Secretary Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Assume the position.
The story of a demanding boss and the woman who loves his demands.
Lee Holloway is a smart, quirky woman in her twenties who returns to her hometown in Florida after a brief stay in a mental hospital. In search of relief from herself and her oppressive childhood environment, she starts to date a nerdy friend from high school and takes a job as a secretary in a local law firm, soon developing an obsessive crush on her older boss, Mr. Grey. Through their increasingly bizarre relationship, Lee follows her deepest longings to the heights of masochism and finally to a place of self-affirmation.
| Steven Shainberg |
7.20 out of 10 (18801 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Very Interesting Black Comedy.....
posted on 22 Aug 2009"Secretary" was a very unique black comedy dealing with a taboo subject...sexual harassment. James Spader's sleazy lawyer and Maggie Gyllenhaal's young secretary hit it off on screen, adding sexual sparks, as well as romantic interludes. We see innocence in the eyes of the young secretary when she endures the rigors of working for a demanding boss, and with time, she loses that innocence. And we also see a lawyer in search of a sexual outlet to make him feel good, or feel dominant, as well as to feel loved as a person.I saw this movie as a possible prelude to James Spader's future appearance on "The Practice" and its spin off series, "Boston Legal." Spader's ability to pull off such a performance of note in "Secretary" may have established him as a master of black comedy as an actor, I might be wrong, but that was my impression.All in all, I enjoyed "Secretary" very much and hope to own it on video one day.
It is, without a doubt, the BEST movie I have ever seen!
posted on 20 Aug 2009Sitting down with the DVD from Blockbuster, I had heard a lot, but was not sure what to expect. I put it in, and was absolutely in awe of the stellar performances by the entire cast, especially Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader. The chemistry was natural, and the subject matter enthralling. I highly recommend this movie to anyone, even if they do not enjoy the lifestyle explored in this film. FIVE STARS!
Far from enjoyable
posted on 20 Aug 2009I was expecting a little more out of this movie, considering it was rated 7.2/10. I've seen better movies that have the same rating. It's not a matter of being broad minded etc. A movie's supposed to keep you entertained. Viewers would probably like to see how the story develops, but 3/4 of the way through, I'd had enough and closed the movie. (Right before i fast forwarded the remainder of the movie to see what happened) Personally I think it would've done a lot better if there was more humor in it and a little more drama. The actors did a great job, great lighting etc. Fortunately I borrowed the movie from a mate and didn't waste my $ on it.Well each to their own.
Unique and enthralling
posted on 08 Aug 2009A unique and engrossing love story... certainly not for Mom and Pop!
There's so much humor that floats just below the surface and that's the main appeal for me. Certainly no popcorn movie! I knew nothing about the nature of this film before I saw it, and think that's a great way to experience this spankingly good movie. And the performances! Spader and Maggie G. really connect and infuse the story with the much needed chemistry (sorry, have to use that cliche for lack of a better description) to carry this unique story. I will never look at a law office the same... Highly recommend this movie.
Good, but not great.
posted on 06 Aug 2009I wonder if anybody noticed the resemblence between the "Secretary" and "The Piano Teacher" ? Granted that the latter is French, it's probably not as popular as the former. It is, however, a better, more complex view at the subject of S&M. Definitely see "The Piano Teacher" and share your opinion in reviews after you do :).
I fell in love with Lee Holloway
posted on 27 Jul 2009James Spader is a great actor with a wise and sensitive character.But no doubt it is Maggie Gyllenhaal that made me to fall in love with miss Lee Holloway...I have no affinity for SM sex but now maybe I understand it better. Lee does not just want to be spanked. She uses pain in order to dominate her life. Mr Gray appeared as a strong person that combines well with her needs. And, off course , she became in love with him.I want to thank Steven Shainberg for making domination so human and beautiful.p.s. Secretary is comparable to The Piano Teacher.
Let the ruling class rule
posted on 17 Jul 2009Yes, this is intelligent. It's also elegant and humorous, but just slightly humorous, according to what an intelligent audience is supposed to accept, concerning a complicated S/M-relation.But it's to clever. All to clever. Maggie Gyllenhaal as the secretary is of course good, making a character from some chic comic book. And Jeremy Davies as her "straight" boyfriend is really like someone from outside the studios, with nervous tics and a funny way to walk. But the moral here is too immoral. It says that in an erotic-emotional class society the strong one wins. The ruler takes it all. That's not comforting. Jeremy Davies loses of course and it's hard to accept. This is too much the success of the overdog.
