Steven Shainberg’s new film, Secretary, starring an oddly compelling James Spader and the luscious Maggie Gyllenhaal, is a brilliantly sexy new take on the S/M lifestyle.

Gyllenhaal plays Lee Holloway, a disturbed girl who's recently been let out of a mental institution. She gets her first job working as a secretary for lawyer E. Edward Grey (Spader), and despite the frosty atmosphere from the last secretary and some of Grey's odd requests, she couldn't be more pleased. She's put her typing skills to work and is ready to be the best damn secretary she can be.

Lee types with complete earnestness, a determined look on her face as she clicks away, her tongue curling out of her mouth as she concentrates on the numerous memos Grey has her type, even though he rarely leaves the office or seems to conduct any business. Instead, he's busy checking out his new hire, scrutinizing her every move.

And although on the surface she seems innocent, even bringing him a gift of donuts, we know that something deeper lurks inside her. Lee is seeking something, and it's not until Spader takes his hand to her ass that she truly figures out what that something is. Before that, she toys with him, giving him smoldering looks, even when he asks her to bend over a chair to put down a mousetrap so he can get a better view of her behind.

Then , one day he decides he's had enough of her typos, for which he keeps a special supply of red pens. Grey orders Lee to bend over his desk and read the offending letter aloud, and spanks her while she does so. At first, she is shocked and uncertain, clearly knowing this isn't typical behavior, but making a decision to stay put and take her punishment. She shows her approval by continuing to read the letter, and soon after, comes to crave his sadistic attention.

Secretary is based on the Mary Gaitskill story of the same name, but differs sharply. In Gaitskill's telling, the secretary is unnerved and frightened by her boss's interest in spanking and runs away; in the film, Lee is determined to get her fill of masochism. She tries to spank herself when Grey becomes too ashamed of his fetish to continue, even when Lee confronts him and practically demands that he continue their games. The transformation from the first spanking to the glint in Gyllenhaal's eye as she boldly does all she can to make office errors in the hopes of being punished is delightful to watch.

Gyllenhaal is luminous and enticing. Her blue eyes, expressive face, and body language convey that Lee is not just idly going along with her boss's whims, but getting her fair share of pleasure out of their games as well. Her acting talent is wonderfully developed here, especially when she finds Grey rejecting her and determines to win him back.

Spader, no stranger to roles of a sexual nature, is at his best when torn between his guilt over his own involvement (a turmoil that many people really do feel) and his desire to get one more smack in. Both are trying to be sexually fulfilled in a world that tells them that sadomasochistic desires are inherently wrong. There are also moments when Shainberg goes past the surface of social stigma and delves into the dynamics of a relationship based on explicit roles, the give-and-take nature of dom-sub affairs and its effect on both Lee and Grey.

Secretary will be screening at the London Film Festival, Odeon West End Cinema, Leicester Square, Central London on Monday 18 Nov. at 9 p.m., Tuesday 19 Nov. at 1:30 p.m. See the Secretary website for more information and to take your very own typing test!