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]