Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Where You Wanna Be

Hey peoples, what's crackin'? I wanted to take this opportunity to write about an interesting movie I saw last week called "Secretary". This movie came out in 2002, but it happened to be recommended to me by good ol' Netflix, so I gave it a shot. It was definitely worth it.

The flick starts with this young woman (Maggie Gyllenhaal) coming home from an institution, where she was being treated for psychological issues. She'd been cutting herself for years, one day she cut too deep and was considered suicidal. As part of her re-entry into everyday society, she began training to be a secretary. After training she sought employment with a law firm. This is where it gets interesting.

The lawyer (James Spader) is an asshole, a real task master and perfectionist. As much as she tries to please him, it ain't happenin'. He is unrelenting and demanding. Her best efforts to please him get trashed and belittled. He starts by criticizing the way she makes coffee to the way she dresses, pretty soon everything in her life gets dictated to her. The relationship becomes physical when he makes her read a mistake-filled letter that she typed while he spanks her.

The thing is, this is just the shit she's been craving. Her thirst, her quest to derive meaning from life is being fulfilled. She must be punished for being imperfect and he's the man to do it. She has had enough of being accommodated and coddled.

He needs a completely submissive person to accommodate him, someone who does as he wishes unquestioningly. Someone willing to receive the punishment he wants to deliver without resistance.

Just as soon as he gives her what she needs (i.e. the physical punishment for being imperfect), he takes it away. As much as she tries, she can't do any wrong. As soon as it became evident to him that she enjoyed the punishment, he took it away, further punishing her. Sadistic muthafucka!

At the film's climax, she discards her chance for conventional "happiness" to stay in this situation.

This disfunctional relationship illustrates the adage that one should get someone as fucked up as they are to make a union work. As crazy as it sounds, this film actually touched me, because I saw a layer of sweetness in it. It made me less cynical (for a few hours, anyway). She was lost. He was lost. In the midst of drifting aimlessly they found each other, two crazy muthafuckas, Yin and Yang. My only concern was I thought maybe they should have switched the genders of the dominant and submissive personalities, just to stave off the charge of sexism, that the woman needed to be guided by a strong man to be happy. Other than that, I found this movie weird, disturbing, and outstanding. If you got a couple of hours to spare, give it a shot.

Peace,
KZ

36 comments:

Disco said...

As you KNOW, that is MY theory! EVERYONE IS CRAZY! You just have to find someone who is YOUR kind of CRAZY!

Then you will both be happy. LOL

Disco said...

Oh yeah, and I'm FIRST BIATCHES!!!!

HA!

The Stiltwalker said...

uh, looks like you need to check out my netflix list cause this shit sounded booooring!

NegroPino™ said...

Interesting.......I wanna chekc out your NEtflix Stilt!!!!!

So...Wise...Sista said...

I happen to agree with Robyn...and in addition my theory also states that MOST people are idiots, MANY more are needy, but we ALL crave attention (which sometimes fuels the crazy).

Funny how I'd probably struggle to sit thru this whole movie...yet I can sit and watch the World Series of Pop Culture alllllll day long. lol

Knockout Zed said...

@Robyn
My kind of crazy has yet to be born.

@Stilts
What, may I ask, is on your Netflix list? Because I'd like to take the blame upon myself and say my description might have been boring. But the movie? Not so much.

@Ill Nana
We all wanna see that Netflix queue! Unless she got something like Pornflix, I don't know how exciting it could be.

KZ

BZ said...

I'm with Robyn. And, I'm sorry - I saw that movie. It was almost as disturbing to me as A Clockwork Orange. I was never the same after.

Knockout Zed said...

@So Wise
We can't listen to Robyn too much (you see how she just called us all "bitches" didn't you?) but I feel the same way.

As I listen to Iraq war supporters and barber shop conversations, I agree most people are idiots. And as I write this bullshit blog, I know I crave attention.

That being said, who out here is "sane"?

KZ

Knockout Zed said...

@BZ
"Almost as disturbing as A Clockwork Orange"? Really? A Clockwork Orange fucked me up. Maybe because I saw it a such a young ass age.

I think that people enter into these types of relationships all the time. Not as extreme as this one, but on their own scale, pretty much as co-dependent and creepy.

KZ

chele said...

Finding my kind of crazy ... I like that!

@bz - if this was as crazy as A Clockwork Orange, I think I'll pass.

Rashan Jamal said...

I saw this movie on one of the many cable channels i pay for but dont watch enough. It was definitely bizarre. I wouldnt say it was as crazy as A Clockwork Orange, but the whole time I was watching it, I was thinking "what kinda twisted mind came up with this?" It's worth a watch.

Blah Blah Blah said...

I actually love this movie...LOL although I was made at her for pissing on herself... Sort of reminded me of 9 1/2 weeks... In a dominant and submissive way.

I would be open to this type of relationship...I know it's twisted...but I ain't never said my road was all that straight to begin with (read into that what you want)

Ming Houser, Realtor said...

Umm...I don't think I'll be checking this movie out any time soon...LOL!

aquababie said...

i've heard about this movie but have missed it. i love "a clockwork ornage". i'm a strange kind of woman. and yes that shit was quite crazy.

Disco said...

ha! YOU listen to me!! HA!

That's why you're feeling better right now.....because you LISTENED to me! LOL

Nika Laqui said...

This movie sounds like if Puddy was my boss....*lol*

I think I would very much enjoy this flick....

How many people in this world actually enjoy getting their asses tortured? How many people actually enjoy torturing someone?

