Fifty Shades of Grey
2015 · Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson
Original language: English
- drama
- romance
- thriller
The story
When college senior Anastasia Steele steps in for her sick roommate to interview prominent businessman Christian Grey for their campus paper, little does she realize the path her life will take. Christian, as enigmatic as he is rich and powerful, finds himself strangely drawn to Ana, and she to him. Though sexually inexperienced, Ana plunges headlong into an affair -- and learns that Christian's true sexual proclivities push the boundaries of pain and pleasure.
What it’s like
Glossy, saturated digital images of Seattle in cool grey daylight, then warm lamplit interiors: a penthouse of pale wood, glass and white linen, a sterile hotel suite, a dim red-walled playroom that feels more like a showroom than a lived-in room. Camera work is polished and mostly static or slowly drifting, with frequent soft-focus close-ups and lingering shots of hands, fabric and city lights, and a score of swelling pop ballads and languid piano that tells you what to feel before the scene does. The vibe is glossy, overwrought and faintly comic, a sleek erotic thriller with a sheen of luxury that tips into self-seriousness. Pacing is uneven, with long stretches of coy conversation and then sudden jolts into explicit sexual content, including nudity, graphic sex scenes and BDSM with spanking, bondage and a bit of rough handling; there's little gore but plenty of sexual intensity and some unsettling control dynamics. The emotional register runs from giddy to wounded, following a naive young woman who gets pulled into a relationship with a guarded billionaire who is slow to show any tenderness. It suits a curious late-night watch with friends or a viewer who wants steamy, flashy romance and doesn't mind its excess. Not for anyone seeking something gentle or a healthy portrayal of intimacy.
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