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Secretary

Now here's a movie that really knows how to throw its audience for a loop. No sooner have we seen the opening credits of "Secretary," than director Steven Shainberg tosses us a follow-up scene in which his lead actress, Maggie Gyllenhaal (sister of Jake), can be seen prancing around a law office, hands restrained by some manner of masochistic device, stapling papers with her chin and getting coffee for her boss. A trifle bit odd, you say? When you think about it, have we seen anything weirder this year? ***

Gyllenhaal plays Lee Holloway, a recently-released mental case who gets her jollies out of self-mutilation, brought about by her dysfunctional family life. Her father is an alcoholic, her mother a basketcase; the two argue constantly, leaving Lee in the sanctity of her room with her cutting tools. She uses masochism as a means of transferrence of her emotional pain into that which is physical, something that she can see and touch. There is a loneliness and distance in this character from world and reality that truly comes across through Gyllenhaal's performance: she makes the character into someone that we can understand, if not altogether relate to on one level or another. ***

In search of something more fulfilling, Lee comes across a want ad for a secretary in a law office; she becomes instantly hooked by it, only to find out that the lawyer himself, one E. Edward Grey (James Spader), is as equally fetishistic about things like spanking and dominance/submission as she is. He barks orders at her, reprimands her for spelling errors by way of physical abuse, and belittles her about her appearance and the way she carries herself. There is a connection between the two that is undeniable: each of these characters uses pain as a method for escaping emotions like anguish or love, or basically to free themselves from their own inner thoughts. Lee is quite taken with this new person in her life, the first person to truly understand her; Edward's emotions, on the other hand, remain heavily guarded. ***

Behind the quirks of Erin Cressida Wilson's screenplay and Shainberg's execution, there's something oddly fulfilling about "Secretary," but then again there's something equally disappointing about it. The characters are well-drawn and possessive of real emotions that we can comprehend, and the acting soars in all respects. But it feels as if the filmmakers are trying to have their cake and eat it, too: on more than one occasion one gets the notion that things just aren't fitting together like they should. The whole masochism aspect is intriguing here and there, but it requires one to set aside any and all reservations about such a lifestyle, and just go along with it. And I'll be honest, there were more than a few times where I found myself muttering, "Home girl's got some issues." But whether you dig the film, or feel that it fails in its mixture of "ooh-aww" romance, mouse traps, and horse saddles, there's no denying that "Secretary" isn't the dullest knife in the drawer.

In a time when indie movies either look great or suffer terribly on DVD, "Secretary" is a mixed bag. The picture is presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1, and for the most part it looks good in many ways. Color saturation isn't overdone, and accuracy is adequate. Contrast is the biggest problem: it's good enough, but shadow detail suffers in some darker scenes, with light-to-dark transitions taking on a blocky appearance. There is some occasional flicker to some scenes that can be distracting, and some film grain that gets in the way once or twice. Other than that, it's acceptable. ***

The sound is mastered in Dolby 2.0 Surround, and while the music possesses some ambiance by way of the rear channels and some moderate low end, this is mostly a dialogue-driven track that sounds good for what it is.