Donald Seymour This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Kaelan Mccaffrey Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Curt Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

ma-cortes Sensational film that dispenses a brooding plot and considered to be one of the best Spanish films of the 90s , in fact was voted one of the best pictures by professionals and critics . Well directed film by Montxo Armendariz , including his own story and screenplay , who tried to create an agreeable flick plenty of sensitivity and metaphor by tackling a description about a particular and dysfunctional family formed by two spinster aunts (Charo Lopez , Vicky Peña) , an affected mother (Silvia Munt) , the brother-in-law (Carmelo Gomez) , the grandfather (Joan Valles) , but especially focusing the little boy (Andoni Erburu) and his brother . This is an intense as well as sensitive drama dealing with a little boy called Javi , a coming-of-age tale in which he discovers the sense of life about sex , family , freedom and love . This slow-moving and intelligent picture is well set in Spain of the 50s . Javi (Andoni Erburu) and his friend Carlos (Garces) visit an old house on the outskirts of a small Spanish village next to Pamplona . According to his brother Juan (Nagore) this is a haunted house and one can hear the voices of the dead . Later he is intrigued with a room which is always closed and his mom (Silvia Munt) prohibits it . He is so interested in these mysteries that exacerbate his ingenuity and imagination . As Javi begins to investigate all the secrets of these dead people , of his family and their stories , but he finds terrible trues . Sensitive film full of feeling , haunting mood-pieces , wonderful scenes and sense of wonder . Colorful picture , including marvelous frames , being mostly filmed at Tudela , Navarra and including sunny outdoor scenes . This extraordinary flick spells through intricate patterns of images , sets , sound and color . In addition , a magnificent support cast of known and prestigious players , such as Charo Lopez , Vicky Peña , Carmelo Gomez , Chete Lera , among others . His style is pretty much dry in the atmosphere as in the fresh dialog , as well as realistic , and including pleasant elements as when the family sings popular songs . "Secrets of the Heart" is one of Armendariz's undisputed masterpieces and fundamental in his filmography where shows efficiently an interesting story and shot at the height of his creativity , with some peculiar characters , as the main starring boy , his spinster aunts and the grudge grandfather . Splendid , luxurious photography with juicy atmosphere by Javier Aguirresarobe . Aguirresarobe subsequently would make a prestigious career in Hollywood such as ¨Fright night , ¨The twilight saga: eclipse¨, ¨The road¨ , ¨The others¨ and many others . Interesting screenplay by the same director based on a original story . Moving and emotive musical score by Bingen Mendizabal and including unforgettable regional songs . This touching picture will appeal to Spanish films buffs ; being deservedly nominated for Oscar Best Foreign Language Film, and won Blue Angel in Berlin International Film Festival 1997 . Furthermore , achieved Goya prizes : Best Supporting Actress , Charo López , Best New Actor ,Andoni Erburu, Best Sound , Best Production Design , Félix Murcia , Best Director , Montxo Armendárizand Best Film . Rating : Top-notch and outstanding movie , worthwhile seeing .The motion picture perfectly produced by magnificent producers Andres Santana and Imanol Uribe was stunningly directed by Montxo Armendariz , a very good Spanish movies director . Montxo is a well recognized filmmaker both nationally and internationally, and in proof of it he won many prizes in several Festivals . Montxo Armendáriz was born in Navarra, and his films are mostly set in this Spanish region . He is a nice writer and director, expert on dramas , being especially known for Tasio (1984) , 27 hours (1986) , Cartas a Alou (1990) , Secretos del Corazón (1997), Silencio roto or Broken silence (2001) Obaba (2005), and No Tengas Miedo (2011) .

Andreas Niedermayer Some other reviewers have claimed this movie to be uneventful - and they are right. I was not yet bored, but almost on the brink of it. What struck me most is the absence of any sort of dramatic and/or emotional climax. There is no final highlight, no real final denouement. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but here it was. Thus I cannot give the movie more than a 7, although it has lots of positive aspects to it. Let us look at them now.Secrets of the Heart is a movie about individuals, about their daily struggles to survive and to find happiness, about their frailties and their sins. The two major themes I have detected are secrets and death, melted together in the social stratum of a lower class communal family in Spain in the early 1960s. The movie's protagonist is young Javi, a little boy. We see the world through his eyes mainly, in a naive and unaffected manner.The theme of death is the strongest, very much linked to the theme of secrets. The death of Javi's father and the secrets his mother wants to hide from him and his brother represent the story's mysterious edge. Death and mysteries come up again when Javi and his friend Carlos want to find out about the secrets of a decayed mansion. Also the spider Javi observes in his uncle's cowshed symbolizes death, as we see it killing flies and other insects various times. So the story has indeed the capacity to provide some sort of exciting developments. It just does not fully use this capacity, and that is a pity.The story rather focuses on a family portrayal. We get an insight look into the bleak and doleful existence of Javi's two aunts with all their imperfections and vices. The story of Javi's brother, his mother and his grandfather are presented similarly - subtle and somehow uneventful. Then again it is Javi's story, of how he grows up, how he influences and is influenced in return by the world and the individuals around him. He undergoes rites of passage and makes the story also a quest of finding out the truths about all the secrets and mysteries within his family in particular and of the world in general.The story has its charm, but it did not exploit its full potential. It can be summarized as an authentic socio-cultural portrayal of family life, and as such it needs to be praised. However, there are too many subtle and uneventful sequences. I never felt the sort of emotional and moral attachment I normally expect from valuable movies dealing with sincere and genuine themes of life. Thus I was a bit disappointed. Those who like these sorts of cultural depictions into which you can interpret a lot and never become tired of finding new aspects by reflecting on the events will probably like it. I would have preferred some sort of real message running through the plot, some sort of dramatic climax or at least a higher pace in terms of developments.

George Parker "Secrets of the Heart" is a relatively uneventful but often poignant Spanish coming-of-age/slice-of-life flick about a boy's learning about life....period. If that sounds dull it's probably is because it is dull. This tedious film features a cute kid with a whole lot of questions about everything which may be of interest to those who were never a boy. Like maybe females. Having been a boy, this film showed me nothing new. Been there, done that. Better films are easy to find. (C+)

daneeelj Usually I can find a weakness in any movie I've watched, but this movie's unique, as I can't find anything wrong with it... It's sometimes a sad movie, but not the kind of bleeding heart sadness in those awful modern comedy love stories. If you get the chance to see this movie, see it.