A shy, eccentric employer gives his latest secretary's life meaning through strict (and oft sexy) discipline.
posted on 15 Jul 2009Laughingly, my secretary gave me this DVD and I thought it was a joke. This movie is entirely serious and is not a cliché driven story.James Spader portrays a very eccentric lawyer who likes to discipline his secretaries. Maggie Gyllenhaal's character is a self-mutilating homebody who discovers she's truly a masochist at heart. These descriptions may lead you to think of these characters as stereotypical and two-dimensional throw-aways, but the story is powerful and easily pulls you into caring for both.The strength of this movie is in the superbly created tension between the two characters. Not until late in the screenplay do the two actually acknowledge on the surface what they are doing. For the majority of the movie, the two thrive on the subtext of everything that is done, both living for the moment when she can be disciplined.While there is a little nudity toward the end, there is very little through the main portion of the show. While the show lends to much more of it, the sexual tension without the nudity is truly perfect. I was much more aroused by the dynamics of the two characters than I was of her brief but full frontal nudity at the end. (I do appreciate the cast and crew for giving us the glimpse that we surely wanted in the end!)I've been pretty neutral with Spader's career. I'm not a fan but I do enjoy some of his work. While it surely seems much easier to portray a slightly off balance individual (a la Rainman), Spader's performance is spot on for the role (kudos to the director on this as well.)Maggie Gyllenhaal is not your typical Hollywood beauty, but possesses that girl-next-door quality that suckers many of us. While not incredibly attractive at the beginning, the painfully slow transmogrification into a more attractive woman(never a stunning beauty as cliché would have it). I found her to be very yummy, and while I am repelled by incredibly submissive people, there was something compelling about this character.I would have to say I was very pleased spending the time watching this movie. A little out of the box, very stimulating, and somewhat erotic, I'd recommend this movie to most adults.
Gyllenhall and Spader work together to bring to life a fantastic movie about fetishes and unusual romance
posted on 05 Jul 2009I loved Secretary the first time I saw it. James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhall both deliver outstanding performances, and their chemistry together is amazing.You might find the S&M to be a bit disturbing, but once you can move past the creepiness, it's actually an adorable love story. The two main characters, Lee (Gyllenhall) and Mr. Grey (Spader) begin to develop an (for lack of a better word) interesting relationship after he hires her as his secretary. When he discovers that she has been practicing self-mutilation, he convinces her to stop. She also helps him in a way, but to describe how would ruin the end of the movie.
Eh...not so much
posted on 03 Jul 2009First off, let me say that I have no problem with S&M. I'm not bothered by it and I viewed this film with an open-mind. So the content of the movie was not why I disliked it.The movie was dull and anti-climactic. It was TEDIOUS for me to watch, because I kept waiting for something to happen...and it didn't. Generally I find that when movies are slow, they are leading up to something big. Unfortunately, this did not. The ending was unsatisfied and too much akin to a "Hollywood ending". After watching the movie, I felt like I wasted my time because the film was pointless. Also, if the director was trying to show sadomasochism occurring in a real environment, he did a poor job. The sets, albeit aesthetically pleasing, did not fit the movie. The music was like that of a porno, which degraded the quality of the movie to me.The atmosphere of the movie was all wrong...it felt cold, one-dimensional, and clinical. I didn't care about the characters at all.A lot of people seemed to enjoy this movie...I think that because a movie is "different" or "independent" people think that they are deep or intellectual by enjoying it. But I don't think that these had any hallmarks of a good movie. People just feel pressured to like it because it's indie. I thought it was a waste of time...there are so many better movies than this.
A different kind of lovestory.... (NO SPOILERS)
posted on 01 Jul 2009Lee Holloway (Gyllanhaal) is just released from a mental institution. She returns back home, but things haven't changed since her departure. Eventually she falls back into her old pattern of closed personality and self-mutilation. She gets a job as a secretary for Mr. Grey (Spader) and she tries franticly to stay sane, but her dysfunctional family isn't helping. As does Mr. Grey, who is a bully of a boss. Than, one day, she finds the steady ground she needs. In the most unexpected way. The balance in her life that could probably save her.I won't tell you what it is, you'll find out for yourself. But Secretary is a good film. It's thoughtful, sensitive, funny and non-exploitive.In a world filled with American Pies, Old School's and Road Trip's, this a relieve. A sign that (black) comedy can still be mixed with sexual exploration without getting cheap.
Brilliant
posted on 23 Jun 2009Those who are familiar with my comments will know that I can't stand most of Hollywood. Sometimes they have absolutely no taste, or they have this obsession with having clean cut heroes, makes them all look so idiotic and naive. Pity, I'm sure they all aren't if someone had the talent to make this truly gifted film.It's been a very long time since I was so thoroughly persuaded by an actor to believe in a character, and Maggie Gyllenhaal pulled that off so easily it's astonishing. She is Lee Holloway, a troubled young woman dealing with problems at home, so she resorts to cutting herself, finding comfort in the pain and the healing. When discovered she's sent to a mental institution to get better, and when she leaves we join her journey to build up her life.After passing her typing tests with excellence she applies for a job at E.Edward Grey's office as a secretary. She gets the job, after being asked the most untoward questions, despite having no references, and having not been put off by the previous secretary, departing in tears.And from there the story builds. Mr Grey, played to the perfect tone by James Spader, is a completely dominant oddball, and Lee is a subservient: I'm sure you can guess what kind of relationship builds from there.Yet strangely I would not call the film predictable. Stripped of the details the story follows a fairly familiar formula, but you're paying too much attention to what's happening to care. I've seen somewhere that people don't like the ending. Obviously with such a great heroine there has to be a happy ending, but I think there's far more to it than that. My congratulations to Gyllenhaal for the film's last shot: that look says a great deal to me.Absolutely dripping in sexual tension right from the very start of Lee and Grey's relationship, the characters pull you in to their far from normal lives with ease, and it's a pleasure to watch. I can't think of any faults, really I can't. No one, I think, is over the top or could/should do better. If a sequel is made then I will definitely see it, though sequels generally rarely impress, even in their own right. There is the sense that there is more to this story to be told, and unlike most romances you have no idea what will happen after the credits roll, so convincing is this pair that you really want to know what happened to them.Not to be missed in one's lifetime I believe.
