Fifty Shades of Grey Review

RYAN: I’m overwhelmed by the love and generosity of Joy Bach who has donated $250 to the ABCD (After Breast Cancer Diagnosis) Charity as the highest bidder to guest review this film with me.  Thank you Joy.  You’re a hero.  We just saw Fifty Shades of Grey, one of the most buzzed about movies of the year.  I didn’t read the book

JOY: I didn’t read it either.

RYAN: So we bring a fresh perspective to this film.  It’s a good movie.

JOY: I was taken in.  I did not expect to actually enjoy the storyline but it’s a testament to character development because I found the film to be more interesting than I thought it would be, based solely on seeing the trailer.  I wasn’t taken in my the preview, or the casting, but as I we watched the movie, I liked it.  She took control of the situation.

RYAN: RIght – I’ve heard ahead of time some controversy about this story being anti-feminist but now after seeing it, the female lead character does stand her ground and is a strong character.  It really speaks to the dynamic of a dominant/submissive relationship – something never explored in a mainstream movie before.  We see what it means in the bedroom, but what I found more fascinating, what it means outside of the bedroom.

JOY: Right.  Throughout the film as they play between the boundaries of their relationship, I feel there was a level of respect.  There was open communication and they seemed to be on the same page each step of the way, mutually consenting to everything.  Even though what we thought the subject matter would be, I was pleasantly surprised that there’s more developing than just what I assumed was racy in the novel.

RYAN: It’s rated R instead of NC-17 to reach a larger audience.  But I think this is one movie that shouldn’t have compromised. Nothing in this movie made me uncomfortable.  It’s certainly not tame – and some dialogue is unlike what you hear in a typical film – but I wanted things to be a bit more… shocking, maybe?

JOY: I completely agree.  I wasn’t pulled out of my comfort zone.

RYAN: You didn’t want to be disgusted and walk out of the theater but you kind of want your jaw to drop at some point.  Did anything shock you?

JOY: No but that’s why you were able to be taken in – because you gradually see how her character allowed things to happen.

RYAN: It’s really interesting to see this story from her perspective because for a mainstream film, you’re learning about this lifestyle through her eyes, a novice as well.  She’s played by Dakota Johnson, daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson.

JOY: Is that right?!

RYAN: And wow – what a way to break out onto the scene with this Blockbuster role.

JOY: She seems so genuine.  She plays a very likable character, innocent, naive…

RYAN: Grounded.

JOY: Comfortable and honest in front of someone so impressive.

RYAN: And It doesn’t matter his name is Jamie Dornan.  He’s just so easy on the eyes.  Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele are interesting characters whose personalities really serve the story.

JOY: For all that it is an alternative lifestyle, there is a real respect between them.

RYAN: The soundtrack is effective and the editing is outstanding, especially in the sex scenes.  The only one problem I had with the film is that it lacks a sense of joy and fun.  There are some moments that seemed reluctantly fun.  Both the tone – and their relationship – lack fun.  Maybe someone would say that’s not the point of a dom/sub relationship but for a movie about a playroom, it should have been a lot more playful.  it’s so serious.

JOY: You hit a point there.  His play room is for pleasure, not necessarily “fun.”  Both characters seem to be pushing each other past their typical boundaries or personas.

RYAN: It makes you wonder how they develop in the sequels.  Was there anything you didn’t like about it?

JOY: I thought everything was believable until about three quarters of the way through in a certain scene where their performances felt less natural and forced to me and I was a bit disconnected from then on.  But everything else up to then seemed real.  And I actually liked their chemistry.

RYAN: Yes some buzz suggested they didn’t connect well but I felt their chemistry. They’re both good actors.  And I love the ending.  It’s such a cliffhanger.  I want the sequel immediately to know what happens next.

JOY: I was so disappointed when it ended!

RYAN: The whole audience had an audible reaction to it being over.  You want to be in the pop culture know so this is worth seeing.

JOY: It’s a pleasant surprise.  I heard the books were poorly written but the dialogue in the movie is great, the action and reaction.

RYAN: It’s a winning adaptation.

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