Secretary
Is there anything more sadomasochistic than the Hollywood love story? With that question in mind, Secretary tells the tale of a rather unorthodox romance between two people with certain sexual needs many of us might find peculiar. What makes Secretary fun is how it uses the formula of the Hollywood romance movie to tell its story. It also makes the point more valid—that love and sexual desire come in many forms, interacting with each other in many different ways, none of them any less meaningful to the people involved than the conventional standards to which society conforms. Spader is brilliant—creepy and charming all at once—in that quasi-deviant role for which he's become known. But Secretary belongs to Gyllenhaal, who turns her shy, empathetic, misunderstood girl into a woman confident in herself and her choices—all through her newfound role as a submissive.
- November 15, 2005
DVD Extras
A lot of fun could have been had in this deparment, but instead there's just a little featurette about the film with cast and crew interviews. Maybe budget needs forced such a small collection of extras, but given the subject matter—very disappointing.