Secretary (2002)
Secretary Photos
Movie Info
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Cast
as Mr. Grey
as Lee
as Peter
as Joan
as Burt
as Dr. Twardon
as Tricia
as Jonathan
as Lee's Sister
as Sylvia
as Stewart
as Allison
as Louisa
as Jessica
as Paralegal
as Paralegal Secretary
as First Secretary
as Typing Teacher
as Mr. Garvey
as First Date
as Second Date
as New Secretary
as TV Reporter
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Critic Reviews for Secretary
All Critics (154) | Top Critics (35) | Fresh (118) | Rotten (36) | DVD (14)
A feel-good movie about sadomasochism, the seriocomic Secretary manages to be simultaneously subversive and sweet...In the wrong hands, the conceit could have turned ugly and offensive. But Spader and Gyllenhaal have a hushed, hilarious chemistry.
The cast comes through even when the movie doesn't.
Despite its flaws, Secretary stays in your head and makes you question your own firmly held positions.
A picture with heart. You shouldn't leave feeling soiled or bruised. Just touched.
Self-serious and ultimately pedestrian satire.
I don't know about you, but I found all these outrageously romantic maneuvers both funny and endearing.
Audience Reviews for Secretary
"To thine own self be true," or so the saying goes but that's not always such an easy thing to do, society being society. Finding yourself, and then possibly finding love, is the gist here, capably realized by an able cast and in a memorable fashion.
Super Reviewer
What makes this film stand out as a truly adorable romance is the surprising way that it tackles the spicy kinkiness of its subject as a means for two people to find happiness, while it boasts a great score/soundtrack and Maggie Gyllenhaal shines in a lovely performance.
Super Reviewer
Based on a short story, written by Mary Gaitskill, "Secretary" tells the story of a mousy young woman who wants to change her life after a lifetime of cutting and self-hatred. Enter her boss (Spader) who is happy to help her change her ways by taking advantage of her sexually, culminating in a sadomasochistic relationship. The film is a test for the audience, to see if you believe it's a love story between two people who want a sub/dom relationship pertaining to a romantic interest that incorporates mutual respect and love, or a story about a man dominating a woman. The former would be a complex and often accepted story, since Gyllenhaal's character has to persuade her paramour that that is indeed what she wants, and that public attention doesn't limit her affection. It's rather sweet in places, but very dark in others, earnest in its depiction of these kinds of sexual fantasies and their participants. It's a bold endeavor for director Shainberg, one that pays off inevitably.
Super Reviewer
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