Touching love story
posted on 16 May 2009Summary: A young woman who is a self-mutilator and who has just been released from a mental hospital gets a job as a secretary for a small time lawyer. She is timid and shy at first, and the lawyer is a rather demanding type of character. Their relationship soon blossoms into a sadomasochistic, though non-sexual one. And as the story progresses the relationship deepens and becomes more meaningful to both characters.Comments: Maggie Gyllenhaal's performance was wonderful. Like any great actor, she makes us believe that she really is the character, and is not just an actor playing a role. This is the first time I have seen her in a film, and I would like to see more of her to compare and contrast with Secretary. I have the feeling that she has potential to be one of the great character actors of the decade. Spader's performance was also of a high caliber. I thought the ending was superb - deeply satisfying and well earned. And as they say in Hollywood, a film is all about the last act.The subject matter is controversial and may turn off many viewers. But I thought it was tastefully handled, and in fact becomes the genesis for a beautiful love story.Drawbacks: The film starts out slow and builds momentum after the first half hour. At first I have to admit I was not drawn in by the characters - I just simply could not relate, and they all seemed to be overly neurotic. But this is important character building time to set the stage for the sadomasochism and love story plot that follows.Overall: An original and well-made film. Great acting and one of the screen's most unique love stories. Check it out if you have an open mind and like quirky, neurotic characters.
Excellent film
posted on 16 May 2009This is coming from a 16 year old girl, who likes mainly gross horror films, but I must say that this movie is my ultimate favorite movie. I love it. James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhal are excellent in this film. The chemistry between them is phenomenal. The story is beautifully played out and very sexy. I love the infamous spanking scenes. I never have really looked at James Spader before. But ever since this movie I find him to be so sexy. His portrayal of E. Edward Grey is absolutely perfect, and NO ONE could play it better than him. Same goes to Maggie Gyllenhal! I never really knew her too well, but this movie shows that she has got a lot of talent. Anyways, I highly recommend this sexy and captivating movie to anyone. It might just turn you on
Slow-moving and boring.
posted on 06 May 2009I sat through the entire film waiting for something interesting to happen. Maybe a couple of scenes were not what you would see in almost any other film. The acting of the two principal actors were good and there was a bit of S&M viewed, but not much. A couple of oddballs, one looking forward to S&M and the other trying hard to control his desire for S&M. No humor, no action, a little bit of nudity. I was disappointed.
A Female Movie? Females Like Spanking?
posted on 20 Apr 2009A surprise little jewel of a movie where the female audience appear to appreciate this film more than the men. What does this indicate about women? Do they like a little pain? Do they like to suffer if it for love?
Surprisingly, light on the graphics of S&M, this S&M Light does have going to it an inhibited woman who seems to grow from an experience that is quite unusual for most women. It also shows a different approach to love and passion and commitment. A dramatic, romance with a wry sense of humor, this movie offers its audience an intriguing look at an alternative approach to pain and love that brings a twinge of heartache and a rise of sexual heat in its soft sadistic way.
Fab
posted on 20 Apr 2009I watched this film for the first time two days ago and then watched it again yesterday to see whatever I missed. I loved this film. I think it is very well made, it is slow getting into the story and some things are not fully explained but the relationship between Lee and Edward is great to watch. It is funny in parts and very tender in others. I am going to buy this for myself as soon as I can and I would recommend it to anyone as a good film to watch. It is not explicit and things are more suggestive than anything else. When Lee sleeps with her boyfriend Peter for the first time it is more humorous than anything else.Good film anyway.
Anybody can help me with one of the soundtracks, please
posted on 22 Aug 2009I just saw this movie and I think it's really beautiful, especially the shower scene when "Chariots Rise" by Lizzie West is played. I am dying to find this song, but it seems hopeless. I'd love to purchase it online unfortunately i am in China! So if anyone who has the song can contact me: ajiu81@hotmail.com, i will be very happy to hear from you. Thanks a lot. I just saw this movie and I think it's really beautiful, especially the shower scene when "Chariots Rise" by Lizzie West is played. I am dying to find this song, but it seems hopeless. I'd love to purchase it online unfortunately i am in China! So if anyone who has the song can contact me: ajiu81@hotmail.com, i will be very happy to hear from you. Thanks a lot. I just saw this movie and I think it's really beautiful, especially the shower scene when "Chariots Rise" by Lizzie West is played. I am dying to find this song, but it seems hopeless. I'd love to purchase it online unfortunately i am in China! So if anyone who has the song can contact me: ajiu81@hotmail.com, i will be very happy to hear from you. Thanks a lot.