Secretary

Pros: Gyllenhaal, Spader, Plot
Cons: Themes may not be for everyone

Don’t you just love a good old fashioned romance? Boy and girl meet, overcome insurmountable odds, end up together living a fairy tale life. Sigh. Then, of course, we have Secretary. At its core, Secretary doesn’t deviate from...

Pros: Plenty of erotic tension between the leads.
Cons: Most would find this one upsetting.

This little film about obsession and control has made quite a stir in some circles since it was released. Take two equally obsessed individuals, and put them in close contact with each other, and when both of them don't mind pushing the boundaries a bit, ...

Pros: Great acting performances and character development.
Cons: At times the plot is dull and depraved.

Secretary
2002 Sundance
Rated R


Since many of you know that I enjoy giving out spankings as punishment and I have been on a spanking rampage as of late, this is an ideal movie for me to review. Secretary is one...

Pros: Amazing performance from Gyllenhaal, great black comedy...
Cons: S&M may be a bit too much for some viewers...

Movies should above all other things make you feel. Sometimes a film offers up a handful of puppies and warm fuzzies. Other times, that feeling tends more toward the sick and uncomfortable. As far as choosing films to view goes, I much prefer the dark...

Pros: Very unique story, great acting
Cons: Learning how to spell Gyllenhaal for this review

Secretary is an dark love story that puts a very unique and bizarre twist on the old cliché about a secretary sleeping with the boss. It stars Maggie Gyllenhaal as a mentally disturbed young women who lands a job working for an anal control freak ...

Pros: Maggie Gyllenhaal!!!!! The art direction and cinematography, and to a lesser degree James Spader
Cons: Based on a short story, it feels like a short story. A Long short story.

Hallelujah, it's raining Gyllenhaals! Someday people may look back at 2002 as the year the Gyllenhaals took over. Actually, if you want, you can look back to the later half of 2001 and we really should have known that this Gyllenhaal invasion was coming....

Pros: Reality bites, and the pain is good. Maggie Gyllenhaal is outstanding as usual.
Cons: It moves along pretty slowly, nothing too terribly climactic ever happens.

To what extent do we defend our moral grounds? How far should a person go in the process of intervention when they know someone they love is doing something dangerous to themselves? While Secretary doesn't have a black and white answer to ...

Pros: Direction, Screenplay, Cinematography, Art Direction, Score, & Cast notably Spader & Gyllenhaal.
Cons: None, Unless You're Sensitive to S&M Fetishes & Behavior.

Throughout the years of independent films, one of the most beloved subjects filmmakers like to tackle on is sex. Ranging from such movies as the voyeuristic sex, lies, and videotape to the disturbing John Waters’ Pink Flamingo. ...

Pros: Finally, something off the beaten track.
Cons: Not going to be for everyone (even though the sadomasochism is mild)

All right, now that you’re already weirded out by my above statement (that is, if you already know what this movie is about), I only say that because I think James Spader is sexy. Let’s move on. Secretary was a movie I caught on TV one ...

Pros: Taboo concepts. James Spader. Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Cons: It may not be for everyone. But hey, what is?

In much the same way as Queer As Folk pushes the barrow for the gay and lesbian crowd, Secretary takes leaps and bounds towards bringing legitimacy and empathy to another lifestyle choice. For aficionados of bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism...

Pros: …
Cons: …

Q: What’s the difference between kinky and perverted? A: Kinky is using a feather; perverted is using the entire chicken. I’m not really sure how I came across this movie or what made me want to see it. I was probably looking for James Spader ...

Pros: .
Cons: .

Is there anything more fetishistic, more indicative of a dominant-submissive relationship, than those little red pencils an editor uses? He takes them out of his desk, taps the lead against the paper, and proceeds to makes mincemeat of your supposed ...

Pros: Phenomenal performances.
Cons: Do I recommend it or not?

Secretary is a black comedy piece from director Steven Shainberg. Shainberg previously directed the forgettable "Hit Me", and with a shared writing credit, and full directorial and producing credits from this film, it felt as though he was growing ...

Pros: Visually impressive, Maggie Gyllenhaal's performance
Cons: Potentially off-putting subject matter, some intense scenes

Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal) doesn't quite have an ideal life. Her dad's an alcoholic, her mom (Lesley Ann Warren) is smothering, and her sister (Amy Locane) has an utterly perfect, happy life.

She also has a problem with self-mutilation,...

Pros: Excellent performances by the two leads, film maintains a surprisingly likeable tone throughout.
Cons: Weak supporting characters, particularly the obligatory Boring Boyfriend.

I went into The Secretary not knowing what to expect. I liked the lead actors, and the film ...