Tim Robbins is at the top of his game in "The Secret Life of Words," giving a moving performance in the type of role most actors would kill for: For most of the film, he doesn't move. He barely even opens his eyes. An actor must have powerful command of his voice - its inflections, emotions, pacing - and facial features to pull off this type of role, and Robbins is up to it.
Josef, burned horribly in an oil-rig accident, comes to life, as Robbins creates a multidimensional and compelling character while laying flat on his back. Isabel Coixet's film tells the story of Hannah (Sarah Polley), a hearing-impaired, close-mouthed factory worker in Ireland with an extraordinarily rigid lifestyle. She escapes a forced month-long vacation by taking a job nursing Josef on the rig.
Slowly, Josef and Hannah gain each other's trust, as each tell the other tragic stories about what brought them to this point in their lives. Just as this is a dream role, Polley is a dream leading lady. Long revered by writers, directors, actors and critics, although little-known by the public, Polley is that rare actress who can communicate several emotions at the same time, without saying anything, by using the most expressive pair of eyes in the film business.
She is wonderful, as always, and her scenes with Robbins are so intense one comes to resent anything that diverts from them. Unfortunately, many scenes do. The all-male closed community on the rig is interesting, but on dry land the film falters.
There's a considerable momentum lag about three-quarters of the way in, while Josef recovers alone and then visits Hannah's therapist, played by Julie Christie. It's wonderful to see Christie, but her role is a preachy way station while the audience waits impatiently for Josef to find Hannah again. And he does.
And as the story closes the thought comes to mind that if you're going to spend two hours watching two people fall in love, you can't do much better than having them played by Robbins and Polley. 2006 drama written and directed by Isabel Coixet, executive-produced by Pedro Almod var, starring Sarah Polley, Tim Robbins and Julie Christie. Universal Studios Home Entertainment.
116 minutes. Unrated. No extra features to the Hartford Courant today and receive up to 50% off!
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