By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.25 cats
Director: Steven Shainberg
Starring: James Spader | Jeremy Davies | Maggie Gyllenhaal
Country: united_states
Year: 2002
Running time: 104
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0274812/reference
Clinton says: “A charming and quirky comedy about dominant/submissive relationships, and how they can lead to profound emotional connections. Gyllenhaal completely steals the film as Lee Holloway, a young woman just released from a mental institution, where she was hospitalized for her obsession with self-scarification.
“At her parents’ urging she lands her first job, after a rather unorthodox interview, in the office of paralegal E. Edward Grey (Spader). There’s a certain unidentifiable bond between the two from the beginning, and it soon comes to light that all Lee needs is a little spanking and S&M to replace her more unhealthy urges – and her boss just may be the man to give it to her. Spader once again walks that fine line between creepy and charming that he does so well, and even though his character reminds us of his similar sexual deviant from SEX LIES AND VIDEOTAPE, his performance here is infused with a wonderful subtle humor (watching him attempt to repress his arousal towards his new secretary is especially funny). Kinky, funny, and in the end strangely romantic.”
Hilary says: “I suppose I should be wracked with feminist guilt for enjoying SECRETARY as much as I did, but instead I must rave about the amazing performances of Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader. This film frankly tackles sexuality, gender, age and experience as they relate to power and control, in fairly explicit terms.
“Im a big James Spader fan from way back. I have a great soft spot for his gloriously self indulgent ‘Yuppie scum’ performances from The Brat Pack years, elements of which are seen here along with significant influence of his roles in SEX LIES AND VIDEOTAPE and WHITE PALACE (an emotionally stunted widower involved with an older woman from the wrong side of the tracks).
“E. Edward Grey is obsessed with big, red Sharpie markers, orchids, humane mousetraps and sugary coffee. And spanking, just to name a few things. Hes created a false pastoral environment in his office, carefully watering and feeding his orchids among the sickly green paneling and placing a row of dying houseplants along the dark hallway leading up to his office. The light in the office is murky, giving the impression that nothing could grow there, but could definitely fester.
“Maggie Gyllenhaal gives a gutsy performance as Lee Holloway, Mr. Greys secretary and eventual counterpart in a submissive/dominant relationship. Lee, like Mr. Grey, is delicate and high-strung. We see Lee just released from a six-month stint in an institution to attend her sisters pink, plastic, Florida poolside wedding. She stands apart from both the other guests and her family at the reception, enveloped in an ill-fitting blue dress and the viewer is not surprised when she retreats to her bedroom and methodically begins cutting her thigh.
“As Lee and Mr. Grey become drawn to one another, Lee begins evolving into a more confident, attractive woman. Her shapeless clothes and sloppy sweaters are traded in for knee-length skirts, nylons and heels. When Mr. Grey tells her that she doesn’t need to cut herself anymore, she actually throws away her implements. She comes to thrive on his attention, starting with his gleeful discovery of typing errors to circle with his red pens and slowly escalating to more explicit behavior.
“The biggest surprise of the film lies in the fact that at its core it is a romance. A twisted, non standard situation, but a romance nonetheless. After much emotional drama these two damaged characters have found kindred, obsessive, kinky, needy souls in one another and you leave the film thinking that they just might be able to make it work.”
Michael says: “Love, Sex, Honesty, Trust. These are among the things explored in the funny, and, brilliantly acted new film, SECRETARY.
“Lee is released from an institution on the day of her sister’s wedding. Arriving at home, she wonder is she felt more at ease in the institution? When she starts to get overwhelmed, she retreats to her room, removes
her ‘toolkit’ from beneath her bed and makes careful incisions in her thigh.
‘It’s something Lee wants to get past. In an effort to leave her frightened childhood behind, she decides to get a job. After getting top scores in a typing class, she applies for and is hired in a secretary position with a lawyer, E. Edward Grey. Grey has his quirks, to be sure. He asks her extremely inappropriate questions during her interview, keeps a large number of red ‘Sharpies’ in his desk drawer, and comments harshly on Lee’s appearance from time to time. A connection quickly forms between Lee and Mr. Grey, one that blossoms into a full-fledged, albeit short-lived dominant/submissive, sexual relationship. Where this relationship leads, and the lack of judgement the film shows for what many would call something harsher than an ‘alternative’ relationship, is one of the stories high points. SECRETARY was adapted by director Steven Shainberg from a short story by Mary Gaitskill.
