DVD Review: Secretary Is Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Breakthrough Performance!

If you want to watch a dark romantic comedy rent or buy a copy of the 2002 independent film “Secretary” on DVD. Maggie Gyllenhaal shines in the lead role as Lee Holloway. Lee Holloway is a depressed, lonely, suicidal, young woman she recently was released from a mental institution. Lee feels there is a void in her life she has emotions of melancholy and despair. The movie Secretary explores the alienation young adults encounter after graduating from high school. Where does your life go after school ends? How do you find yourself? What is your true identity?

Lee is having a hard time transitioning back to the real world her parents marriage is also on the rocks. Lee is not sure if the real world is where she belongs she doesn’t feel loved. Whenever Lee is unhappy and depressed she mutilates herself with a knife because she believe she deserves to experience the feelings of bitterness and unhappiness. Lee is bored with her life and restless.

Lee meets a young man Peter he is boring and Lee isn’t really interested in him. Lee figures since she’s bored she might as well date Peter since he does give her some affection and attention. Peter doesn’t excite Lee though. Peter asks Lee to marry him and she agrees only because she feels she should. Peter seems like a nice guy but Lee keeps on wondering if they are more exciting men out there? Lee decides she wants a better life and she begins takes a typing course discovering she’s good at it. Lee decides to apply to an secretary job for an attorney Edward Grey.

James Spader’s character Mr. Grey is a recluse, he is also into S&M. Mr. Grey is attracted to Lee the feelings are mutual but Mr. Grey cannot muster the courage to tell Lee that is deeply in love with her. Mr. Grey admonishes Lee for typos and spelling errors and this turns both of them on. Mr. Grey tells Lee to assume certain S&M positions and smacks her behind. Mr. Grey is all about being the dominant man and he wants a secretary to submit to his sexual fantasies. Mr. Lee and Grey don’t have actual intercourse but they play a lot of mind games. Mr. Grey is the aggressor and Lee is in the submissive role. Some feminists are outraged at the movie Secretary because they think the movie is sexist and dehumanizing to women.

Some people might not like Secretary because the movie is extremely sexual and very frank about the issues of sexuality. Mr. Grey has a hard time connecting with women he doesn’t want to have intercourse with Lee but he is sexually aroused when she is submissive. Lee is also turned on by Mr. Grey she masturbates in her bedroom rubbing her fingers between her crotch screaming the words “I’m your secretary!”, “I’m your secretary!”. “I’m your secretary!” over and over again until she has an intense orgasm. Also after Mr. Grey yells at Lee she is turned on and she mastrubates again in the washroom stall touching herself and climaxing again.

Lee is searching for some meaning in her life. Mr. Grey is afraid he will fall in love with Lee and he fires her. Lee becomes upset puts on a wedding dress and engages in a three day hunger strike to prove to Mr. Grey she loves him. I won’t spoil the ending but Secretary is a gritty, wonderful, quirky, dark, romantic comedy.