Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson), a self-titled normal girl and also a virgin, has her world turned upside down by the elusive and mysterious Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan). Throughout their interactions, she falls for a man who tells her immediately that he doesn’t do romance — he’s more into the practice of BDSM and prefers to be dominant, wanting to make Anastasia his submissive. A contract is involved, things get heated, but not much else happens.
“Fifty Shades of Grey” is nowhere near as explicit or interesting as it was expected to be. Easily the most controversial and talked-about film of the month, “Fifty Shades of Grey” is rather tame and doesn’t do much for the audience by way of entertainment. The film is boring, and you never learn much about any of the characters. The film gets sexy here and there, but it’s not worth your money when porn is free.
Dakota Johnson is the film’s saving grace, portraying the only character who is granted some background and livelihood. While her Kristen Stewart-level of disinterest constantly fluctuates, she does present a refreshing level of curiosity and willingness to experiment. Her reactions as she participates in potentially harmful endeavors evoke both laughter and worry.
Dornan’s Christian Grey, the mysterious sex aficionado, is the most boring man on the planet — save for his enormous fortune. He’s a billionaire and becomes obsessed with his ability to control others. The audience doesn’t find out how he makes his money, and he only reveals some information when he feels particularly weak. He’s rude to nearly everyone in his life, including his mother, and seems an odd character to be around. He’s handsome, but that doesn’t mean we have to get behind him. Speaking of behind, you see much of his.
Things really get steamy when the ropes tighten, the mask slips on and the clothes slip off; for a minute, we are in the mind of Christian Grey. We watch some teasing, there’s some rough play, and a big finish. These scenes build quickly, and while they’re somewhat sexy, they’re presented all wrong — then the film quickly proceeds with what can hardly be called a plot.
It’s fair to say this is a film geared toward women, but those interested in BDSM might be curious enough to see the film as well; they’ll be disappointed that the film takes no issue with fully exposing Johnson but covering up Dornan and keeping him relatively tame. It’s 2015 and female nudity is expected, but the thought of male nudity in a film about BDSM is still ridiculous to the Motion Picture Association of America. There’s also the willful disregard for people who safely practice BDSM in real life, as Dornan is abusive in his control, violating the principles behind BDSM relationships, which include consent and safe words.
“Fifty Shades of Grey” is more subdued than the book, but that’s the least of its issues. In more than 2 hours it fails to achieve a plot or even tell the audience about the characters. Rather than going all out, à la “Wolf of Wall Street,’” this film would rather infuriate by teasing and setting up for a sequel. Director Sam Taylor-Johnson didn’t seem to embrace the film, and for that reason it suffers in its execution.
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“‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ more submissive than expected” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar