50 Shades Of Grey (2015)

During the summer of 2014, I’d heard about the 50 Shades of Grey novels by E. L. James. I have read my share of romance novels and decided to try this one. I read all three in the series that summer. I couldn't put them down.

It’s a different brand of romance, and a lot of sex. The exploration behind the BDSM (Bondage-Dominant-Submissive-Sadomasochism) acts is what ignites the curiosity of the readers. And if you are a fan of books, as I am, then you will appreciate the film just as much!

The story is about Ana Steele, a college student in Washington who takes the place of her ill roommate to interview the wealthiest entrepreneur, and most eligible bachelor, Christian Grey, for her college newspaper. A young man of 27, he has made an empire for himself by keeping his emotions in check, and business in order. Sparks fly between them, and Christian begins to pursue Ana. She thinks she begins dating Christian but he explains to her that he doesn’t “do romance,” and has very particular taste. He shows her his “playroom.” In the book Ana calls it “the red room of pain.” Christian proposes a BDSM sexual relationship in which he would be the dominant and her the submissive. He even provides a contract to keep it a tidy transaction. Ana attempts to satisfy Christian by attempting this type of sexual relationship, but isn't sure that it’s right for her. In the end she will have to decide if she can make sacrifices to fit into Christian’s reality, or can he make sacrifices to satisfy her desire for a “normal” relationship.

Dakota Johnson plays Ana Steele, and Jamie Dornan plays Christian Grey. These two have great chemistry. They play off of each other well. Ana is supposed to be young, wide-eyed, innocent, and inexperienced sexually. She is also very well-educated which contributes to how she challenges the control freak in Christian. Christian is assertive, formal, routine, and controlling. He seems to always be one step ahead of everyone else, always getting his way. Jamie brings a lot of mystery to Christian, and not to mention a convincing American accent. His natural Irish is hardly detectable, then again I wasn't 100% focused on his accent. You be the judge.

Anyone who has read the books knows there will be intense sexual encounters between Christian and Ana. Most of these scenes were in his playroom. The only way to describe the style of filming of these scenes is strategic. The camera can only show so much to keep an R rating. This film definitely is pushing the limits in American cinema having this specific type of sex on-screen. The sexual encounters were necessary to the film because Ana and Christians relationship is, at first, based on it. It is what moves the story, and helps the characters learn and grow from their time together. Surprisingly Dakota Johnson bared more skin than expected, but this also kept the encounters very honest. I mean, how many times are we going to watch a love scene in which the female keeps her clothes on? It’s not realistic. Jamie Dornan also bared more than expected, but not too much. The love scenes have the ability to make a moviegoer uncomfortable if you don’t know what to expect. However I appreciate that the scenes were honest, tasteful, and passionate. The aggressiveness during their encounters is reminiscent of Fatal Attraction, but less brutal. This film isn't for the immature or squeamish, but it may make some women raise their standards.  

If you have never seen the show The Fall, I highly recommend it. I’d previously seen Jamie Dornan play Sheriff Graham on Once Upon A Time, but it wasn't until I saw The Fall that I felt I'd seen the depth of talent he possesses. In The Fall he plays a serial killer dodging a detectives’ radar. The character he plays is very dark, mysterious, and private. I could easily see the foundations for Christian Grey and knew he'd be a great fit. I’d never watched anything Dakota Johnson was in. However she played Ana very well, and gave her more dimension than the books did. In the books she is all sass and her “inner Goddess” likes to have provocative commentary. In the film she plays Ana more as a shy, slightly awkward, young romantic.

It is annoying that the general formula for the first part of the film resembles Twilight. “I’m not good for you. You should stay away from me.” “I can't stay away from you, you are changing me.” Christian even pulls Ana out of the way of a car, much like Edward saving Bella from the van. Thankfully this story is very different from Twilight, and the romance is completely different. Ana even makes fun of this formula in a drunken phone call to Christian. This film can stand on its own.

50 Shades of Grey is a tough story to film given how much of it is explicit. But the film turned out to be a great adaptation from the books. I know the readers will be pleasantly surprised to see how much from the book they were able to keep and incorporate. Not much to say regarding makeup or lighting, everything came together seamlessly.

There wasn't too much focus on Kate or Jose, Ana's friends. But somehow it didn't seem to matter. In a way, we were in Ana's perspective the entire time. When her focus was on Christian, our focus was also on Christian. The camera only followed her throughout the story. In this way, it is just like the books, which are written to focus only on Ana's perspective. 

The soundtrack to the film is outstanding! Every song is perfectly chosen to fit a film like this. But I have to recommend that Annie Lennox's version of "I Put A Spell On You" is quite bewitching!

Recently I've read many articles from groups stating the film promotes violence against women, or that it objectifies women, etc. The lifestyle Christian Grey enjoys is a REAL lifestyle, a sexual fetish. Appropriately, no one talks about this particular type of fetish publicly. It’s one of the last taboo types of sex to be out in the open. The lifestyle promotes that both/all parties involved consent to the sexual acts. In fact, most dominants are women! Even in the books and the film Christian is respectful and formal about getting written consent from Ana before touching her, and there is no harm done. BDSM sex isn't for everyone, which is why many women will sympathize with Ana’s character. Ana fictionally fulfills the sexual fantasies many real women have about being dominated. And let’s face it, if Jamie Dornan was holding the riding crop, would we pass up the opportunity?