EL James’ hardcore romance novel “Fifty Shades of Grey” was sold in so many copies, and made ladies all over the world crazy about the main protagonists – Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey. Not so long after the novel was released, Sam Taylor-Johnson has taken this hardcore bonkbuster and tried to turn it into a movie. He ended up giving the novel a meet-cute treatment in a film that revolves entirely around Anastasia’s decision whether or not she is ready to become a submissive.
Next time your roommate or friend asks for a favor, think about all the possible and impossible consequences you may have the face. “Fifty Shades of Grey” started as a favor. Anastasia decided to help her flu-ridden friend and filled in for her in an interview with America’s hottest business tycoon – Christian Grey. All the rest is history.
In the era of sexually-charged movies, “Fifty Shades of Grey” has definitely earned itself a certain spot. All of those who read the book or watched the movie trailer know that the movie is filled with sex scenes. However, many were disappointed how those scenes actually turned out in the movie. Fans probably expected something similar to kitchen sink scene in “Fatal Attraction” or at least inventive uses of household items which can be seen in “The Last Tango in Paris.” Instead, they got a S&M rewrite of “Beauty and the Beast.”
But, the movie itself is not that bad. Its biggest asset is Dakota Johnson, who plays Anastasia Steele – a blend of vulnerability and spiky resistance. And, Johnson does a great job. Luckily, her inner goddess that is very present in the book is nowhere to be found or heard in the movie. If she were, the movie would have been weirder than it already is.
Dornan, on the other hand, is a great physical fit for Christian Grey. He gets very involved in his ludicrous Bluebeard role and manages to render it only intermittently absurd. Of course, we are talking about the good kind of absurd. And, even though EL James focuses more on describing Grey in her book, Seamus McGarvey, the cinematographer, prefers focusing on Ms. Steel. These two actors and other members of the cast are perhaps what made this movie better than the book itself.
This erotic romantic drama was released on February 13, 2015, a day before Valentine’s Day. Coincidence? We don’t think so. The tickets were on sale in the United States from January 11, 2015. In the end, “Fifty Shades of Grey” turned out to be the third highest-grossing movie directed by a woman (right behind Kung Fu Panda 2 and Mamma Mia!) and the fourth highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time. The crew worked with the budget of $40 million and the movie grossed a worldwide total of $571 million. Deadline.com calculated the net profit of the movie to be $256.55 million after covering all the expenses.
Check out if there was as much as steam behind the scenes as there is in the movie.
