Closeted sadomasochism hardly seems the stuff of love stories, but in "Secretary," James Spader and Maggie Gyllenhaal transform an inappropriate office romance involving red pens, mind games and spanking into a dark romantic comedy.

Lee (Maggie Gyllenhaal) has just been released from a mental health facility after cutting herself very deeply with a kitchen knife. Lee's family believes that she was trying to commit suicide, but she is actually a masochist who derives pleasure from burning and cutting herself.

After graduating from secretarial school, Lee lands a job as a secretary for E. Edward Gray (James Spader), a successful lawyer. She soon finds, however, that Edward has a few odd habits like catching and releasing the same mouse inside his office, giving his flowers injections with a long needle and using an old typewriter instead of computers. The truth is that Edward is a deeply closeted sadist who wants nothing more than to lean Lee over his desk and spank her.

While this romance is slowly developing, Lee starts dating Peter (Jeremy Davies, best known as Daniel Faraday of "Lost"), a dopey J.C. Penney's employee who takes her to a restaurant in a bowling alley on their first date. At the film's climax, Lee has to choose between Peter, the safe bet, and Edward, a man who wants to love and hurt her at the same time.

Amy Danger, the film's production designer, gives the actors unusual sets to play in. Edward's office is filled with luscious flowers which are contrasted with dark red walls and his compulsively neat desk. The Laundromat restaurant is the epitome of white trash America with their plastic margarita glasses and a kiddie merry-go-round in the corner. Personal favorites are Edward's bright green grass bed and his old fashioned bathtub.

The film's costume design, particularly in regard to Maggie Gyllenhaal, brings out certain aspects of each character. Lee is an awkward girl with very little confidence, and her awkwardness is accentuated by her frumpy oversized sweaters and an '80s-style formal dress with puffy sleeves. Edward, in contrast, is constantly dressed in neat fitted suits, bringing out his control issues and his obsessive-compulsive nature and Peter, in his faded jacket, shirt and tie, is a boy trying to be a man.

The world of "Secretary" is a weird and beautiful place, and the story is a refreshing change from the usual romantic comedies. With strong performances from the entire cast (particularly Spader and Gyllenhaal) and a twisted sense of humor, "Secretary" is a truly original film.