As you may have seen, a small film has come out to much furore. Not since Twilight have people gathered in such, well, craziness and anger at film. Whatever side you land on, however, there is no denying that Fifty Shades of Grey has had such success.
Literature student Anastasia Steele's (Dakota Johnson) life changes forever when she meets handsome, yet tormented, billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan). However, Christian has some unconventional desires that will open up a whole world of sexual activities to virgin Anastasia. Will love blossom?
More importantly - is it any good?
Aly and Jennifer fight it out!
For...
There is no question that the erotic drama genre is striking back with a vengeance. A franchise born for adults only. With Fifty Shades of Grey, E.L James has brought sadomasochism to the mainstream. The red room of Christian Grey’s toys can be purchased at your local sex shop where couples spend vast amounts of money, thus contributing to E.L James’ luxurious and lavish lifestyle. Although S and M is a major theme in the film, Fifty Shades of Grey delivers more than expected. Every frame, every second, every word is alluring.
It is very rare a film is better than the book, and Fifty Shades proves that intelligent and subtle direction can make a film, which is exactly what Sam Taylor-Wood has done. Potential was definitely prominent in 2009’s John Lennon biography Nowhere Boy. Now she has directed a major Hollywood film, where she rightly deserves her success. Even though it seems she has obeyed her studio executive bosses to keep the film within the boundary constraints of a rated R movie.
Although the film is faithful to the 514 page book, credit must be awarded to screenwriter Kelly Marcel for trimming the fat into a two hour film of pure blissful adult drama. Marcel writes vulnerable women with strong tendencies hidden from within, like how she created P.L. Travers in Saving Mr Banks. Johnson plays Anastasia Steele as an uneasy, and subtly sexy woman then evolves her to have sheer confidence by the end. Although she is the submissive to Grey’s dominant, in the end she will call the shots, implying women can be more assertive, thus making it a feminist film.
As the plot thickens, Ana becomes intrigued by the mysterious billionaire Grey. Dornan plays his character elusive and lacking in emotion. It’s the right balance to have, as it defines the persona of the character. And then he shows his sex room. Sure, it’s risqué, but isn’t this the necessity of the erotic genre? The film has been given a twelve rating in France and this isn’t surprising for the country that gave us Blue is the Warmest Colour, the 2013 Palme d’or winner and without a doubt the best erotic drama of all time; as it pushed the boundaries perfectly and got away with it. The point being Blue is the Warmest Colour makes Fifty Shades of Grey look like My Little Pony.
It must be noted the true standout scene is when the two leads are at Grey’s business table where Steele and Grey dress formally to negotiate the sexual contract of what she will or won’t consent to. “Find anal fisting. Strike it out.” “Check!” To which two of Grey’s extremely attractive secretaries enter the boardroom to place hors d'oeuvres on the table.
Overall, the audience will enjoy the hotly anticipated film for the intense chemistry between the two unknown leads that will now catapult them to stardom. The setting of Seattle truly creates an effective ambience that captures the richness of the city and Christian’s billionaire lifestyle. His luxurious apartment captures perfect views of the city and defines what kind of an appealing man he is and why he would be worth succumbing to his dominance. By all means it is worth watching, it’s an erotic drama aimed at the mainstream, but not aimed at the prudish people that can’t handle what a minority of people do behind closed doors.
...Against
Let's be brutal here: The source material for this unfortunate film wasn't close to decent. Reading the books felt like reading the diary of an exceptionally naive and ignorant teenager with the emotional maturity of a dried prune. After seeing clips and trailers for the film adaptation not a lot of hope was held. If anything, anger that a novel that justifies an abusive man under the guise of romance would be given the Hollywood treatment and sold as the romance for Valentines Day is enough to make people sick with rage. Despite that, this reviewer had to take one for the team so to speak and see this film to report on. The verdict?
In the interest of fairness, it's worth pointing out the only responsible thing this film does. It shows a man ripping off a condom wrapper indicating that the characters aren't at least stupid enough (yet) to forget about contraception.
With that caveat out of the way, this film is an absolute waste of time at best. At worst it is a dangerous piece of patriarchal propaganda bound to trigger any of the courageous men and women who've survived domestic abuse and sexual violence. This film misunderstands BDSM and dominant/submissive relationships. One wouldn't need to go to a DIY store for supplies to use for the kind of things Christian appears to be into. There are many sex shops and fetish businesses that can cater far better for these needs and go through any questions. They're not impossible to find. Secondly, just because a person is a dominant doesn't mean they get to completely disregard the needs of the submissive. Aftercare and respect is crucial which Christian doesn't display to Ana. He treats her as an object and choice is all but an illusion.
It has been suggested that this is a good film because it is directed, written and produced by women. That would be good if this film wasn't an exercise in pleasing the more extreme version of the male gaze that wishes to suppress women under the guise of freedom. Do not be fooled by the lie that this franchise is some form of sexual liberation or a breakthrough for feminism.
What Do You Think?
Does Fifty Shades of Grey excite you?
Or does it leave you gagging for more?
Let us know in the comments below!