It's not like the movie Secretary is the bible to me but it's the nearest thing which has romance and a heroine I actually like in a movie.

For instance, Bridget Jones annoys me. I like what she's about but her speaking without thinking, ladette behaviour and class prejudice makes her a heroine I can't count on.

I do like Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice though and even if I'm still on the fence about Mr Darcy, I can see he loves her so much and that's a winner in my book.

And then there's your "kick ass" American ladies. That's fine. But I can't relate to a woman with witty one liners, I admire her but she's different to me.

But Lee from Secretary, the fact that she's not presented as one way or the other, I personally feel that despite the fact we're given this cliche of a character though cliches do sometimes have truth in them. No cliche in self harm but people linking that between that and sadomasochism, although I personally don't feel it plays that way in the movie, the way she walks, her voice (not only soft spoken but verging on little girl lisping parody is what I initally thought), these are things I don't like. BUT when Lee changes, she really changes, she really evolves. I think that's why I LOVE Secretary and that's why it wins out over things I don't like.

I love James Spader but it's taken me time to get round to his character in this movie, not the dominating part, that I don't have a problem with at all or his thing about worms and pens, I don't need an explanation for everything, and I don't need labels like "quirks," it is what it is, it's his buisness, it doesn't affect my opinion of somebody's personality, I don't believe in analysing things that much. His interaction with his ex bothered me amongst a few other things.

I think the movie is a bit too traditional in one sense but that's just the tone for this movie. So okay I can accept that even if it's not something that I enjoy that much.

People have a problem with the last quarter of the movie. They say the movie starts well but for me the movie starts off okay but the last quarter make it something that defines me. And the ending. When she's looking in the camera..OH MY GOD. Perfect. THAT'S why I love Lee.

But I have always had a curiosity for a movie which was nearer to the short story that this was based on, because THAT ending I would have loved to have seen. In a different movie.

The intensity of love in this movie makes it my kind of romance. And the sadomaschochism? Aside from the spanking, it's really only their relationship that I have interest in. The fact Mr Grey, Spader's character will go there but not quite all the way and it's Lee who provides that strength when it was Mr Grey who helped her with her esteem, and the differences in their characters, they to me are different in ways even if they complete one sentence together, but mostly it's the fact he likes and loves her. I see that romance, and I care about that more so than any other romance in movies so far. (Well aside from Neil Perry and Todd Anderson from Dead Poets Society who I feel weren't gay but could be persuaded by one buxom heroine -me-to take part in a little menage a trois. But that's another time). (And Ethan Hawke's Jake Hoyt from Training Day who has sex repetedly with a sexy little stripper- me- and good boy that he is, leaves his wife).