Secretary [HD]

Oooo! It hurts so good.
The joy of SECRETARY lies in its characters, all of whom are quirky (to say the least). And if you leave the film thankful that you run with "normal" folks, then you probably just don't know the person in the adjacent work cube all that well.

As the film begins, Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal) has just been released from institutional therapy. Lee has a level of self-esteem that's abysmal to the point of involving self-mutilation with sharp objects. (She even has her own first aid kit to disinfect and treat the wounds as soon as she makes them!) And whatever therapy she got didn't stick. But, life goes on, so she takes a typing class, and subsequently lands a job as a SECRETARY for the perfectionist lawyer "Mr. Grey" (James Spader).

Mutual assessment soon reveals potential for an S&M relationship where Grey is the "S" and Lee the "M". Courting, so to speak, and foreplay involve the boss making increasingly difficult demands of Lee's job performance with the mutual understanding...

Hollywood goes mainstream with D/s
Both characters in this first-of-it's-kind movie were well drawn. It's a first because it shows the S/M, D/s dynamic in a sympathetic, caring, humorous way; and it's a mainstream film ... not a parody or cautionary tale.

E. Edward Grey (an excellent James Spader reminiscent of "Sex, Lies and Videotape") could have used a little more background but that's quibbling. Lee's character was simply marvelous from start to finish. In my small hometown, a few people even applauded at the end. We've come a long way.

Love comes in all sizes, and the discovery of that love makes an engrossing 144 minutes of film time. I've heard people say these two are "damaged." Really? But aren't we all? And how lovely and whimsical to find another who understands us so well.

Lee (Maggie Gyllenhaal) blossoms from a repressed, obsessive, unhappy girl into a self-assured woman all because a strange, obsessive, largely unhappy man sees in her the need to be .... herself ... a submissively strong...

Simply Wonderful
Secretary is absolutely the best film I have seen in a very long time, and one of the best I have ever seen. I won't spend any time going over the plot because, if you're reading this, chances are you already know it. This is the first Hollywood film I have seen that treats BDSM relationships in a realistic, and (most importantly) non-judgemental manner. Many scenes in this film will certainly ring true for anyone involved in the lifestyle.

The acting is, in a word, superb. James Spader turns in his usual high-caliber performance, and Maggie Gyllenhaal is stunning(and beautiful as well!) She conveys more emotion with a single glance than most actresses could in a lengthy monologue. Jeremy Davies also performs quite well in his rather small part. My only quibble with this film is a very minor one: it would have been nice if the story had given a little more background on Mr. Grey. All in all, a top notch film. I will watch it again and again, and I highly recommend it to all...

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