Review of Secretary (2002) by Justin C — 21 Jan 2009

Wow, this movie is a trip. This is a movie that is definitly not for everyone. It has has to put it lightly, an ususual subject matter. Despite that, its entertaining, tells its story well and features some great acting by James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

First of all, this movie is unusually shot and paced. It has a very minimilistic dialogue style, and has a slow deliberate style to it that reallly portrays the ackwardness between the two leads. Both Spader and Gyllenhaal manage to be convincing in both of their roles as mental unstable people people who have found each other and in a skewed quirky way complete each other in ways that they have never been completed before.

This movie is not easy to watch but despite its rather absurd situations and shocking scenes, its still just essentially a love story. People who aren't "normal" deserve a chance at love as well don't they?