Movie Review - Fifty Shades of Grey

Fifty Shades of Grey ** (out of five) (R) The wait is over!! Fans of the wildly successful and controversial novel (and its two follow-ups) can finally see their own special Odd Couple (nothing like Felix and Oscar) on a big screen, rather than just in their heads. I haven’t read any of the books, and nothing about this film inclines me to do so. But as an old dude, I’m not even close to their target demographic. With that in mind, let’s proceed.

The topic is sexual dominance and submission in a supposedly loving, consensual relationship. Jamie Dornan stars as Christian Grey - an absurdly rich and handsome fellow with matter-of-fact acceptance and pursuit of his kinky sexual needs. When he meets ingenue Anastasia (Dakota Johnson), there’s instant chemistry, offset by reticence on both sides. That leads to a couple of hours of will-they/should-they dancing around her decision of whether to sign on for his program. Literally. There’s even a fat contract setting forth all the terms for who will do what to and for whom.

The upside of the film is that the erotic sequences are charged with the desired level of electricity, primarily due to Johnson’s vulnerability, and her engaging mix of innocence and intelligence. That’s accomplished more with the tease than the tawdry. Despite all the pre-opening hoopla and backlash from bluenose factions, the visuals are less explicit than any of the soft-core late-night fare on Cinemax and its premium-cable brethren.

The downside is that most of the dialog, especially that intended to provide glimpses into the principals’ backstories and psyches that brought them to this point, seems like drivel. I’m sure plenty of shrinks and real-life BDSM practitioners have been annoyed , or worse, by one or more aspects of that element. The subject was more credibly and compellingly explored years ago in films like The Night Porter and The Story of O.

SPOILER ALERT - The other negative is that this film only covers the first novel, leaving the lovers (?) in limbo. Closure ain’t part of this deal, so you may not want to start unless you’re ready to hope for film sequels or start reading. I’m in no hurry for either.(2/13/15)