Don't pay for this movie. Don't, don't, don't spend five (ha, like that's possible in today's economy) or eight or ten or eleven dollars- any amount- on this film. Now I'm not advocating against seeing this movie, I'm just saying that if you spend money on it, trust me, you'll regret it.
50 Shades of Grey, the new film notorious for abuse, money, dominance, and sex, was just released this Valentine's Day. Each of these words are distinct in their own way in regard to the film, so I currently believe that the movie may not be as problematic as the book (I have yet to read the book, actually, and when I finish I'll be sure to write a review).
First of all, the amount of abuse in the movie is minimal at best, if not non-existant. In the movie, Grey made it very clear that he didn't want any type of romance or 'relationship title', despite his one exception of having a date night per week, so that he might persuade Steele to sign his contract. This disaallowed any type of abuse because she knew exactly what she was getting herself into: a very strict and limited relationship consisting entirely of a dominant (Grey) and a submissive (Steele). Although she knows the terms, she tries countless times to persuade Grey to be with her, because she admits that she has fallen in love with him. Instead of using this against her, Grey warns her not to fall in love with him. The only outcome of this is an additional attempt by Steele to make him love her.
So wait, is Christian Grey is a billionaire? The director definitely emphasizes his wealth with private jets, expensive gifts, and many pristine grey suits. It may be perceived that Grey uses his money to manipulate Steele- he buys her a new car and takes her into his expensive apartments. The question is, however, is there a point for Grey's affluence other than as a factor of his character? Was his enormous amount of money and the showcasing of it, supposed to be influence Steele's decision? It definitely adds to the plot's setting; but it doesn't seem to have any connection to Steele's choice; she responds to the gifts with a more thankful reaction than a changed mindset.
Ahh, power. Some say it's the root of all evil, others simply see it as a part of human nature. In Grey's life, it his escape; he creates power by assigning himself as a dominant and gaining sexual power. Towards the end of the movie, we finally get a hint of why he's that way; his reason, "I was a submissive to an older woman when and I was younger" and "I'm fifty shades of f***d up". This ambiguity can imply one thing or the other; power as a release or power as a need to control.
The sex scenes were directed well; the only problem was, unfortunately, neither of the actors looked like they wanted to be there. Nonetheless, the scenes weren't necessarily boring either. It was all consensual and basically followed the cliché romance love-scene formula.
Finally, I do not support any form of abuse- and yes, I must make this obvious because I want to make it clear that my reason for seeing 50 Shades of Grey was to formulate my own opinion on it. I've heard good and bad reviews about it and I felt that in order to hold a certain judgement, I had to see the movie myself. My perspective is contrast to the common idea that both the movie and the book promote abusive relationships, because I believe that it does the opposite; in the final scene of the movie, Grey tries reaching out to Steele to compel her to stay. She looks at him, sternly, and boldly declares, "No!". It's empowering; she's finally overcome this dependence on him and is able to free herself.
Altogether, the movie was good at giving Steele a voice, and bad because it was painfully boring. The sex scenes were mediocre; again, the actors really did not look like they were enjoying it. Also, there were many pauses in the movie where it seemed as though the writers were just trying to fill up space. Lastly, I'd recommend not paying for this movie because when you're in a theatre, the immediate and numerous switches from dark to bright quickly make your head ache.
So, the last question is: would I encourage someone to see this movie? Probably not. It's dull, it's repetitive, it's awkward, and it still fails to educate viewers on what BDSM actually is. The film only skims the surface of BDSM culture; it's main focus is turning the association between the two characters into a courtship. But if you want a look into a millionaire's exceedingly secretive life, then this is the perfect movie for you (but seriously, you could buy so much food with twelve dollars)!
50 Shades of Grey, the new film notorious for abuse, money, dominance, and sex, was just released this Valentine's Day. Each of these words are distinct in their own way in regard to the film, so I currently believe that the movie may not be as problematic as the book (I have yet to read the book, actually, and when I finish I'll be sure to write a review).
First of all, the amount of abuse in the movie is minimal at best, if not non-existant. In the movie, Grey made it very clear that he didn't want any type of romance or 'relationship title', despite his one exception of having a date night per week, so that he might persuade Steele to sign his contract. This disaallowed any type of abuse because she knew exactly what she was getting herself into: a very strict and limited relationship consisting entirely of a dominant (Grey) and a submissive (Steele). Although she knows the terms, she tries countless times to persuade Grey to be with her, because she admits that she has fallen in love with him. Instead of using this against her, Grey warns her not to fall in love with him. The only outcome of this is an additional attempt by Steele to make him love her.
So wait, is Christian Grey is a billionaire? The director definitely emphasizes his wealth with private jets, expensive gifts, and many pristine grey suits. It may be perceived that Grey uses his money to manipulate Steele- he buys her a new car and takes her into his expensive apartments. The question is, however, is there a point for Grey's affluence other than as a factor of his character? Was his enormous amount of money and the showcasing of it, supposed to be influence Steele's decision? It definitely adds to the plot's setting; but it doesn't seem to have any connection to Steele's choice; she responds to the gifts with a more thankful reaction than a changed mindset.
Ahh, power. Some say it's the root of all evil, others simply see it as a part of human nature. In Grey's life, it his escape; he creates power by assigning himself as a dominant and gaining sexual power. Towards the end of the movie, we finally get a hint of why he's that way; his reason, "I was a submissive to an older woman when and I was younger" and "I'm fifty shades of f***d up". This ambiguity can imply one thing or the other; power as a release or power as a need to control.
The sex scenes were directed well; the only problem was, unfortunately, neither of the actors looked like they wanted to be there. Nonetheless, the scenes weren't necessarily boring either. It was all consensual and basically followed the cliché romance love-scene formula.
Finally, I do not support any form of abuse- and yes, I must make this obvious because I want to make it clear that my reason for seeing 50 Shades of Grey was to formulate my own opinion on it. I've heard good and bad reviews about it and I felt that in order to hold a certain judgement, I had to see the movie myself. My perspective is contrast to the common idea that both the movie and the book promote abusive relationships, because I believe that it does the opposite; in the final scene of the movie, Grey tries reaching out to Steele to compel her to stay. She looks at him, sternly, and boldly declares, "No!". It's empowering; she's finally overcome this dependence on him and is able to free herself.
Altogether, the movie was good at giving Steele a voice, and bad because it was painfully boring. The sex scenes were mediocre; again, the actors really did not look like they were enjoying it. Also, there were many pauses in the movie where it seemed as though the writers were just trying to fill up space. Lastly, I'd recommend not paying for this movie because when you're in a theatre, the immediate and numerous switches from dark to bright quickly make your head ache.
So, the last question is: would I encourage someone to see this movie? Probably not. It's dull, it's repetitive, it's awkward, and it still fails to educate viewers on what BDSM actually is. The film only skims the surface of BDSM culture; it's main focus is turning the association between the two characters into a courtship. But if you want a look into a millionaire's exceedingly secretive life, then this is the perfect movie for you (but seriously, you could buy so much food with twelve dollars)!