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04/07/09
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Secretary (2002)
72
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:29
Fresh:21
Rotten:8
Average Rating:6.5/10
Consensus: Maggie Gyllenhaal impresses in this romantic comedy with a kinky twist.
Theatrical Release:Sep 20, 2002 Limited
Box Office: $3,806,471
Synopsis: With sheer originality and bold,unflinching humor, Secretary embraces a most unconventional relationship and lays open the notion that love doesn't always occur in the traditional fashion. Lee... [More]
Starring: Maggie Gyllenhaal, James Spader, Jeremy Davies, Lesley Ann Warren
Director: Steven Shainberg
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Reviews for Secretary
Top CriticClick to read the article
11/01/07
Top CriticThe cast comes through even when the movie doesn't.
11/04/02
Top CriticA picture with heart. You shouldn't leave feeling soiled or bruised. Just touched.
10/11/02
Top CriticSelf-serious and ultimately pedestrian satire.
10/10/02
Top CriticI don't know about you, but I found all these outrageously romantic maneuvers both funny and endearing.
10/02/02
Top CriticSecretary is just too original to be ignored.
09/27/02
Top CriticIt provokes nothing but yawns, and the sex it explores is stuff everybody knows about and says, 'So what?'
09/27/02
Top CriticThough it was made with careful attention to detail and is well-acted by James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal, I felt disrespected.
09/27/02
Top CriticBoth lead performances are earnest in the extreme and that the psychological explanations for what's shown on screen are facile, at best.
09/27/02
Top CriticA good piece of writing.
09/27/02
Top CriticIt is truly original in its tone, its choices made and paths taken.
09/27/02
Top CriticThe director, Steven Shainberg, has succeeded by focusing intently on his characters, making them quirky individuals rather than figures of fun.
09/27/02
Top CriticDepending upon your reaction to this movie, you may never again be able to look at a red felt Sharpie pen without disgust, a thrill, or the giggles.
09/27/02
Top CriticSecretary manages a neat trick, bundling the flowers of perversity, comedy and romance into a strangely tempting bouquet of a movie.
09/27/02
Top CriticClick to read the article
09/27/02
Top CriticAn edgy, cleverly written indie that simply derails shortly before the final stretch.
09/26/02
Top CriticIf S&M seems like a strange route to true love, maybe it is, but it's to this film's (and its makers') credit that we believe that that's exactly what these two people need to find each other -- and themselves.
09/26/02
Top CriticFor all its Bunuellian pretensions, Secretary is deeply conventional: Edward and Lee accept their bondage as the way to a more fulfilling life. It's the filmmakers who need to be spanked.
09/26/02
Top CriticI found the movie a bit of a bore.
09/26/02
Top CriticLatest News for Secretary
July 17, 2008:
Maggie Gyllenhaal Talks The Dark Knight 
It's a far cry from indie fare like Secretary or Sherrybaby, but for Maggie Gyllenhaal, taking on the role of Rachel Dawes in The Dark Knight was just the logical next step in... More...
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