“But the best thing SECRETARY is the pair of performances turned in by the two leads, Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader. Gyllenhaal (yes, DONNIE DARKO‘s younger sister, in reality and in the movie) is a revelation as Lee. She conveys childish innocence, iron-willed submission, and dawning realization, sometimes in the span of moments. Her awkward body language that transforms into something relaxed and sexual over the course of the film is finely accomplished. In the dominant role, James Spader builds on his character from SEX, LIES & VIDEOTAPE for Mr. Gray, who swings wildly from controlling boss, to a frightened man ashamed of his sexual desires. The two make an exciting cinematic team in this off-beat, refreshing love story.
“My one tiny complaint? As I was watching SECRETARY, THE PIANO TEACHER couldn’t help but come to mind, and the elegance at which a troubled character was presented without an attempt to explain her behavior. Although Lee’s family was featured very little in SECRETARY, I could have used them even less. With Gyllenhaal and Spader, why bother with anyone else? 4 1/2 cats
Robin says: “A young woman, Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal), released, not long ago, from a mental institution, seeks an undemanding job as a secretary where she will only have to type and file and get coffee. She takes a job with, she will soon discover, demanding attorney E. Edward Grey (James Spader) who uncovers Lee penchant for self abuse and mutilation. His understanding and caring soon turn the employer-employee relationship into sex and sadomasochism in the wildly different love story, SECRETARY.
“As I watched the offbeat tale unfold, with all its weirdness – the physical abuse, anal retention, dominant/subservient B&D relationship and inflicted pain – I couldn’t help but have a cheery feeling about how SECRETARY would turn out. In a David Lynchian way, Lee and E. Edward are made for each other as he convinces her to stop her self-mutilation. He replaces it with an S&M treatment, mainly spankings, for the far too frequent spelling errors Lee makes in his correspondence. Before you ask, ‘why doesn’t she use spell checker?’ Mr. Grey does not allow computers in his office and requires Lee to use an IBM typewriter instead. The ongoing error/punishment cycle, with the mistakes circled in red and mounted in a funky place of honor along the hallway to Grey’s office, sets to tone of the budding relationshiP between Holloway and Grey.
“SECRETARY is owned by its costars, Spader and Gyllenhaal. Maggie G. makes an amazing breakthrough in her first starring role (she appeared in DONNIE DARKO with brother Jake) and eats up the screen. Her body language exudes with a hurt-me posture but she becomes more assured as she learns what it is that she wants from life – E. Edward Grey. Gyllenhaal’s deft character study takes Lee from a troubled, unhappy young woman from a broken home, with her dad (Stephen McHattie) succumbing to the tragedy of excessive drink, to a confident and happy lady by the end. And, I had no doubt that this would be the case.
“James Spader answers the question of: ‘what became of the character, Graham Dalton, that Spader played in SEX, LIES & VIDEOTAPE?’ He changed his name and went to law school to became a successful, if psychologically screwed up, attorney, living the life of a feudal martinet in his private law firm as he goes through a cycle of hire-abuse-fire of one secretary after another. Grey even has a permanent, light-surrounded “Secretary Wanted” sign under his shingle. Spader’s performance is the perfect foil for Lee and reps his own character study of a man with a whole passel of deep-seated emotional problems. He and Lee are a two-piece puzzle that fit together perfectly.
“First time helmer Steven Shainberg had adapted the Mary Gaitskill short story (with Erin Cressida Wilson, who is credited with the screenplay) and has created one of the most appealing, if strange, love stories of the year. Shainberg is joined by a team of talented technicians that inject artistry and life into this avant-garde romance noir. The perfectly rendered score, by Lynch favorite Angelo Badalamenti, helps maintain the suspense that is a constant undercurrent of the film. Production design by Amy Danger helps contribute to the Lynchian appeal of the film with Steven Fierberg’s lensing also complementary.
“SECRETARY exceeds any hopes I had for the film. It is a good yarn with a pair of great, nuanced and very different performances from the pair of principles.” 4 cats