italy, France · 2001
Rated R · 1h 46m
Director Ferzan Özpetek
Starring Margherita Buy, Stefano Accorsi, Serra Yılmaz, Gabriel Garko
Genre Drama, Romance
Add to Watchlist
Please login to add films to your watchlist.
When Antonia's husband Massimo is killed in a car accident, she accidentally discovers that he has been having a same-sex affair with a produce wholesaler named Michele.
We hate to say it, but we can't find anywhere to view this film.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
Philadelphia Inquirer by Carrie Rickey
Startlingly original comedy-drama.
The well-structured film goes beyond issues of sexuality, giving nuanced consideration to broader questions of love and loss, family and friendship, trust, lies and deception.
Washington Post by Desson Thomson
A movie that grows better by the minute.
His Secret Life's languid pace and general aimlessness keep getting in the way.
Solid and engrossing melodrama.
Even the graceful ending, one that lifts the film a notch, is startling. But at the very least, His Secret Life will leave you thinking.
It's a soapy, simplistic, but surprisingly affecting ambisexual melodrama that plays a little like Pedro Almodovar without the surreal frills.
Users who liked this film also liked
The Best of Youth
(La meglio gioventú)
Spanning four decades, from the chaotic 1960s to 2003, director Marco Tullio Giordana's passionate epic 'La Meglio Gioventu' follows two Italian brothers through some of the most tumultuous events of recent Italian history.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 2003
- Director Marco Tullio Giordana
- Cast Luigi Lo Cascio, Alessio Boni, Adriana Asti, Sonia Bergamasco, Fabrizio Gifuni, Maya Sansa
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Vudu, Amazon Video
A Perfect Day
(Un giorno perfetto)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 2008
- Director Ferzan Özpetek
- Cast Isabella Ferrari, Valerio Mastandrea, Valerio Binasco, Nicole Grimaudo, Federico Costantini, Monica Guerritore
- Genre Romance, Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Saturn in Opposition
(Saturno contro)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, France, Turkey • 2007
- Director Ferzan Özpetek
- Cast Pierfrancesco Favino, Stefano Accorsi, Margherita Buy, Serra Yılmaz, Ennio Fantastichini, Ambra Angiolini
- Genre Drama
- Available on Amazon Video
Facing Windows
(La finestra di fronte)
Desire knows no bounds.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy, Turkey, Portugal • 2003
- Director Ferzan Özpetek
- Cast Massimo Girotti, Raoul Bova, Filippo Nigro, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Serra Yılmaz, Maria Grazia Bon
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube
Mediterraneo
On a magical Greek island a soldier is about to discover that it is better to make love instead of war
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 1991
- Director Gabriele Salvatores
- Cast Diego Abatantuono, Claudio Bigagli, Giuseppe Cederna, Claudio Bisio, Gigio Alberti, Ugo Conti
- Genre Comedy, Romance, War
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Loose Cannons
(Mine vaganti)
The only thing more complicated than love is family.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 2010
- Director Ferzan Özpetek
- Cast Riccardo Scamarcio, Nicole Grimaudo, Alessandro Preziosi, Ennio Fantastichini, Lunetta Savino, Ilaria Occhini
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Available on Vudu
All Quiet on the Western Front
(Im Westen nichts Neues)
A German film adaptation of the epic 1929 anti-war novel by Erich Maria Remarque.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Germany, United States, United Kingdom • 2022
- Director Edward Berger
- Cast Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer, Edin Hasanović, Devid Striesow, Daniel Brühl
- Genre Action, Drama, War
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
A Whole Life Ahead
(Tutta la vita davanti)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 2008
- Director Paolo Virzì
- Cast Isabella Ragonese, Massimo Ghini, Valerio Mastandrea, Micaela Ramazzotti, Elio Germano, Sabrina Ferilli
- Genre Comedy, Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
A Magnificent Haunting
(Magnifica presenza)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 2012
- Director Ferzan Özpetek
- Cast Elio Germano, Margherita Buy, Vittoria Puccini, Beppe Fiorello, Paola Minaccioni, Cem Yılmaz
- Genre Drama, Fantasy, Comedy
- Available on No streaming locations found.
A Five Star Life
(Viaggio sola)
Irene is entirely devoted to her job as an inspector of luxury hotels. But one fateful event will change her mindset.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 2013
- Director Maria Sole Tognazzi
- Cast Margherita Buy, Stefano Accorsi, Fabrizia Sacchi, Gianmarco Tognazzi, Alessia Barela, Lesley Manville
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Hoopla, OVID, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Tubi TV, Kanopy, Plex, Plex Player
Fasten Your Seatbelts
(Allacciate le cinture)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 2014
- Director Ferzan Özpetek
- Cast Kasia Smutniak, Francesco Arca, Filippo Scicchitano, Carolina Crescentini, Elena Sofia Ricci, Francesco Scianna
- Genre Drama, Comedy
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, OVID, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube, Tubi TV
Red Istanbul
(İstanbul Kırmızısı)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Turkey, Italy • 2017
- Director Ferzan Özpetek
- Cast Halit Ergenç, Tuba Büyüküstün, Nejat İşler, Mehmet Günsür, Çiğdem Selişik Onat, Zerrin Tekindor
- Genre Romance, Drama
- Available on Pantaflix
Naples in Veils
(Napoli velata)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Italy • 2017
- Director Ferzan Özpetek
- Cast Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Alessandro Borghi, Anna Bonaiuto, Peppe Barra, Biagio Forestieri, Lina Sastri
- Genre Thriller
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video, YouTube, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Kanopy, Plex, Plex Player
Parasite
(기생충)
A poor family lies and schemes their way into the employ of a wealthy household — successfully, but with great consequences.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Korea • 2019
- Director Bong Joon-ho
- Cast Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam, Chang Hyae-jin
- Genre Comedy, Drama, Thriller
- Available on Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Spectrum On Demand, AMC on Demand
Broker
(브로커)
Two brokers set out boxes for people to anonymously drop off their unwanted babies.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- Korea • 2022
- Director Hirokazu Kore-eda
- Cast Song Kang-ho, Gang Dong-won, Bae Doona, IU, Lee Joo-young, Park Ji-yong
- Genre Drama
- Available on Hulu, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu, Amazon Video, YouTube