Secretary

Rating:
Summary: Maggie shines
Review: This is an extraordinary movie. Anybody can watch it, male or female. I enjoyed Maggie Gyllenhaal's acting more than anything. This movie caused me to have a crush on her! The genre can best be described as a Dark Romantic Comedy. James Spader is great with his fidgeting and yelling. The DVD presents the film in a widescreen format. The extras include the original theatrical trailer of the film which is cool to watch, a 7 minute behind-the-scenes featurette with interviews with the director and cast, a photo gallery, and audio commentary from Director Steven Shainberg and writer Erin Cressida Wilson. If you are a fan of Maggie like I am, see Secretary before seeing Mona Lisa Smile.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best movies of the year
Review: If you come to Secretary expecting a raunchy comedy full of short skirts and spanking, then you'll be disappointed. If, however, you're a fan of offbeat movies with wonderfully drawn characters then this is definitely worth a look. The story has sado-masochist, withdrawn Lee (Gyllenhaal) take up a job as secretary at the offices of Edward Grey (Spader), a bullying depressive lawyer. As the relationship grows in intensity, spanking included, both Lee and Grey wonder how they can unite their inner turmoil to the way the other makes them feel.

The acting is brilliant. Gyllenhall really proves that she has what it takes to be an actress of her generation, easily overtaking other talented competition from Kirsten Dunst and Reese Witherspoon. Clearly a beautiful young woman she manages to hold herself in such a way as to make her appear the most dumpy, boring, painfully shy girl you'd ever come across. Sister to Donnie Darko star Jake, she clearly proves herself just as worthy of acclaim as her sibling. Spader takes a pretty similar role to that he had in Crash a few years ago, though here he adds in a kind of profound depression into his bullying ways and really sparkles with his co-star.

When reviews say this isn't a movie for everyone, that's true. A lot of people like their love stories straightforward, and this is anything but. Laced with dry humour Secretary traces one of the year's most delicate, beautiful relationships as Lee and Grey find in each other exactly what they'd never realised they'd needed their whole lives. The ending will leave you with exactly the right amount of hope for love in a world where only loneliness and self harm seem to be the answer for its characters. Imaginative, different and compelling.

Rating:
Summary: Can't stop watching this unique, superb film
Review: I recently resubscribed to HBO in order to watch "Angels in America" (first-rate, incidentally) and stumbled across SECRETARY. I had never heard of the film, knew nothing about it - which is so rare and wonderful these days to be able to completely form one's own opinion about a film.

First off, I have now watched the film, or most of it, at least three times over the last week or so (for once, I'm happy with all the repetition on a movie channel). I just can't resist each time I see it listed on HBO's schedule.

I know the main reason: Maggie Gyllenhaal. I had never heard of her either, and her acting in this film - even her mere presence on the screen - is magnetic, electrifying, multi-dimensional, honest, sexy, smart . . . I may not have heard of her before but I'll be watching whatever else she does from now on!

Secondly, James Spader, Gyllenhaal's costar, is well cast as her boss, in a role in my opinion played perfectly: perfectly understated, perfectly reserved, perfectly sexy . . . in fact I have now added James Spader to my list of most sexy men in films today.

If you want a debate about S&M, read some of the other reviews.

The two important things I believe you need to consider in order to thoroughly enjoy and appreciate this film are:

(1)Appreciate the comedy! If you can't see the wit and comedy in this film, and appreciate the genius comedic moments of both Gyllenhaal and Spader, (as well as other supporting players) you are missing the point; and

(2) Don't take the S&M so seriously, but understand that the film supports the reason for it, builds the justification for it logically and intelligently from the start, and successfully transitions the characters based on the S&M relationship to a fitting resolution.

As stated above, can't stop watching, or thinking about, this unique, superb film.

And I bet you 10 bucks it will excite most women like me - who despise hard-core porn and find soft-core porn just silly - but will find the sexuality in this film (both mainstream and otherwise) a steamy, sensual, turn-on.

Rating:
Summary: A not sexy Secretary
Review: I had high hopes for this movie, clearly too high. As a fan of spanking in real life, watching this movie was painful, and not in a fun way. The two characters in this story are so psychologically messed up that it removes any eroticism the teasers and trailers suggest. This is one of those movies where the trailers were better than the movie.

The secretary Lee, played by Gyllenhaal, plays the part of the abused child very well, so well that I feel sorry for her and wish she would really get therapy.

James Spader, plays Edward, the lawyer who hires Lee, and he is a very odd lawyer indeed. He only uses a typewriter, and loves red pens. This would be perfect for us spanking fans, but he plays the role neurotic, not erotic. I wish he would get some therapy as well!

This movie was a dud in my mind and if you think this would be a good spanking intro movie - DO NOT DO IT. It's a better movie for people learning to be therapists than for spanking fans. They could have made both characters less psychologically damaged, more real, and had some real fun with the movie. Instead I felt sorry for both characters and cringed because those that do see this movie will probably think anyone who likes spanking has real problems.

