But, apparently, there is more to it than you would ever think.
Firstly, I think it's safe to say that the directors tricked us into coming to the cinema, building up the excitement with intense trailers, clips, news, and a long ( and rather exquisite) soundtrack. It is slightly unfair, especially if you come back from the theater the way I did- utterly unimpressed.
The film starts with socially awkward Anastasia, typical shy but weirdly attractive protagonist that stumbles her way into the biggest and most disgusting cliche this industry has to offer. You've seen it billions of times, but now it has sex and bondage- so it must be really special! She meets Mr.Grey, a confident and strong alpha male that soaked the panties of 50% of the girls (and single moms) in the theater and that is so uni-dimensional it's actually painful to watch. Even though he can have any girl in the whole wide world, he falls for this awkward, virgin squirrel- because that always happens in real life.
After running into her one more time and saving ( or kidnapping- it really is just a matter of perspective) the damsel from too much alcohol the writers and directors decide it's enough foreplay so they go out on an actual date, days after they first met. Now this date ends with a weird proposal and deflowering the innocent Ana, leaving us somewhere between confusion and appreciation for the big love story we are about to witness.( or not)
Now, this illogical and rushed plot could have been saved by the actors, but believe it or not it was not the case. Co-stars Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson have no chemistry whatsoever, being so awkard around each other it's actually cringe-worthy. The hardware store scene is so awful, I had to dip my head into my popcorn to make sure my eyes won't bleed.
Anyways, after a few more boring occurrences Ana is manipulated into agreeing to go into the playroom and be his trial submissive before actually signing the contract. Now, I'm going to give this movie points for focusing on female pleasure and inhibition lost. Testing your limits and embracing your body is fine, experimenting and feeling pleasure on every possible level is...refreshing. So this part was surprisingly nailed ( no pun intended)
But I have to go over it again and eliminate the sex from it, just so it wouldn't be any confusion. The story is abusive, not because of the BDSM ( a lifestyle that many consensual adults choose to have and that is by no means pejorative or bad) but because of the creepy, stalking-like way Christian behaves and that is brilliantly masked by his charming self and well...money.
A guy you've just met tracks down your phone, extracts you from your friends and drives your unconscious persona into his house. He sleeps near you (was the couch broken?) and changes your clothes(how thoughtful) and then expedites you back to your apartment ( learning where you live), He often lets himself in and controls you choices by showering you with expensive gifts that you cannot refuse. He forbids you to talk to your friends and family about your relationship, isolating you from them, When he finds out you went to see your mother without asking for his consent, he gets furious. He finds pleasure in hitting you ( apparently, outside of the bedroom, too) but brilliantly hides that by including it in a lifestyle and making up a contract to seem like it all makes sense. Now, if Christian was a poor, dirty, creepy and weird guy this actions would have costed him a restricting order. But, because he is polite, elegant, and, well, rich, he doesn't seem like your usual abuser. This is why manipulating Ana seems romantic. And I find it disgusting.
On the other hand, I don't think this was the writer's intention. I think that a woman who wrote a twilight fanfiction wanted more sex for the plot and decided that BDSM was the answer, but, not knowing enough about it, assumed that the dominant had to be controlling in an type of situation, turning him into this weird character that won't bring Dornan any Oscars soon. To make sure he is not too scary she added a tragic back story that makes much more sense in the books than it appears in the movie, but that's no news.
All in all, the story is funny,but not in the Adam Sandler-way that pops in your mind when you hear the word "comedy". It has a soft humor that makes the boring/awkward scenes more enjoyable, shaking the cinema with laughter and stimulating you more than...well, the sex scenes. The theater experience is interesting, because the whole room is filled with such a sweet excitement that keeps you on the edge of your seat ( until it actually starts and you realize it's not what you've signed up for).It's an easy film, the one you may enjoy at some point but won't keep in your mind. I wouldn't rewatch it at home, not unless a friend would ask me so that we could make fun of it together.
In the end, I think we should stop over thinking it and just let it go. This phenomenon will die down as many others before it, and will remain in the movie history as nothing but an epic fail that competes with Twilight for "The biggest letdown ever" title.
Have you seen 50 Shades of Grey yet? let me know what you think in the comments!
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