Review – Secretary

Oddly enough, I think this is the most genuinely romantic movie I’ve seen in a long time. Sure, it’s got flaws. The portrayal of the sadomasochistic relationship between a lawyer and his secretary dwells a little too much on clichés. Likewise the protagonist’s attachment to self-laceration early in the story comes across as a mildly insensitive portrayal of mental illness. And how’s this for an unusual criticism: the plot lacks the elegant simplicity of the Mary Gaitskill short story upon which the movie is based. However, the lead characters actually seem to have some genuine affection for each other despite their somewhat outré way of expressing it. Perhaps exploring the clichés of S&M allowed the film-makers to abandon the clichés of the traditional Hollywood romance that bury so many other love stories. It also doesn’t exactly hurt that Maggie Gyllenhaal does a really good job in the female lead. James Spader (as her counterpart) is his usual charmless self, but his co-star more than makes up for him. Worth seeing