Good acting (too good almost), good premise but a dud in terms of the writing and the characters. I felt sorry for both Edward and Lee and the ending was so unreal as to make the movie a joke.

Rating:
Summary: Oodles and Oodles of kinky postmodernist love
Review: Wow, there are things I really loved about this movie. Turning the love story into a kinky, sexy, controlling, postmodern, postcolonial version of Americana in the workplace. It makes you want to roll over and get your butt slapped. Until the end that is. Then the filmmakers tank the whole film by forcing it to fit within the boring Hollywood convention of a love story. They even use reporters in the film, not to make a statement on our over powering draw to the media (especially to see the foreign and uncomfortable), but to make the interviewee's statement grounded in normality. It's a fantastic movie if you don't watch the last half hour....

Rating:
Summary: 100 LASHES FOR THE BAD ENDING!!
Review: This is a perfect example of a fantastic film ruined by an unrealistic ending. Throwing tomatoes at the tied up guy--REALLY!! The spanking scene is probably the most sexy you will ever see, and the acting is OUTSTANDING!! Yes, you can't spank yourself, as she tried; not enough arm action. I know--I TRIED IT!!

Rating:
Summary: DIFFERENT
Review: I enjoy movies that do a good job developing their characters in the movie. This is definately, one of them. Lee and Mr. Grey, have a super hot connection. Try something "different", watch this movie!!!

Rating:
Summary: A Powerful Subconscious Mind Poke
Review: I read these reviews as opinion pieces on films to get a wider perspective. I could write the whole standard newspaper-style article but that's not really the meat of what I want to talk about, so please excuse me if I skip to the chase here.

This movie is about sex, but it's also about repression and shame for having deviant thoughts. These people are interesting not because of the sex (although it was lovingly, beautifully depicted in kinky glory), but because they've broken through and discovered their true selves, and put their shame aside.

They've made a hedonist's journey - from being small and ashamed about the body, to enjoying it fully. I thought it was beautiful - because I think the body's needs are the expression of the true self, and we constantly put up mysterious psychological barriers against them.

First off, what is shame, or modesty? We form a mental 'box' around our sexuality - I'm not sure why. People don't go naked, even in warmer climates, I suppose because sex is not so distracting and we need a mental space in which to conduct more common social interaction - but that's not the same as shame..

Spader's character was obviously very ashamed of his sexual deviance. I don't understand this - my sense is that there's only shame if the behavior is harmful to oneself or others - otherwise it's either a curiousity of a person's neurological development, and is either wonderful or a waste of time. In any case, shame is irrelevant.

Even as I write this I know I couldn't live those words. Shame, especially the sexual type, is hard-wired - just as much as the pecadillo that caused it.

Here we see Spader break out of his 'shame spiral'(!) and open up, beautifully - into a relationship - kinky but real - instead of his previous forays, which I gather were more of the 'kinky and weird' variety. His character was stunted and poorly socialized, probably for all sorts of reasons. His character was forced to change - to heal and become whole.

I thought it was very beautiful to see him open up and trust and allow Maggie into his life. She forced his hand - and that's necessary - I felt it was beautiful that she cared enough to push him, hard, and take him out of his broken existence.

As for Maggie, she was never really repressed or ashamed about sex - she was more of an invisible person on the periphery of others' lives. Here we see her gain enormous power through this newfound Kink, and her love allows her to break through her follower-mentality and become a real person - with a will of her own. They open up together and become new people who can enjoy their bodies and live life to the fullest. I thought this was a terrific movie - a rarity in that it's about sex, and is not aimed at 15-year-olds, and pulls so few punches. Usually only the French produce such films.

Maggie is wry and sharp, and easy on the eyes - I couldn't take mine off her - she's a star from this day forward.

Rating:
Summary: Not for the uneasy viewers...
Review: Secretary is an excellent potrayal of fantasies and desires and fetishes one can't speak in words. Maggie Glynnenhall does an excellent job as the shy and mildly confused Lee who is taken in as a Secretary. Simple conversations turn into deep truth games, where dark secrets are spilled between Lee and the boss. He helps her cope with an obsession with injection and cutting herself. Soon, this turns into even more when the boss' obsession with typos turns into a kinky world of spanks, chains, and moist succulent fun. Secretary bring what other movies revolving around this subject cannot; charm, wit, and beautiful grotesque scenes between the boss and Lee. Lee's life to the viewer is alost pathetic, who lives with her parents and dates a poor man. All this is fulfilled by her desires to spell wrong on her typings and this movie thickens the border for the crazy world of kinky fetishes. Excellent movie..but not for the uneasy viewer..

Rating:
Summary: Spader and Gylenhaal are great
Review: Spader and Gylenhaal make this movie work...performances are crisp and fast and fun...especially Spader who is so serious about those typos..jeez..Gylenhaal is the sister of Jake Gylenhaal(October Sky, Highway)...good movie