Secretary
(Lions Gate Region 1 DVD)
(2002)
review by Head Cheeze

What do you get when you mix a pain junkie and a sado-masochist? True love- at least in the twisted and pitch black comedy, Secretary.

Lee Holloway (Gyllenhaal) has just been released from a mental institution where she was being treated for a borderline personality disorder that manifested itself through "cutting" (Cutters immolate themselves with sharp objects as a reaction to stress or emotional pain). While Lee is far from cured she feels she is ready to at least attempt to live a normal life. Lee attends secretarial school, and, upon graduation, applies for a job at the law offices of E. Edward Grey (Spader), a dark and quirky individual whose demanding nature, at first, seems to be a test of Lee's resolve, but slowly reveals itself to be something much darker as Lee's fractured psyche feeds into his masochistic tendencies. Edward and Lee's working relationship becomes a full-on master and slave affair, but as things escalate, Edward suddenly backs off, and begins to treat Lee like a normal secretary. Lee does everything in her power to bring out Edward's punishing nature, but Edward will have nothing of it, and, to Lee, that proves to be the greatest punishement of all.

Secretary is one of the biggest surprises of 2002. It's provocative, dangerous, and absolutely inscrupulous, but at the same time it's one of the most adorable "love" stories I've seen. The film is powered by stellar performances by Spader and Gyllenhaal (genre fans will remember her from Donnie Darko), both of whom commit to their character's with nary a hint of caution or reservation. Spader is truly mesmerizing as the soft-spoken and eccentric Grey, balancing misanthropy with a subtle sense of unwitting nurturing. He's a complex animal whose need to punish seems to subside as he grows closer to Lee, which essentially leads to his pushing her away. Gyllenhaal, meanwhile, transforms before our eyes from a mousy mess of a human being to a gorgeous and self-assured woman who knows what she wants. While Edward's the "master" of the masochistic playground that is their equivolent of intimacy, Lee is the one pulling his strings, and it's this realisation that ultimately saves her from her self. My only gripe about the film is that Erin Cressida Wilson's screenplay doesn't seem to trust the audience with the organic and sublime culmination of events, so a forced coda is attached to drive the point home. It dulls the edginess that director Shainberg had worked so hard to create, and proves wholly unnecessary.

The DVD from Lion's Gate presents the film in a 16x9 anamorphic transfer that looks fantastic. One thing viewers will notice right away is the importance of colour, especially in Edward's almost surreal office environs. Emerald hues, vintage reds and Earthy browns dominate, and the transfer handles them wonderfully. The Dolby 5.1 soundtrack is also fine, although Secretary isn't really the type of film to exploit the feature.

The extras presented on the disc include a commentary with Shainberg that is informative, but a little on the dry side. A short behind-the-scenes doco features interviews with the principal players and creative team, and offers some of their insight into the characters as well as the look and feel of the film. There's also a stills gallery to round things out.

Secretary is a darkly funny and unexpectedly romantic vehicle in that takes a lot of chances and dangerous turns but ultimately rides off into a cozy and safe sunset of which most of us can only dream.