I know what you're thinking, "A positive review from a male conservative?" That's right. Unfortunately so many people had their noses turned up at the mere concept of a film about sex that they missed the fact that it wasn't actually a film about sex. I never read the books, but I heard the horror stories. I, too, took them more seriously than I should have, and rented this movie with every expectation of a trashy vomit-inducing-romance of a film. In the end, I think I enjoyed it more than my girlfriend whom I rented it for.
Why is it that people are so offended by something they're so obsessed with? Western society is completely infatuated with sex, and yet so incapable of having a serious conversation about it. The fact that the characters had a non-traditional sex-life completely derailed the audience from the actual story line and character development. 50 Shades is a story of a girl becoming a woman, and that transformation has nothing to do with the sex. She starts out as a shy and timid girl who can barely even speak to Grey, and develops into a bold woman who sets all the rules, does what she wants, and makes things happen. She opens herself up to a lifestyle other than her own, which takes bravery that most Americans are lacking nowadays, and shows passion, compassion, and acceptance.
Meanwhile, Grey is broken down from his initial portrayal as a strong man's man who gets what he wants and doesn't take no for an answer, to a weak and violated man who tries to justify and understand his abusive childhood by reenacting the same acts that were performed on him.
The film itself is sleek and stylish, with plenty of comedic relief. While the dialogue is laughable at times, the score is enticing, the cinematography is entrancing, and director Sam Taylor-Johnson brought it all together wonderfully.
Why is it that people are so offended by something they're so obsessed with? Western society is completely infatuated with sex, and yet so incapable of having a serious conversation about it. The fact that the characters had a non-traditional sex-life completely derailed the audience from the actual story line and character development. 50 Shades is a story of a girl becoming a woman, and that transformation has nothing to do with the sex. She starts out as a shy and timid girl who can barely even speak to Grey, and develops into a bold woman who sets all the rules, does what she wants, and makes things happen. She opens herself up to a lifestyle other than her own, which takes bravery that most Americans are lacking nowadays, and shows passion, compassion, and acceptance.
Meanwhile, Grey is broken down from his initial portrayal as a strong man's man who gets what he wants and doesn't take no for an answer, to a weak and violated man who tries to justify and understand his abusive childhood by reenacting the same acts that were performed on him.
The film itself is sleek and stylish, with plenty of comedic relief. While the dialogue is laughable at times, the score is enticing, the cinematography is entrancing, and director Sam Taylor-Johnson brought it all together wonderfully.