DVD Release
Secretary (2002)
R1 / NTSC DVD
Lionsgate / 2003
Directed by Steven Shainberg
Written by Erin Cressida Wilson, Steven Shainberg & Mary Gaitskill
Cast: Maggie Gyllenhaal, James Spader, Lesley Ann Warren & Jeremy Davies
Review by James Garfield
Lee (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is a shy woman with a history of self-cutting. She takes her first job as a secretary for Mr. Grey (James Spader), a reticent, reclusive lawyer. He only gets loud when berating Lee over her typing errors—and then, one day, he demands that she bend over his desk and read a mistyped letter aloud as he spanks her. Rather than finding another attorney to employ for a sexual-harassment suit, Lee, enjoying the experience, continues working for Grey and even makes deliberate errors in hopes of more punishment. She blossoms with the emotional support her sessions with her employer provide (in their own way). Lee has another suitor, Peter (Jeremy Davies), and when Grey gets frightened and backs off from a relationship, firing her, she must decide which man has really captured her heart.
Secretary is notable as an attempt to water down sadomasochism for the mainstream, wrapping it all up in a “sweet” love story, complete with the message that all one needs to make life meaningful is a mate. I may just be jaded, associating S&M with darker films like Maitresse and The Image, and people who really don’t mind getting what is, in the final analysis, just a quirky romance will enjoy Secretary more than I. Not that I disliked it; there are more than a few funny moments, and truly top-notch acting. Spader, as always, projects intelligence and charisma, and Gyllenhaal deservedly became a breakout star with this role. The colorful production design is another bonus.
I was charmed by Secretary, even though I don’t usually like love stories, and certainly didn’t like the film’s apparent message: “If you’re a woman who abuses herself, find a man to do it for you and you’ll be just fine.” If you do dig romances but want something offbeat for a change, you’ll eat Secretary up.
