Secretary (2002)
Genre: Comedy / Romance
Duration: 104 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: Steven Shainberg
Stars: Maggie Gyllenhaal, James Spader and Jeremy Davies
IMDb score:
6,9 (108.800)
Releasedate: 20 September 2002
Secretary plot
"Assume the position."
Lee Holloway has just been released from a mental institution, where she was undergoing treatment for her tendency to self-mutilate. Since she has never had a real job, she decides to look for work. She is soon hired as a secretary in the law firm of the bizarre Mr. E. Edward Grey. Her tasks seem normal at first sight, even boring: typing, serving coffee, classifying... But gradually Lee and Mr. Gray is in a sadomasochistic relationship.
Actors and actresses
Mr. Grey
Lee Holloway
Peter
Joan Holloway
Burt Holloway
Dr. Twardon
Tricia O'Connor
Jonathan
Lee's Sister
Sylvia
Reviews & comments
Mr_Mephisto
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- 144 messages
- 1421 votes
It is already clear from the opening scene: this is an weirde film. The meager, but atypical plot and the excellent, unabashed acting performances of Gyllenhaal and Spader give the weirdness some extra elan. Add strikingly good camera work and moments of black humor, and you have a romantic comedy like no other. Eat that, Fifty Shades!
Translated from Dutch · View original
Shadowed
-
- 11421 messages
- 6719 votes
Friendly.
Without a doubt Gyllenhaal's most unusual and challenging role (I think). She may have secretly made even more intense movies, but this has to be one of the weirdest. If I may believe the trivia, she also thought it was a nice experience. Too bad she didn't play the most unusual roles.
Secretary builds on a nice style, which, when stylized, is quite pleasing to the eye. With some good shots and nice decorations within the desk, the viewer can watch the film intrigued, where we are introduced to two quite strong but captivating characters. I think this has been one of the better performances for both Spader and Gyllenhaal.
The film also thrives on the sexual tensions between the two main characters, although I found the spark difficult to break out. I also found the switch from intimidating boss to romantic relationship uncomfortably fast. The unsubtle form of romance feels wrong, when it clearly has to mean a specific form. However, I just couldn't feel it.
What goes wrong, however, is that the film switches to romance at all. I wasn't a fan of it myself, but I do admit that it was the intention. However, I found the first half where it was mainly boss versus secretary much more interesting than when the two grow together. The film also becomes a lot more serious after a while, but instead of hitting it, it mainly pushes the interest away from the film.
Not a bad movie, but one that clearly needs more of the first half. Interesting acting, clever and stylized camera work, but a second half that takes the atmosphere and underlying tension out of the film. The fact that they ultimately opt for a rather predictable ending doesn't help either. Thanks to the many alienating scenes, this is still sufficient. Interesting movie.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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