Secretary

I must admit that I loved every moment of this unusual film that works especially well because Steven Shainberg refuses to treat the subject as sensational, but simply tells the story. Dont let the ordinary title of this splendidly edgy film make you believe that you are about to see anything that is ordinary. ... Full Review

tantalisingly entertaining and often oddly funny, Secretary is nothing if not original This bold and unconventional approach is matched by bold and unconventional performances from James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal, each a minimalist here, gently squeezing their character out, drop by drop, glance by glance, twitch by twitch. ... Full Review

Funny, sweet, and at turns a little startling, Secretary is a fantastic film, utterly worth watching. When the two finally realize their compatible tastes, all of the buildup crescendos into a spanking scene that titillates as it shocks and that goes for the audience and Lee. ... Full Review

it's these quirky romance movies that show what I think is missing from other relationship movies:....This is a vehicle for Spader as well as Gyllenhaal, both which give great performances of characters.... ... Full Review

The film is driven by the interplay between the characters of the boss and the secretary and both performers give tremendous performances. Twenty years ago, "Secretary", writer-director Steve Shainberg's darkly comic tale of SM in the workplace, might have been seen as a statement against the very jealousy-inducing instincts that spawned that absurd game show. ... Full Review

The direction here is brilliant with slow moving camerawork and vividly coloured sets.....James Spader is perfectly cast....It is an excellent screenplay by Erin Cressida Wilson which has been adapted from a short story by Mary Gaitskill.....though, the film absolutely belongs to Maggie Gyllenhaal as she excels in her role as Lee -.... ... Full Review

It also is a fine-looking film, with nice set design and photography. And Spader continues to amaze. Worse is the way the director and screenwriter disrespect the characters by imposing upon them a story that feels inorganic and insincere. ... Full Review

Above all however, it is an emotionally honest film....Secretary is a beautifully wrought film about a former self-mutilator....And now there is Secretary , a risky, tender and hilarious little love story, steeped in the domestic world of 'SMBD' (Sado-Masochism, Bondage & Discipline).....But for those keen to experience some movie bliss, Secretary might just change their mind about what defines a film romance or a love story.....Donnie Darko 's Maggie Gyllenhaal gives a glorious, courageous and pitch-perfec ... Full Review

The film has a terrific opening. She takes the job even though he says it will be boring for her ("I WANT to be bored"), but when she makes a few typing errors, she discovers something rather odd about Naughty Mr Spader... ... Full Review

Director Steven Shainberg and screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson bring Mary Gaitskill's short story to the big screen with the 2002 film Secretary, released on DVD by Lion's Gate. Behind the Secretary" is a seven-minute short featurette containing interviews with the director and lead actors James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal. ... Full Review