Gyllenhaal, in her first full-blown starring role, delivers a tight and compelling performance that deserves its own paragraph in this review. Now, I had previously seen her in her roles in Adaptation and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, although she had never really made too much of an impression on me. Finally seeing her in the spotlight of her own starring vehicle really brought her to my attention. Gyllenhaal positively glows in this film. Each scene in which she appears (which is nearly all of them) are brought to life through her spunky energy and screen presence. She is also decidedly pretty, although not in the traditional starlet way, making her all the more believable on the screen. The fact that she is not Julia Roberts or, to borrow from another decade, Audrey Hepburn, makes her so much more real on screen than either of those glamorous stars could ever hope to be. Her face is an interesting one, looking both youthfully exuberant and optimistic as well as conveying the tired and jaded appearance of a woman much older (she is only twenty-six at the time of this writing, with a long and promising career ahead of her). I don't know quite what it is that gives her face this unexpected maturity and depth - perhaps the answers lie in the various creases and folds that outline her features, perhaps it is her expressive and sensual lips and mouth, or perhaps her eyes, shining with intelligence and passion - but she can speak volumes with just a glance. And did I mention that she lights up the room everytime she's present? Even when she's busy cutting herself or, in one of the film's most cringe-worthy scenes, burning herself with a hot tea kettle, one can't help but love her. I expect great things from this actress in the future.

Another issue that I feel I must address in this review: many feminists have complained, and undoubtedly will continue to do so, about the supposedly sexist connotations present in the relationship between Lee and E. Edward Grey. Well, fuck them. There is absolutely nothing sexist about this film. Sure, Gyllenhaal's character is certainly the submissive in this relationship, but the way she enters into this submissive position is positively empowering at times. There are several points in the film - I won't say where as to not spoil some of the most entertaining moments - where Lee takes the lead and propells the relationship forward into a realm where it may not have gone had she not been as strong and powerful as she is. And lest we forget, dominant/submissive relationships are generally mutually accepted and mutually pleasing. Just because she is the submissive in the relationship does not mean she is any less respected by Grey, and she is certainly getting what she wants out of the relationship. Nothing about Gyllenhaal's character seems like she's been forced into this situation. And I wonder, had the roles been reversed and we found Gyllenhaal beating James Spader with a paddle, would men be up in arms declaring the movie sexist and degrading to males? I think not.