Secretary (DVD, 2003)

I saw this movie in the theater, another one of those "art-house flix-that-my-boyfriend-has-dra​gged-me-to" is what I thought. LOL
Definitely not what I expected.. it starts off rather dark and you don't know what to make of Maggie Gyllenhaal "Lee" character. I mean she gets out of the mental institution and is still cutting herself. Her home is dysfunctional and Mom is very protective of her (or scared that she will do something drastic to herself again) and her Father is kind of screwed up all on his own. James Spader is just what she needed, and he is just what she needed. :)

James does a wonderful job as the tortured soul in this movie that has to fight himself, when he thinks there is something wrong with what they are doing. The hurt that Lee (Maggie) feels when she is rejected by Spader is so real and painful to see, that you at once realize this as more than just 2 injured people living out there non-traditional sexual desires.

I won't go into the details regarding the plot since it's been done so many times in the reviews before me. I will just say that at the core of this movie is a Man that has some bizarre tendencies and a Woman that has her very real dysfunctional issues. Through their own way and communication they discover a healthy albeit strange Love for one another. It is a rather touching love story in the end... it's just the way they get to it that is rather............. interesting. I know you may read a lot of reviews on this movie that says it's very Sexual... It is but not over whelming... I mean I just saw {Sex and Lucia} and {Y Tu Mama Tambien} which both had a EXTREME amount of sexuality. This one (in my opinion) is more subtle than those two. I can tell you this for a fact you may find yourself coming away from this movie with a different understanding of S&M or of the blurred line between the Dominator and the Sub.

I only recommend it for those that can have a open mind about non-traditional Sex roles or for those that can appreciate a somewhat Twisted movie.

Respectfully Reviewed

My first viewing of the campy film Secretary could not have been more ironic because I had been working as a secretary -- ahem, assistant -- for a solo practitioner for only two months. I recall leaving the theater feeling empowered despite knowing that the next day I would have to fetch whatever my boss wanted, when he wanted it. There are bosses, not just the lawyers, who long for the old-fashioned secretary.

Bravo to the filmmaker for rendering Secretary's unflinching revelations about emotional pain as unsettling as its erotic depictions of the catharsis of that pain. I found, and still find, the film to be a surreal and vicarious pleasure. Not that what ensues between the boss and assistant in Secretary is unrealistic. Perhaps you know of a solo proprietor whose temp secretaries kept quitting but who now has a full-time assistant. Why is that assistant a perfect match?

Intellectually, I admire the filmmaker's courage in commenting poetically upon the ways in which American society conditions women to be passive and to devalue themselves. Leave it to an art/indie film to expose how some (or many?)American women find themselves either stuck in a time warp of adolescent vanity or suffering through existential paralysis. Because American women are taught to identify and value themselves through their relationships with men, it is a total thrill in Secretary to watch the script flip the stereotype of the skirt-chasing boss on its head.

In terms of casting, I cannot imagine anyone but Maggie Ghyllenhal in the title role. Her secretary is like the repressed alter ego of Elizabeth Taylor's Maggie the Cat on that hot tin roof -- full of angst but no less smoldering. Maggie G. appears to purr rather than speak. James Spader, who once upon a time seemed typecast as a snooty yuppie, gets the chance in Secretary to fully realize his erotic potential. While his character can be viewed as tongue-in-cheek, he delivers a genuinely quirky and sensitive performance.

When you get down to it, the various vicarious experiences in Secretary will please some and repulse others. For me, I received instant motivation to strive for accuracy in transcribing my boss's future dictation.

A wonderful story of problem meets solution. Viewers will be squirming in their seats as they try to figure out if he is her cure, or if she is his savior. This is definitely not a date flick, unless you like to exchange nervous giggles with your date as you are take through an exploration of human elements that are always "over there." This is the most challenging love story I've ever seen and a must see for those that think they have a handle on all types of relationships. Kudos to the international press for recognizing Maggie Gyllenhaal with a Golden Globe nomination. She began as the girl you always wanted to avoid and finished as the woman you seek your entire life. Her superb acting adds wonderfill shadow-fill to the entire premise. James Spader is no slouch either, and Lesley Ann Warren furthers her induction into the Character Actor's hall of fame. The love story within this movie is depicted with behavior that goes beyond anything ever filmed before. Amusing and titillating, it is not for everyone. The prudish and sqeamish are advised to stick with the classics. This movie could definitely change your view regarding relationships, and perhaps even slide your kink-meter to the left a bit.

Very wonderful movie with likeable and quirky characters. Explores the lighter side of Sadism and Masochism however, explores the manipulation and the controlling aspect that the Secretary actually has on the boss. Originally saw the movie and missed the beginning on television, finally saw the whole movie on cable. I purchased it because I was convinced my spouse needed to watch how different people react to different stimuli. Now he loves it too! James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhall are just so loveable and have so much chemistry together its hard not to love this movie.

The DVD is very funny. Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is the secretary. James Spader is the lawyer, very much like his Boston Legal role. If you like Boston Legal you will like this film. Spader is a hoot and Gyllenhaal looks great.