Cheap Secretary (DVD) (Steven Shainberg) Price

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Customer Reviews of Secretary

Maggie Gyllenhaal is absolutely adorable and incredibly sexy as Lee Holloway, a young woman who is a cutter - someone who cuts herself to avoid inner pain, to feel she is alive, to take comfort in the pain itself and the healing. She has recently been released from a mental institution for attempted suicide, and is placed into the care of her amazingly dysfunctional family. She begins cutting herself again, until her new boss, E. Edward Grey (James Spader,) slowly brings her into a dominant/submissive relationship. Spader plays Grey perfectly, portraying some of the most genuine inner conflict I have ever seen on-screen. His intensity is unparalleled.

That's the short story right there, but until you see this film, you won't realie the intensity (there's that word again) of each character's awkwardness with her- or himself, won't release how necessary their relationship is to each of them, and how they come to feel about each other. The story is surprisingly funny and light-hearted both subtly and overtly in places, utterly charming in others, sad in several, and heart-warming overall. The direction is superb, the colors and sets are absolutely gorgeous and rich in color....everything about this film is stunning. It is not shocking, it is not pornographic, but it is sensual and sexual.

Lee's transformation is, of course, the focal point of the film, but there are other layers to appreciate and savor as well. This is an enjoyable ride that allows those unfamiliar with aspects of BDSM to see a tiny glimpse of two peoples' version of it, but it's also more than that. The "more than that" is really difficult to describe, I'm sorry. But it's a beautiful, tender love story, and I highly recommend it - I'll definitely watch it again.

The DVD's extra features are somewhat lacking, sadly, but the "Behind the Secretary" bit is fun. Despite the stereotypically dark subject matter, as the "behind" bit states, she is actually travelling a journey from darkness into light - and that's absolutely it. Mr. Grey's office is a sanctuary where orchids grow, and where Lee begins to grow and blossom, too. The long shots down the hallway to his office underline the journey, and are beautiful unto themselves. It's simply a great, great story! Charming! Beautiful! Lovely! Stunning! Almost perfect! [grin]

Offbeat comedy, treading where others have feared to go
This film deals with the eroticism of classic dominance and submission. And yet it's a quirky character-driven romantic comedy. Maggie Gyllenhaal stars as Lee, a young woman who has just been released from a mental hospital. Seems she's into self-mutilation and even though her mother hides all the knives in the house, Lee still manages do some surreptitious cuts on her inner thighs with her manicure implements. Soon, she gets a secretarial job for a lawyer, played by James Spader. It's a rather strange office where they still use old-fashioned manual typewriters. Weird details like this keep the story unreal.

In spite of a rather placid romance with another former mental hospital graduate, Jeremy Davis, there's no doubt that Lee is attracted to her boss, who shows signs of having his own compulsive mental problems. Eventually, she makes some typographical errors. Her boss then has her bend over the desk while he administers a spanking. She's immediately turned on and starts to pursue him.

The script does well in that it makes the secretary both vulnerable and plucky at the same time. There's a lot of character development. She's a fine actress and seems to own the role. James Spader and Jeremy Davis are excellent as well. The script does not do well when it lapses into dreamy fantasy sequences which slow down the action. It's also longer than it needs to be and makes the same points too many times. And the ending is ridiculous and doesn't grow intrinsically from the plot.

The best thing about "Secretary" is that it's different and treads where others have feared to go. The tone is lighthearted throughout and there are some real connections between the characters during the erotic scenes. However, it sure isn't for everybody. And some people will find it quite uncomfortable to watch. I enjoyed it but it just had too many faults for me to give it more than a lukewarm recommendation.

Puppydog S&M
Secretary goes about solving the problem of "finding the right one" in quite a humerous and riske manner. S&M! Now before you jump to conclussions, you are not going to be barraged with images Betty Page look-a-likes and more torture devices than you can shake a stick at, don't worry. I can see how this film got its R rating, but it still goes about presenting this material it in a almost tame manner. It shows how two people with different, yet equally debilitating shy demeanors, can through extreme socially taboo means, discover that they are soulmates. I say that this movie is a must see for those who have a taste for the bizare, along with happy endings.