With Maggie Gyllenhaal at the helm of “The Secretary,” the plot caused quite a stir when it was released. Because? Here we tell you.
Maggie Gyllenhaal she gained directorial recognition with Netflix’s “The Dark Daughter.” That film earned up to three nominations at the 2021 Oscars and was celebrated for its warm story of a woman in her thirties and her ties to her family. However, a tape with a dysfunctional family and a woman with strange sexual behaviors was the one that started the artist as a Hollywood actress almost 20 years ago. We talk about “The Secretary”, a story that probably would not see the light of day these days.
“The Secretary” was the first feature film that Maggie Gyllenhaal starred in. Photo: Lionsgate
What is “The Secretary” about?
“Twisted story about the unconventional love between a perfectionist lawyer and his neurotic secretary”, indicates the official synopsis shared by Apple TV +. Those words are a fairly harmless way of describing what lies behind the plot of “The Secretary”.
Based on the story by Mary Gaitskill, this cult film —qualified as such by the BBC— put its lead actress on the radar, in addition to receiving praise and the Special Jury Prize for best screenplay at the 2002 Sundance Festival. Even so , this does not mean that his black humor, eroticism and perversion have positioned themselves within the atypical. Because? For its history.
“The Secretary” introduces us to Lee Holloway, who has just been released from a mental institution and, upon returning to his dysfunctional family, resumes a dark habit he couldn’t shake. Even so, she decides to apply as a secretary to the law firm of E. Edward Grey, and, although she has one of the worst resumes submitted in the call, she gets the job from her.
At first, the job seems like a pretty average one: writing letters, filing documents, and making coffee; however, Lee and Mr. Gray are quick to venture into a closer and more intimate relationship than they should; a relationship that includes acts of submission, bondage-tinged sadomasochism and more unusual situations that would make even the most liberal boss lose their sanity.
You can see “The Secretary” on Amazon Prime Video and on Apple TV +.
“The Secretary” on Apple TV+. Photo: Apple TV+ capture
“The Secretary”: a discreet success, although more controversy is expected
“The Secretary”, directed by steven shinberg, garnered press attention and became a risky bet for the filmmaker in charge of the project and for the cast. However, Gyllenhaal perhaps expected a slightly more challenging response from the public.
“I had foreseen a whole feminist reaction against it. And there weren’t any. I’m not saying there isn’t. But I discovered that women, especially those of my generation, are affected in a way that goes beyond politics, ”she commented in a previous interview with The New York Times.
Despite this, the actress believes that a film like “The Secretary” would no longer be financed today. She thus made it clear in dialogue with AV Club just six years since the film was released.
“I have always resisted paying attention to the financial aspect, but now I find it very interesting because I have realized that, for example, ‘Secretary’, the first film I made, would never be financed now, not in a million years. “, he explained.
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