Secretary poster

2002·111 min·Released

Secretary

“Assume the position.”

Romance
Drama
Comedy

A young woman, recently released from a mental hospital, gets a job as a secretary to a demanding lawyer, where their employer-employee relationship turns into a sexual, sadomasochistic one.

6.8(1,943 votes)

Popularity7

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Cast & Crew

James Spader

James Spader

Mr. Grey

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Maggie Gyllenhaal

Lee Holloway

Jeremy Davies

Jeremy Davies

Peter

Lesley Ann Warren

Lesley Ann Warren

Joan Holloway

Stephen McHattie

Stephen McHattie

Burt Holloway

Patrick Bauchau

Patrick Bauchau

Dr. Twardon

Jessica Tuck

Jessica Tuck

Tricia O'Connor

Osgood Perkins

Osgood Perkins

Jonathan

Amy Locane

Amy Locane

Lee's Sister

Mary Joy

Mary Joy

Sylvia

Michael Mantell

Michael Mantell

Stewart

Lily Knight

Lily Knight

Paralegal

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Wuchak

Written on 3/25/2018

Dominance and submission at the office (um... no) RELEASED IN 2002 and directed by Steven Shainberg, "Secretary" is a romantic dramedy about a young woman (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who spent some time at a mental hospital for self-harm (e.g. cutting). She apprehends a job as a secretary to a quirky, arduous lawyer (James Spader) wherein their employer-employee bond turns increasingly sexual in a dominant/submissive way. This is the first mainline film in America to breach the difficult topic of BDSM, walking the balance beam between being either too amusing or too offensive. For those not in the know, BDSM is an overlap of acronyms: BD stands for Bondage and Discipline; DS for Dominance and Submission; and SM for Sadism and Masochism. I didn’t really know the movie tackled BDSM before viewing it; I thought it was simply a romance-in-the-office type flick with maybe some kinky elements. The movie is polarizing, unsurprisingly. I read a few reviews by respectable critics and one was fascinated by it, giving it an incredible 10/10 Stars (Why Sure!), while another wrote it off as a film for sick people, granting it 1/10 Stars. Whilst I find the romance-at-the-office element interesting, I could care less about the BDSM angle. Regardless, the first half is amusing enough and Maggie is a winsome treat, but the second half gets a little too deviant and borders on porn. Yet the movie ends well with a well-intentioned message: This is a story about two people who have an affinity for DS that find each other and their relationship may or may not work (no spoilers). I suppose the movie is trying to get across that pain can be therapeutic as long as it's applied by the right hand with the right intention. Thus two people with an affinity for BDSM can develop a relationship that works, for them. But not me; no thanks. THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour 47 minutes and was shot in Los Angeles. WRITERS: Mary Gaitskill (short story) and Erin Cressida Wilson & Shainberg (screenplay). GRADE: C-

Media

Blu-ray Trailer

Blu-ray Trailer