Monday, February 16, 2015

Fifty Shades of Grey Review

Was I curious? Yes, I was. Did I read the book before watching the movie? Yes, I did. My expectations towards the movie were high, since I first heard the news it was going to the big screen. 

Who was going to play Anastasia Steele? Who was going to play Christian Grey? For someone who had already read the book beforehand, and had some actors to play the main characters in mind, the pick of the author and director were OK. Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan were the ones who got the roles. 

I liked the movie but it did not lift my expectations. The soundtrack and the photography were great. Dakota did well as Anastasia Steele, better than the book Anastasia, and Jamie also did well as Christian Grey, though I liked more the book Christian. 

What was truly missing in the movie, was some parts of the book that could make it full circle. First, their relationship was kinkier in the book and some bits were left out of the movie, so it could get a R-rating. And second, some important characters were missing (this one can be added in the next movies, since Darker and Freed got the green light to be filmed pretty soon).

The ending left me waiting for more? Surprisingly, yes. Maybe because it ended abruptly, different from the book. But not so different from another movie I had seen before. A movie called 9 and 1/2 weeks, which starred Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger, *SPOILER*: the ending was exactly the same, with a difference that 9 and 1/2 weeks was in the theaters 29 years ago.

So, my conclusion is: I liked more the book than the movie in many aspects. The details that were left out made huge difference in the story. For instance, Anna trying to find a job and getting so many "No" as an answer. It was very important throughout the whole trilogy, because she was on the way to become an independent woman. While the movie focused more on Anna and Christian relationship.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Update contain SPOILERS: After watching the extended version of "Fifty Shades of Grey", which is only three more minutes longer than the original version, it got a little better. The greatest difference comes in the end of the movie, after "Christian" and "Anna" lines which show the viewer their lives after the break-up. A better cliffhanger for "Fifty Shades Darker".