Secretary
Rated R
Opening tomorrow at Ritz theaters
Three reels out of four
Secretary is at once a disturbingly honest manifesto on the role sex plays in our society and a wicked satire on the same subject. Of course, these days what passes for satire is generally wimpy.
But Secretary manages to make its point while making you smile at the same time. Of course, some audience members will be smiling for their own reasons, but more on that a little later.
Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal) has recently been discharged from a mental institution. Not wanting to waste away at home, she enrolls in a business course and soon nabs her first job as a secretary for successful lawyer E. Edward Grey (James Spader). But appearances can often be deceiving, and it is soon apparent to Lee that Mr. Grey has issues of his own. Soon, boss and employee are deeply ensconced in a consensual sadomasochistic relationship.
Gyllenhaal gives a star-making performance. Director Steven Shainberg has found the perfect foil for what he is trying to pull off, which is no small feat for director or star. Gyllenhaal, who has been in movies since she was 17, is believable in the early going as a withdrawn woman with serious issues. Yet when she blossoms as a woman as the relationship heats up, she is sufficiently attractive, even sexy, to make the transformation believable. I’m not sure where her career goes from here, but this is quite a kick-start.
I can’t think of a better actor to play Edward Grey. Again, as with Gyllenhaal, the casting is so inspired as to make me wonder if there should be a category in the Academy Awards devoted to such choices. Spader has had a pretty uneven career, but seems to be at his best when playing basically decent upper-class males with a screw loose. Trust me when I tell you that his character in Secretary qualifies.
Despite the sadomasochistic nature of Lee and Edward’s relationship, it is clear they have feelings for each other. But this movie is not really about sadomasochism as much as it is about two people and why they feel a need to connect on that level. Lee is in a more conventional relationship with Peter (Jeremy Davies), but eventually decides she loves Edward more. Peter’s a pretty nice guy, but he’s not as smart, handsome or as good a spanker as Edward. In short, Peter never had a chance.
Shainberg, who also wrote Secretary, is a talent to watch. The movie is witty and wicked, but not without its compassion. I’m wondering what Shainberg is saying about the power and empowerment of sex in that Lee really doesn’t get her act together until she learns how to take a memo with a leash around her neck. Maybe society is going to the dogs after all.
Recommended rental
The Scorpion King
Rated PG-13
Available Tuesday
The Scorpion King is not exactly Citizen Kane. Heck, it’s not even The Powerpuff Girls. But it’s not trying to be. Its goal is to be a $60-million B-movie on steroids and, on that level, it succeeds beyond its wildest dreams. Its story centers on a group of tribal leaders in ancient times who are not too happy with the designs evil warlord Memnon has on them. They hire assassin Mathayus (The Rock) to eliminate Memnon’s sorceress Cassandra (Kelly Hu), who seems to be the source of Memnon’s powers. If The Rock restricts his film roles to fluff like this, he may just have a second career.
