The film was generally received positively by critics. As of May 2011, it has a rating of 74% on 
Rotten Tomatoes based on 141 reviews.
[6] Many critics noted the film's original take on themes of 
sadomasochism, with 
Roger Ebert  saying that the film "approaches the tricky subject...with a stealthy  tread, avoiding the dangers of making it either too offensive, or too  funny".
[7] Ain't It Cool News  commented: "Perhaps there is something bold about saying that pain can  bring healing as long as it's applied by the right hand, but even that  seems obvious and even normal thanks to [Gyllenhaal]."
[8]