A very fascinating movie with a potentially disturbing premise, but at its heart is a wonderful love story as well as a story about self-discovery and acceptance.
"Secretary" features Maggie Gyllenhaal as "Lee Holloway." A young woman who found a self-destructive way of dealing with her dysfunctional family. The movie begins with her returning to her family (and those old ways) after a stay at a mental hospital. While rebuilding her life she takes a job as a secretary for lawyer "Mr. Grey", played surprisingly well by James Spader.
Long and very interesting story short, they begin on a path of a relationship based on S&M, or more appropriately, Dominance and submission. Much to Mr. Grey's anguish and Lee's delight. It's a topic that may be uncomfortable for many viewers, which is why the topic of D/s relationships is so hard to portray believably and sincerely. You usually get campy farce like "Exit to Eden" (which is to D/s what "Police Academy" is to police academies.) How do you present the reality of a D/s relationship that is not only palatable to most viewers but enhances the integral love story instead of detracting from it.
"Secretary" is able to infuse the story with a little quirkiness during the 1st and 2nd to last acts which I feel gives audience members who are uncomfortable with the subject of S&M an "out" to be able accept the unusual behavior with a grain of salt and focus on the love story. Fortunately, the quirkiness is subtle and mainly introduces the movie so that it melds seamlessly with the general theme and feeling.
In any case, the characters, both flawed in their own way--she self-abuses as a reaction to a dysfunctional family, he's a bit anal-compulsive and, well, flaky, except when he's in control. He's a character that very easily have been 2-dimensional control-freak, but instead, is wonderfully played by Spader as a human with foibles, but is skilled at being in control. If that makes sense. He has fears, insecurities, and above all a great deal of guilt and self-loathing for his own S&M desires. He tries hard to not allow himself to express his wants or fulfill his needs to be a "Dominant," but when Lee enters his life, both the guilt and the potential for happiness escalate. Does he dare believe he can actually find in Lee a companion that accepts him and his unusual tastes?
All of this is portrayed on many layers so well by Spader, even though it's not really is story. It's Lee's.
Lee discovers things about herself she never dreamed before. Finds a relationship that brings out who she really is and helps her find joy for the 1st time. Some people will have a knee-jerk reaction of distrust for her emotional or mental stability allowing her to be happy in a situation of what some would term as abuse, because of her having been hospitalized for self-abuse. But the movie does an excellent job at separating the difference between dysfunctional coping behavior that is harmful, and the happiness found in pain and submission to someone she's in love with. And it helps that the movie treats Lee as intelligent and determined. She does what she does with intent and not from any kind of learned subjugated reaction. Such as in the extreme act she makes toward the end of the movie, she does so with full capacity of her mind and chooses her actions out of love and devotion. She chooses to be honest with who and what she is and not conform herself to what society feels is "normal" or expected.
As a movie, it balances humor, tenderness, romance, a little quirkiness, and depth of emotion quite well. It's a low-budget movie that doesn't need a budget to focus on what it does expertly. The dynamic relationship of two people trying to figure out who they are and if they're right for each other.
Category: Movie
Genre: Romance
Date Reviewed: 2003-04-22
Pros: Good story treated with respect and balance of humor and feeling. Excellent acting!
Cons: Actually can't think of any. Perhaps the light quirkiness that's needed to make the subject matter more accessable to the public, takes away from the seriousness of the emotion...but I doubt it.
Rating: 8