Secretary

After being released from a mental institute, a submissive woman gets a job at a law firm and finds happiness in a sadomasochistic relationship with her boss in this twisted love story., Lee Holloway is a bright woman in her twenties who after a short stay in a mental hospital gets a job as a secretary at a local law firm. She develops a crush on her older boss and they begin a rather bizarre relationship where Lee allows her hidden masochism to flourish which ultimately leads to self affirmation. Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and for Best First Screenplay at the Independent Spirit Awards., Maggie Gyllenhaal plays a shy woman recently discharged from a mental institution into the care of her dysfunctional family. Searching for work, she takes a lowly clerical job with dour, demanding attorney James Spader. Critical of her mistakes, one day, verbal abuse crosses to physical, as he spanks her. But she seems to thrive on his treatment and a reciprocal relationship begins until Spader, finding she enjoys the humiliation, fires her. Bereft, and with her boyfriend Jeremy Davies unable to fulfil her desires, she plans to win back Spader’s affections. Steven Shainberg’s film could have been crudely exploitative but thanks to the delicacy of his treatment, the subtlety of the two central performances, plus a leavening of humour, this is a story of unconventional love but love for all that., A submissive former mental patient gets a job at a law firm and finds happiness in a sadomasochistic relationship with her dominant boss., Sadomasochism provides the backdrop for a very unusual employer/employee relationship in this very offbeat romantic drama from filmmaker Steven Shainberg. Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is a shy young woman, who, after a brief spell in a mental institution, is released in the care of her overprotective mother (Lesley Ann Warren) and hard-drinking father (Stephen McHattie). Hoping to make good on her own, Lee begins looking for a job, and in her free time indulges in her odd habit of inflicting pain upon herself in various ways. Lee is hired as a secretary by E. Edward Grey (James Spader), a grim and ruthlessly efficient attorney who warns her that her work will be both dull and demanding. Lee takes to the job with genuine enthusiasm, and while she’s recently acquired a new boyfriend, Peter (Jeremy Davies), she’s far more intrigued by Grey’s coldly patrician demeanor. While Grey often criticizes Lee, she seems to thrive on his abuse, but one day he crosses a line when he insists upon spanking her after some minor mistake. Lee quite enjoys the treatment, and wants it to continue, but Grey can no longer take pleasure humiliating Lee when he knows that she likes it; he fires her, despite her pleas to be allowed to stay. Finally discovering the key to her sexual and emotional needs, Lee tries to persuade Peter to be rough with her, but he simply doesn’t have the taste or talent for it, and Lee soon maps out a last-ditch effort to win back her position with Grey, whatever the cost. Secretary won a special award for “Originality” at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival., Masochistic Lee answers the advert placed by lawyer Edward. The work isn’t a problem, but her boss has a very unusual approach to discipline in the office., (2002) Maggie Gyllenhaal made her breakthrough in Steven Shainberg’s surprisingly delicate and humorous tale of unconventional love and liberation through humiliation. Gyllenhaal plays Lee Holloway, a shy woman discharged from a mental institution into the care of her dysfunctional family. She takes a lowly clerical job with dour, demanding attorney E Edward Grey (James Spader). He’s critical of her mistakes, and one day, verbal abuse crosses to physical, as he spanks her. But she seems to thrive on his treatment and a reciprocal relationship begins until Grey, finding she enjoys the humiliation, fires her. Bereft, and with her boyfriend Peter (Jeremy Davies) unable to fulfil her desires, she plans to win back Grey’s affections…