Secretary- review

Looks like someone got her Hallmark card for Administrative Professionals Day.

This movie is okay.  The acting is actually pretty damn good.  I think though with fine tuning this movie would have made either one awesome sexploitation movie or one of the coolest scary movies ever.  First off, tip of the hat to James Spader for his portrayal of Edward Grey, who sees his sexual habits and fetishes to be shameful yet can’t seem to escape them.

It sort of reminds me of every inner-monologue you hear from a “Dexter” episode.  He thinks he is doing wrong because of the social taboo so because he can’t control himself he is tormented.  Meanwhile the protagonist Lee, played very well by Maggie Gyllenhaal, is socially awkward and self destructive until they meet and begin their BDSM relationship.

Now without revealing way too much about this movie I will say that there are some plot aspects I was not a fan of.  The ending is almost a storybook style “and she lived happily ever after.”  Which I guess makes the theme “if it makes you happy it can’t be that bad”.  But that is such a trite and shitty theme and audiences DO deserve more from their movies. 

Spader's acting is so sweet. Even the flowers are diabetic

That is sort of why I think the writer should have gone one of two extremes.  One option would be to add scene after scene of sex to it as well and making it a sexploitation flick.  The other would be to make Spader’s character a murdering psychopath which if you watch this performance is pretty spot on. 

           

            All in all it’s worth a rental.  It’s incredibly dark in its subject material. It covers things like BDSM and cutting so if you are a sensitive movie viewer then it’s likely not your style.  But the acting is solid and if you are open to it you will at least be entertained for the time spent.