The vitals:
Friday, 4/18
7:00 ~ Doors
7:30 ~ SECRETARY

James Spader’s screen presence is a singular one. The actor is known for playing characters whose presence dances on a razor’s edge of cruelty and tenderness, and there’s no better example than his work in 2002’s Secretary. It’s the story of a lonely young woman (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who goes to work at a law office after being discharged from a psychiatric hospital. There, she finds a demanding boss (Spader), and their relationship is complicated by blossoming into a romantic, sadomasochistic one. In the hands of any other movie, kink would be fodder for a story that’s too salacious or moralizing. Thankfully, the empathetic script from Erin Cressida Wilson and the performances of Spader and Gyllenhaal make Secretary a sincere romance that isn’t afraid to be spicy. They don’t make them like this anymore!

-Alejandra Martinez

SEE YOU AT THE MOVIES
🔮