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The 50 Shades Of Grey series by E.L. James took the literary world by storm when it hit shelves back in 2011 and 2012. The erotic series centers around the fervid relationship between the young & innocent Anastasia Steele and the rich & imposing Christian Grey. The trilogy has seen sales in the millions worldwide and is now looking to dominate in the world of cinema as well. The first installment of the series hit the big screen this past Friday (2/13) just in time for Valentines Day. It has received a plethora of reactions from avid movie goers, fans of the books, and members of the BDSM community alike. The Movie Council decided to reunite with the ladies of Elite League Ent to check it out for themselves. Readers can get a breakdown of their thoughts after the jump.
Directing: Sam Taylor-Johnson serves as the director of this highly anticipated film. According to council member Rick Porter, she does a reputable job. The visuals are said to be of a first-class nature. He likes the way the story flowed. Which he hears is pretty in line with the novel. And he is a fan of the way the cinematography is executed as well. Everyone else seems to agree with him. So two thumbs up for the behind the scenes work.
Acting: Kaylee Crossfire dives into the acting. Jamie Dornan takes on the role of the infamous Christian Grey. Dakota Johnson takes on the role of his counterpart Anastasia Steele. Kaylee believes the duo deliver their roles realistically. She thinks Johnson represents Steele’s quirky submissive nature in a likable manner. And she is also digging the way Dornan came across as the intense controlling Mr. Grey. The rest of the group has a similar opinion. Looks like on screen cuteness and chemistry equals success. This is an interesting part of the review as there was a ton of dramatics surrounding the casting for the role of Grey.
Writing: Kelly Marcel is the writer for this flick. Kal’L believes she did a solid job with the script. There are some memorable dialog moments from the characters and everything makes sense. He adds that he believes the soundtrack to the film is a huge aid in helping all of the elements land the way that they should (Side shout out to Beyonce, lol). Rick and the ladies think so too.
Negatives: Despite her fellow reviewers having nothing but good things to say in the first half of the webisode, Topaz did have a couple of issues with the film. She feels like the beginning of the movie drags a little bit. Then that the sensual scenes kind of catch one off guard at first but then too become a little bland. So gotta find that happy medium for the next movie.
Final Opinion: Three out of the four within the group recommend that viewers go catch this one in theaters. One member feels like people will be fine waiting until it hits DVD or Blu-Ray. But they all agree that the ending left them excited for the sequel. Gotta watch to see exactly how everyone votes. Readers can check out the full length webisode by clicking here.
**My Two Cents: I am a reading fiend. So I usually love getting swept up in books turned into films. Nothing about the 50 Shades Of Grey premise interests me though. But because it is such a huge phenomenon, I was curious to check out this review. I think the group gives another very engaging round of insight. They keep it tasteful and also really dig into the characters. Which is important because the casting here is crucial. It would’ve been great to hear from someone who read the book and could give a direct comparison to the film though. Or having a member of the BDSM community on board to give feedback. The way the lifestyle is depicted in the book & film is apparently ruffling some feathers amongst those who practice it. But all in all, I think readers will enjoy this. Props to TMC on the new set too. It looks sharp! Another new webisode is on the way very soon. So keep it locked! -MinM
