Elizabeth Worsham/Advertising Manager
This weekend marked the controversial opening of “50 Shades of Grey,” the first installment in the film adaptation of the series by E. L. James. Having a general apathy for “romance novels,” I had minimal knowledge of the book series and storyline. However, after hearing conflicting views about the themes and characters, I decided to find out what it was all about.
When I got to the theatre, I was still skeptical about my choice to buy the ticket; I had no idea what to expect. Was I going to spend two hours watching a love story or a kinky sex scene montage? The movie opened with a sensual, Annie Lennox cover of “I Put a Spell on You,” then plunges into the first meeting between Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) and Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan). Ana seemed fragile, passive and one-dimensional – think Bella Swan – so I immediately disliked her character. I started to think back to the criticisms I read that painted the novel as encouraging abusive relationships, and I worried they were right (but keep reading—they’re not).
Despite starting with a horrible personality, Dakota Johnson quickly turns her portrayal of Ana into a home run. She may be clumsy and giggly, but she is ultimately human. Her reactions to every situation are real; you watch the scenes play out as if you hear it from your best friend. Perhaps the most surprising and entertaining part of the movie was that it kept me laughing. Not the this-is-so-bad-it’s-funny laugh, but the real, hearty laugh that can only be achieved by watching Steele drunkenly call Grey to give a re-enactment of their brief but awkward encounters. However perfectly Johnson and Dornan could act on their own, they had little chemistry on screen. Sorry Dakota, you may be funny and adorable, but you are no match for Jamie Dornan, who practically oozes sex.
Now it’s time for me to debunk all you’ve heard about the “immorality” of this movie. First, Ana and Christian’s relationship is not an abusive one. All the sexual acts between the two are consensual. He even repeatedly reminds her that she is free to leave him at any time; free to object to anything with which she does not feel comfortable, and she does. Is Christian totally dominant over her? Absolutely not. Throughout the movie, Ana even seems to gain more power over him. She constantly questions Grey’s motives and upholds her integrity as a woman who wants more out of her relationship than sex. Another fabulous aspect of Johnson’s performance: Ana’s internal struggle is abundantly clear despite the third-person perspective of the film.
Next, this movie is not all sex. “50 Shades” is truly a love story about a man who is really screwed up and a woman who refuses to let him take advantage of her; it’s an R-rated Beauty and the Beast. Both characters are dynamic, with Ana becoming more dominant and Christian becoming more submissive. In fact, only a small portion of the movie was about sex as opposed to scenes about their relationship.
Overall, I was very impressed with “50 Shades of Grey.” The script was nothing special and some lines were just cheesy, but both Johnson and Dornan did a fantastic job of making it seem real. Add a pinch of humor, a dash of shirtless Dornan, and an incredibly sexy soundtrack, and “50 Shades of Grey” gets 3 out of 5 airplanes.
