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To the surprise of them both, Cynthia and Hortense hit it off. As their friendship grows, Cynthia faces a dilemma: how to introduce Hortense to her temperamental and immature daughter.
How I felt about it. You can sure tell it is a British production. With the exception of Hortense, the accents are thick. Then there's the matter of casting. Hollywood would insert good-looking actors that appear younger than their characters. But in Secrets & Lies, the actors are typically several years older than their parts, and there's little eye candy. In particular, Roxanne is unattractive, instead of a sexpot.
Of course, an average-looking cast does not equate to an average film. If anything, it adds to its credibility. The scenes and dialogue are natural. From a British perspective, nothing about the film hits a wrong tone, since the casting and accents appear cumbersome only on this side of the Atlantic.
The problem, to the extent that there is one, is that the relationship difficulties are too easily dissipated. Cynthia dislikes Monica because she believes she is using her brother's modest wealth to finance a shallow, posh lifestyle. She is unaware of how unhappy (and unhealthy) Monica really is, and how that changes everything.
Cynthia is also on poor terms with Roxanne. Cynthia is clearly disappointed in Roxanne, although she knows she is partly to blame. Once she recovers from the shock of having a grown black daughter, she is delighted with Hortense, perhaps because her promising career somehow reflects upon her. Meanwhile, Hortense, who has few friends, sees Cynthia as the fun-loving and approving mother she perhaps has always unconsciously wanted.
The actual British production and its would-be American counterpart have one thing in common: a happy ending. But dramas with happy endings are often suspect, and it is the same with Secrets & Lies The natural antagonism between Cynthia and Monica (Cynthia is jealous, Monica is isolated) and between Cynthia and Roxanne (Cynthia is disappointed, Roxanne feels oppressed) is swept aside by a family peace brokered by the assiduous Maurice. The problem is, resentments always return, usually sooner rather than later.