Are you looking for a movie that positively represents a nuanced BDSM relationship? Then look no further than Secretary.
Much like 50 Shades, Secretary came from a literary source: a short story by Mary Gaitskill. Released in 2002, it offered up a complex and beautiful insight into the dominant/submissive relationship between E. Edward Grey (James Spader) and Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal). Secretary embarked on a profoundly moving romance between the two that was equal parts unique, complicated and tension-filled.
Love or hate 50 Shades, for anyone who wants to dig a little deeper into the nuances of the relationship between a dominant and their submissive, Secretary is a must-see. And this is why:
1. Mr. Grey will see you now…
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Before Christian Grey, there was E. Edward Grey. Edward Grey doesn’t have a multi-million dollar company to his name, nor a pilot’s license or sailing certification. He is instead a successful attorney, an every day kind of guy, who has a strange affection for his orchids. His propensity for dominance masks his own insecurities, and offers him a modicum of control over himself that allows him to garner the confidence he needs in his day to day life.
“I overcome my shyness in order to get things done,” Grey says, during one memorable and profound conversation with Gyllenhaal’s Lee Holloway. He’s a damaged, complicated man — but never uses his dominance for anything other than empowering Lee to find her own confidence and self-worth.
2. The chemistry between the characters sizzles
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Spader and Gyllenhaal’s characters have the kind of connection on screen that is difficult to look away from — it keeps you absolutely riveted. They don’t even need to be engaging in the heavier aspects of their relationship with each other for the chemistry to be evident. From the barest brush of fingers to each glance they steal, the tension is almost palpable.
The relationship can get a little bizarre — seriously, just wait for the scene with the saddle — but even in those moments you can feel the genuine connection between them. Secretary doesn’t court the glossy “erotica” of 50 Shades, instead opting to showcase and explore their more awkward desires, their longing for a human connection. Even without words, you know in every moment that Grey and Holloway are comfortable and safe exploring those desires together.
3. It’s grounded in a believable reality
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Gone are the swanky apartments, fast cars, and expensive tech of 50 Shades fame. Instead, Secretary is firmly grounded in real life — in fact, the most “recognizable” product placement throughout the movie is Cosmopolitan Magazine. The characters’ day-to-day insecurities, with the tenuous control they have over their lives, and struggles with self-harm make for a relatable and compelling story.
There is no wealth-fetishism or consumer-porn to distract from each interaction between Grey and Holloway — your focus is entirely on them, their relationship, and their own personal developments as they embark on it with each other.
4. The BDSM sets them free
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Before Holloway meets Edward Grey, she is the socially awkward daughter of a dysfunctional family and struggles with self-harm. She takes a position as Grey’s secretary following a stint in a mental hospital, after she cut herself a little too deeply. When they embark on their dominant/submissive relationship, it’s a slow introduction from Grey to a practice that gives her what she needs in a safe, sane, and consensual way.
Amy Danger, a production designer on the movie, said, “With this S&M material, we could go into a dark place… Steve [Shainberg, the director] and I wanted the total opposite: that the nature of this relationship freed [the characters] to be their natural selves.”
Sure, it can get a little weird at times — but at no point do the characters shame or force the other into participating in the other’s more outlandish desires. It is, at all moments, a relationship of trust that Grey and Holloway have together. And they become better for it. Holloway transforms into a confident woman, unafraid of her desires and her ability to voice them. A woman that is far and away from the character we are introduced to at the start of the movie.
5. It doesn’t forget where its heart is
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When you get down to it, Secretary is a rom-com, and it certainly doesn’t forget that fact. As an indie movie, it doesn’t have the same restraints upon it as something more mainstream, and so it slips easily into the territory of a black comedy. But though they have that humor underlying the entirety of the film, it doesn’t take away from the more earnest and heartfelt moments between Grey and Holloway.
In fact, it makes those moments even more compelling and true to life — which is hardly ever as polished and pristine as Hollywood would have us believe. Having Secretary embrace those strange but wonderful moments endears it to the viewers, without ever demeaning its subject matter.
Where can you watch ‘Secretary’?
Secretary was re-released in Digital HD and VOD on January 27. You can rent or purchase Secretary on Amazon, and iTunes. Overseas? Secretary is also available to stream on the U.K. version of Netflix. Want more of a taste of what to expect from the movie? You can check out the trailer below!
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