I very much doubt that you need me to write a synopsis of what it’s all about. However, for the one or two people who have been living in a cave for the past three of four years, here is a quick update.

West London Author E.L. James wrote a fan-fiction story inspired by Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga.

The story of two lovers turned into an S&M based best-selling book published in 2011 called Fifty Shades of Grey and then the subsequent follow up books Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed published in 2012.

To date the books have sold over 100 million copies.

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Synopsis:
A Seattle based English literature student Anastasia Steele is sent to interview local wealthy businessman Christian Grey as a favour to her fellow student and roommate Kate Kavanagh.

What Ana discovers is a young, handsome, mysterious and intimidating man and there is an instant connection between the two of them.

Christian becomes obsessed with Ana and wants her but only on his terms. Although Ana is attracted to him she hesitates to commit to a relationship due to his unusual sexual preferences and secrets but as they get closer she also discovers and explores her own desires.

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There was always talk of the Movie rights and much speculation as to who would play the two lead characters.

For the Anastasia role there were rumours of Mila Kunis, Alexis Bledel (from Mad Man) and Amanda Seyfried.

For Christian they had cast British actor Charlie Hunnam (Pacific Rim) who got cold feet and decided to pull out (to coin a phrase).

The role of Christian finally went to Irish actor Jamie Dornan who was brilliant as the sexual deviant serial killer in the recent BBC2 drama The Fall with Gillian Anderson.

The part of Anastasia went to Dakota Johnson, daughter of actor Don Johnson and actress Melanie Griffith and her grandmother is Tipi Hedren who starred in Hitchcock’s The Birds and Marnie. So comes from a good acting pedigree.

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What you want to know though is, does the film live up to the hype? Well actually the film is surprisingly good and I’ll tell you why.

Everybody concerned in transferring the book to the big screen has made sure that this film does not become a laughing stock with 120 minutes of just soft porn rushed out to cash in on the popularity of the three novels.

Director Sam Taylor-Johnson who was responsible for the 2009 award winning John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy starring her now-husband Aaron (Taylor) Johnson, has brought together some top creative movie industry greats.

The screenplay has been adapted by Kelly Marcel who wrote Saving Mr. Banks (2013) and she has produced an extremely good script with some added humour and none of the terrible prose from the books.

So we don’t get to hear Ana say those unforgettable phrases such as “Oh My”, “Down there” and “Holy Hell” and no mention of her ‘inner Goddess’.

The film is also well shot thanks to cinematographer Seamus McGarvey who was director of photography on Godzilla (2014), Anna Karenina (2012), Avengers Assemble (2012), Nowhere Boy (2009) and Atonement (2007).

Funny enough three of those films featured Aaron Taylor-Johnson and one directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson.

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The film also boasts a good soundtrack including the current Ellie Goulding hit Love Me like You Do, Annie Lennox version of I Put a Spell On You, The Rolling Stones Beast of Burden and even old blue eyes Frank Sinatra singing Witchcraft.

The overall music score is by Danny Elfman who is responsible for numerous movie soundtracks as well as The Simpsons.

The main positive here is the performance from Dakota Johnson who has embraced the role of the virginal Anastasia giving 100% commitment.

Her timing is good and plays comedy very well which makes light relief from the serious S&M overtones.

There is a nice scene in Christian’s boardroom where the two of them negotiate the terms of the contract that he has put together in a very business-like manor but she can’t resist giggling at some of the sexual activities stipulated in the rules.

Although Christian Grey is a self-confessed control freak, you feel like Anastasia is actually the one in control of the situation and everything that he does to her in the ‘Red Room’ is consensual.

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It’s probably a good fifty minutes before the audience sees any of the bondage scenes, which are actually quite well done without looking tacky (I’m guessing!), although it may bring a slight flush to the cheeks of some people. Once again no pun intended, it’s harder than I thought to write a review about Fifty Shades without everything having a double meaning.

I must say that the most ridiculous scene in the film is when Anastasia arrives at the high rise ‘Grey Towers’ building and manages to park her car directly outside the main entrance without a security guard rushing out to tell her to move on. Try doing that at Canary Wharf and see what happens!

There is a little bit of an anti-climax (here we go again) with the sudden ending to the film, which I think follows the same route as the book. So definitely left the audience wanting more.

  • Three and a half out of five. Much better than expected.

In cinemas now.


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Cast: Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson, Eloise Mumford, Max Martini, Luke Grimes, Jennifer Ehle, Marcia Gay Harden and Rita Ora

Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson

Novel: E.L. James

Screenplay: Kelly Marcel

Genre: Drama / Romance

See Trailer below.