VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Wuchak RELEASED IN 2002 and directed by Steven Shainberg, "Secretary" is a romantic dramedy about a young woman (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who spent some time at a mental hospital for self-harm (e.g. cutting). She apprehends a job as a secretary to a quirky, arduous lawyer (James Spader) wherein their employer-employee bond turns increasingly sexual in a dominant/submissive way.This is the first mainline film in America to breach the difficult topic of BDSM, walking the balance beam between being either too amusing or too offensive. For those not in the know, BDSM is an overlap of acronyms: BD stands for Bondage and Discipline; DS for Dominance and Submission; and SM for Sadism and Masochism. I didn't really know the movie tackled BDSM before viewing it; I thought it was simply a romance-in-the-office type flick with maybe some kinky elements. The movie is polarizing, unsurprisingly. I read a few reviews by respectable critics and one was fascinated by it, giving it an incredible 10/10 Stars (Why Sure!), while another wrote it off as a film for sick people, granting it 1/10 Stars. Whilst I find the romance-at-the-office element interesting, I could care less about the BDSM angle. Regardless, the first half is amusing enough and Maggie is a winsome treat, but the second half gets a little too deviant and borders on porn. Yet the movie ends well with a well-intentioned message: This is a story about two people who have an affinity for DS that find each other and their relationship may or may not work (no spoilers). I suppose the movie is trying to get across that pain can be therapeutic as long as it's applied by the right hand with the right intention. Thus two people with an affinity for BDSM can develop a relationship that works, for them. But not me; no thanks. THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour 47 minutes and was shot in Los Angeles. WRITERS: Mary Gaitskill (short story) and Erin Cressida Wilson & Shainberg (screenplay). GRADE: C-

aspergian Those that find the film all of the above would probably tell you that they admire it because it is an exploration into the self. It's all about the inner dialectics of the infinitely subjective human condition, self liberation, know thyself, etcetera, etcetera.The deep "academic" stuff aside, it's really about is a mentally ill woman who happens to like hurting herself (cutting) who gets exploited by her employer who happens to be a sadist. There's lots of sex in it and it is deeply symbolic, but it's just not that interesting or emotional, unless you have sado-masochist tendencies. It's a twisted film for twisted people. I'm sure they would agree.

ncallinicos This film at times was slow. Yet in those slow moments I found myself lost in thought. The acting was suburb in the sense that you can feel the awkward sexuality through the film. I'm to guess that most of us have not been in a situation such as depicted in the film. For those that have I can not answer their opinions on this film, but I at times was uncomfortable, yet intrigued. It's an unconventional story of love, and who's to judge? All kinds of different things make different people happy. Mentally disturbed and maybe a bit too dedicated of a women, but who cares as long as she's happy in the end. We should all be so lucky to have some one so dedicated to us. Hopefully we are nicer to them, but whatever works I suppose. I'm going to say this is a definite watch, but not for those who don't feel like thinking at the moment or those who are not open to a bit unorthodox sexual situations.

SnoopyStyle Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal) leaves institutionalization to attend her sister's wedding. She has been harming herself since the seventh grade. Her father is an abusive drunk to her co-dependent mother. She reconnects with Peter (Jeremy Davies) who had a mental breakdown of his own. She gets a job as a secretary to attorney E. Edward Grey (James Spader). She finds comfort in the menial and sometimes demeaning tasks. Eventually, they develop a special relationship.These are interesting characters. The movie keeps a sense of sexiness while maintaining a low level of tension. It would have been great to have a higher level of tension. Maggie Gyllenhaal is amazing. It just doesn't have a great sense of danger. It's not titillating. It's a nice character study but I'm looking for something more.