A.u.n.t. Jackie said...

i love this movies i have watched more than once, more than twice actually and it makes me both horny and sentimental.

it's so damn fetish and kinky it's hard not to get horny, and there is something to be said about them finding their match in thir world.

i knew a guy that was into being dominant,but he bored quickly of me and found someone more submissive than i.

we had fun for a minute though *wink*

BZ said...

@ T.Cas - yeah, it's not AS crazy as A Clockwork Orange. But, that's the first movie that came to mind when I saw it, "This is some f*cked up kinda mess." It turned my stomach.

i like liquor and tv said...

so what happens at the end?

Angel said...

interesting movie....i'm gonna reccommend it to another blogger i know that is HELLA infatuated with the whole dominant/submissive theme...

plus, you aint slick! so what else happened in detroit sucka! ;-)

Sangindiva said...

I actually saw this movie! ( I have it in my dvd collection) My freaky ass liked it too...
I was glad she found something else besides razors!
Anyway- I'm gonna hit you in private-
I'll be in the D on the 9th.

Mr.Slish said...

Zed you forgot to mention. That when the secretary stopped making mistakes. He gave her no negative attention which is what she craved in the first place so she immediately started fucking up the memos he would tell her to write just so she could be humiliated by him again... She was a sick beaaatch...

Remember when they got married outdoors.After the ceremony they both ran off into the woods and dude fucked her on that tree...LOL CLASSIC!!!

Thats was a good movie.Proves there is someone for everybody.
Even the deranged, crazy and confused....lol

Knockout Zed said...

@All
Sorry y'all! I was only in the office for half a day yesterday, so I didn't get to respond as I usually do. Here goes:

@CG
What does that "Hmmmm" mean? Watch the movie!

@Chele
They were absolutely perfect for each other, no question. We should all be so lucky.

@T. Cas
When I first started watching it, I was wondering why the fuck it was even made. Then he spanked her. My whole perspective changed at that moment.

@Blah
We can start this type of relationship. Today. I got room for you in Satan's Anus.

@Dynasty
You should see it. It might be life changing.

@Aqua
You gotta see it so we can have something to talk about in the shower.

@Robyn
The effects of the "injection" is wearing off and it's only Wednesday. You advice was good, but not long lasting!

@Mariposa
Watch it so we'll have something to talk about in the jacuzzi.

@Nsane
Puddy has all the damn fun!

Personally, I'd be all in on the domination side.

@Miss Ahmad
Well, well, well. Miss Ahmad, I didn't know you had it in ya!

I was a little disturbed by the fact that I started getting aroused during the spanking. Then I kinda when with the flow. I wondered, "Could I be into domination?" I don't really have an answer.

@Tony
That chick was absolutely nuts. But dude was just as nuts and the perfect fit for her. That whole shit was a trip.

@BZ
It didn't turn you on a little? Just a little?

@L and TV
WATCH IT!!!

@FA
I ain't tellin'!

@Mack
If you see this crazy ass flick, it'll all make sense. I think you might look at the chicks you decide to spend time with differently. I know I will. "Maybe I can find someone even more suited to my lifestyle."

@SD
Oooh! Midweek? The 9th? I gotta check you out, so I'll do what I gotta do. Let me know the details, mama.

@Slish
I talked about the no-response thing a little, but that tree scene was the shit!!!

Her crazy ass found the perfect mate. That shit even got to a wise ass like me. I'm tellin' you, I thought it was kinda cool.

KZ

Blah Blah Blah said...

Room? African you have a room because I ain't sleeping with your snoring ass. THAT in it's self is torture!

i like liquor and tv said...

Forget you son. Slish spilled it anyway..they got married.

aquababie said...

it's plenty things i do in the shower...talking ain't one of 'em!

Knockout Zed said...

@Blah
Why you gotta be tellin' people I snore? You ain't right!

@L and TV
Slish left out the fact that they went on to become detectives and solve crimes with their children.

@Aqua
We can talk about what you do in the shower while we're in the sack.

KZ

aquababie said...

same thang...same thang!

and keep your tongue off my pictures son! LMAO

The Stiltwalker said...

I've got a lot of foregin films on my netflix actually. So you may not wanna check it out. But then again...

Knockout Zed said...

@Aqua
I can't help it.

@Stilts
I just got Cache. I haven't watched it yet, but I keep my queue stocked with a lot of foreign joints.

KZ

Supa said...

Hey Zeddie! Saw this flic awhile back, and thought it was verrry interesting... yeah they matched each other's fucked-up-ed-ness perfectly.

Love me some James Spader. He plays the cold psychopathic yet endearing white boy so well. (a la "Two Days in the Valley", "Sex, Lies, Videotapes", "Pretty in Pink", etc)

Yo, you gotta add me to your Netflix friends list so we can swap movie reviews.

Later, African!

Knockout Zed said...

@Supa
I've never added anybody, so let me know what I need to do.
dabigplanet@hotmail.com

KZ

sj-the-infamous said...

oh shit, fuckin in a tree?! that's my kinda shit right there....I gotta get this!

aquababie said...

wait!?!!?? fucking on a tree? i'll see if i can find this. you have to position yourself just right for that shit too! LOL

is netflix worth signing up for?

Knockout Zed said...

@SJ
It's not in a tree, it's ON a tree. You gotta see it.

@Aqua
The scene is short but nice.

Netflix is sort of a scam if you've got access to obscure or indy movies in your hometown. All I got is Blockbuster, which doesn't have much of a choice.

KZ

aquababie said...

ok...well it's not worth it then. i went ahead and added showtime package to my dish network just for the sundance channel.