Secretary (2002)

Rarely has a movie been so different from my expectations than Secretary was. I thought I was about to see a disturbing drama about the horrors of sadomasochism, but it turned out to be something of a romantic comedy. It just happens to be a very dark romance involving S&M with some moments of very dark comedy.

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Maggie Gyllenhaal plays Lee Holloway, a young girl trying to readjust to the real world after her release from a mental hospital while she tries to overcome her self-mutilation problems. After passing with flying colors in her typing class she finds a job as secretary for the unusual lawyer E. Edward Grey, played by James Spader. Grey is a demanding, obsessive compulsive boss who is very strict with his new secretary. He also is harboring some dark secret that he doesn't want anyone to know; no matter how much Lee tries to get to know him. When Lee's typos get too infuriating for Grey, he feels she needs to get punished and love blossoms.

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The performances by both Spader and Gyllenhaal are top notch. Spader is in his creepiest mode as he tries to shelter his pleasures from the rest of the world. He's scary but not to the point where you would fear him, and he's funny but not to the point where his character becomes a joke. He plays a man who thinks he has to live his life ashamed, but Maggie's Lee shows him that he could have someone to share happiness with. I think that the standout is Maggie Gyllenhaal. This is a very brave role for her to take for many reasons (which you'd see after viewing), and it is the one that turned her into a bonafide lead actress. Lee is a sweet, naive, and socially awkward girl who the audience feels for even as she fantasizes about activities that most find horrifying. She is trying to beat her self-mutilation problem, but isn't able to do so in any "normal" fashion. It isn't until she meets Spader's character when she finds a way to cope with her problems and be happy. Ten minutes into the movie, we care for Lee; and if a spanking is what she wants, we start to want it for her. A good job is also done by Jeremy Davies as Peter, Lee's boyfriend who doesn't really understand her at all.

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The movie itself is great to look at. From the opening sequence on you know that this is going to be something very unique. However, it isn't in style alone that makes this unique because the director Steven Shainberg treats this material in a way that few others would. He doesn't turn S&M into a joke or a dirty activity that is purely evil. It's just a way that allows some people to connect. To Lee, it's something that makes her happy and her sheltered upbringing never allowed to see the negative connotations that go with it. To Grey, it's something that makes him happy but his experience in the real world makes him think he's a bad person for that. The film allows you to see that being different isn't necessarily being bad, you just have to find that one person who understands you and all your idiosyncrasies. It also shows that you don't need some random starlet and Matthew McConaughey to make your romantic comedy. You can highlight that wholesome submissive-dominant relationship in your romantic comedy too.

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Though Secretary isn't the disturbing movie I expected it still deals with some disturbing subject matter, and I wouldn't recommend it for everyone. For those of you offended by scenes with sadomasochism, self-mutilation, masturbation, or nudity, this probably isn't the movie for you. But if you can handle those scenes, this is a movie I recommend.

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Good movie for some: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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(also, I think that I should make it clear that I don't really think that Secretary is advocating S&M, but rather a statement that if people find something that makes them happy without putting anyone in serious danger, who are we to judge them?)