Secretary (2002)
Since nearly everyone who buys a
ticket to "Secretary" knows that it is about a sadomasochistic
relationship between a boss and his underling, the
opening scene in the film exposes this immediately.
We see Maggie Gyllenhaal in some sort of bondage device
(similar to a yolk) going about her daily activities
as the titular secretary in a rather lackluster wood-paneled
office, doing the best she can considering her restraint.
The film then flashes back in time to give us the
story of "how she got there." Before it is over, it
will return to the aforementioned opening moment and
then continue the story on into the future moments.
But "Secretary" isn't just some
sort of prurient, exploitatively sexual film that
titillates and excites with sexual perversion. On
the contrary, it is a deeply troubling and complex
character study about suffering and love that is as
compelling as it is worrisome, as poignant as it is
comedic.
Be sure, the film is a black comedy.
There is just a lot to laugh at here. Let's face it,
bondage and S&M fetishes are pretty absurd and amusing
when taken out of the context of our own masturbatory
fantasies. The dialogue and situations enacted here
are dark yet hilarious. Perhaps this comedic element
comes mostly from the absurdity of life and love itself.
Gyllenhaal is daring and concise
in her performance. The perceived openness of her
character is important to making the film work and
Gyllenhaal performs to perfection. She has nude scenes,
which she enacts with the seeming ease required. But
her more dark moments, as a disturbed, recently released
mental patient that enjoys cutting on herself, are
truly inspired here. Gyllenhaal is simply perfection
here playing an intensely disturbed yet immensely
likable character. It has rarely been this easy to
identify with a character that is so obviously fucked
up.
Meanwhile, James Spader takes the
character he plays to equally inspired heights. It
could have been easy to script and perform this role
as a typical, harsh, unapologetic and one-dimensional
Sadist, but writer Erin Cressida Wilson and Spader
do much to create a antagonist equally disturbed to
the protagonist and make him a much more enigmatic
character. They've got far more dark and torturous
territory to explore than a simple Sadist character
would allow. Spader's lawyer nee boss here is as dysfunctional
and disturbed as Gyllenhaal's subordinate. It's not
important, really, that we understand where the character
traits of the two principles come from as much as
it is to see them as they are. Spader's superior is
far more interesting, enigmatic and atypical as he
is written and performed than any other character
in his position that has ever been created. Spader
accentuates all of the key elements of his character
alarmingly delicate accuracy perfectly. In fact, his
character is as oxymoronic as the phrase "alarming
delicacy."
The style of the film, created by
director Steven Shainberg and Production Designer
Amy Danger, reminded me quite a bit of last year's
"Bartleby." Although the palette is much more muted
than that earlier film, the look of the office here
is paramount to creating the mood of the piece and
reflecting the film's overall tone. This enhancement,
this visual backdrop, is also as perfect as the dialogue,
the humor and the acting in the film.
Black Comedy is a tough game and
this film hits the nail on the head in its attempt
to be both humorous and troubling. In fact, I laughed
out loud as often as I was disturbed while watching
"Secretary." I don't recall a film ever creating the
same sort of diverse reactions from me ever before
in my career as cinematic voyeur.
Note:
Also with Jeremy Davies, Leslie
Ann Warren, Oz Perkins, and Amy Locane.
Score by Angelo Badalamenti.
The third film to be called "Secretary"
since 1938, according to imdb.
Viewed at the Dobie theater in Austin
in October 2002 with my friends Melissa, Russ and
Loren.
