Plot: What’s it about?
I can’t remember when it was, exactly, but I’d heard the talk of Fifty Shades of Grey. As a long time subscriber to Entertainment Weekly, I do keep up on the latest and greatest in the world of entertainment and, personal opinions aside, this was a hot topic. I’d read that the books were poorly written and were essentially one step above trashy romance novels. Nevertheless they made tons of money and we all knew the day would come when they were turned into feature-length films. The movie opened on Valentine’s Day 2015 (because what better way to tell the one you love than take them to a movie featuring BDSM) to generally negative reviews. However, that didn’t stop the film from raking in over half a billion dollars worldwide. And now, here it sits in my Blu-ray player. Is it really as bad as everyone says it is or will I see something they all don’t?
Fifty Shades of Grey
Eccentric billionaire Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) is something of a prodigy. Though it’s never explained in the movie (perhaps the book?), he runs a corporation and is the apple of everyone’s eye. Soon to graduate Literature student Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) is sent by her roommate to interview Grey and after a few awkward moments, is summarily dismissed. However something about Ana catches Christian’s eye and the two start an unconventional romance. Ana discovers some of Grey’s secrets in the bedroom as she enjoys the freedom of dating a man who can give her anything she desires. However as the relationship progresses, Ana becomes more and more concerned with Christian’s non-commitment and his desire to seemingly control anything and everything. Are the spoils of his success worth the roles she has to play?
And that’s basically it. I remember a while back when I saw Basic Instinct, that I thought it was pretty raunchy. Then again that film was more of a murder mystery that had me (and audiences) on the edge of their seats. The chemistry between Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas was palpable and, combined with a great story, turned out to be a great film. Fifty Shades of Grey is no Basic Instinct. I found Jamie Dornan to be about as interesting as a sheet of paper. He seemed like he was reading his lines off cue cards. Dakota Johnson gives the far better performance, but there’s still not a whole lot there. Having never read the novels (yes, there are two more), I don’t know how true to the source material this is, but I’d have to imagine it’s close. If you’re looking to be entertained, there are tons of other films to do that. If you’re looking to see Dakota Johnson naked for two hours, well then – this one’s for you.
Fifty Shades Darker
Dakota Johnson once again plays Anastasia Steele. She’s approached by Christian (Jamie Dornan) begging her to come back and he promises that she’ll never again have to experience his dark and twisted side. Yes, it’s hard to imagine that a man would say “Hey baby, I can change!” She, of course, agrees and they engage in some kinky sex. However, nothing lasts forever and it’s not long until we met Leila (Bella Heathcoate), Christian’s former mistress, who starts stalking Ana(stasia). Add to the mix Elena (Kim Basinger), the older woman who also has a past with Christian (albeit when he was a teenager), also tries to scare Ana off. There are a lot more characters in the mix this time around. What’s a girl to do?
And, in a nutshell, that’s how Fifty Shades Darker plays out. Yes, it’s got a great soundtrack, it’s beautifully-shot (I’m a big fan of Foley’s direction) as well as the obligatory edgy sex scenes. And I’m guessing that if you’ve read this far then you know what to expect and I’ll say that the movie does deliver. As I’d mentioned, this is an improvement over the first film, but not by much. The appearance of Academy Award winner Kim Basinger (who hasn’t been seen in a while) is a nice touch and it reminded me of the days when she did a little film called 9 ½ Weeks. Never let it be said that Hollywood, like everything else, isn’t cyclical. There’s more of the same here, but a few things thrown in for good measure. Essentially, as any second of three films does, this sets up the final installment – Fifty Shades Freed.
Fifty Shades Freed
With Anastasia (Johnson) and Christian (Dornan) now married, they can get on with their lives and live happily ever after, right? Wrong. At least not yet. The speedbumps to his controlling and sexual ways are put on hold when there’s a security breech at Grey Enterprises while he and Anna are on their honeymoon. Anna recognizes the man as Jack (Eric Johnson), he’s her former employer and has a vendetta. This forces the newlywed’s honeymoon to be cut short, and they return home to deal with this matter. Throughout the film we see that Christian keeps a tight grip on Anna. He’s upset with her when she wants to sunbathe topless, doesn’t like her using her maiden name at work, and shuns the idea of bringing kids into their relationship anytime soon. One thing that’s been present in all three films is Christian’s kinky sexual methods and semi-mysterious background. This film as well as the previous two makes no apologies for his behavior. It can be hard at times to wonder why Anna accepts this and doesn’t challenge his attitude more. There are a few surprises here, but mostly the film just goes through the motions.
It must be said that Fifty Shades Freed gives the audience exactly what they want. Within the first 10 minutes of the film, we see Anastasia topless, followed by a sex scene between her and Christian. You’ll get your share of nudity from this film. It’s just that everything else is starting to wear thin by this point. Despite all the threats and unstable characters, the whole thing is largely predictable and by the books. I enjoyed seeing it come to a close, but it also feels like the whole journey just didn’t take us anywhere all that interesting in the first place. This is tolerable, but not exactly something I’d return to anytime soon.
Video: How’s it look?
Though the film is set in the Seattle area, it’s not as bleak as you might think. Granted I’ve never personally been to the Pacific Northwest, I’ve heard that it’s not so much the rain, but the perpetual cloud cover that’s depressing. Yes, there are areas of grey (I simply couldn’t resist) in some of the exterior shots, but there are also a plethora of warmly-lit scenes that were actually quite intriguing. Detail is top notch and there’s only a few inches of Dakota Johnson’s body that you don’t see. The 2.39:1 HEVC image across all three films is stunning leaving viewers more than pleased (though likely not as pleased as Ana).
Audio: How’s it sound?
Save for a few moments when songs fill the atmosphere, there really isn’t much to crow about with the included DTS HD Master Audio track. The movie is essentially dialogue-driven, though the content of said dialogue I’ll leave to you, the viewer. Some subtle ambiance can be heard from the surrounds in some exterior scenes, a few in a nightclub and the rest are saved for Dakota Johnson’s moans of pleasure (hey, you knew what you were getting into when you clicked on this review). While not anything mind-blowing, the film does a nice job with the audio mix.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Fifty Shades of Grey
- The World of Fifty Shades of Grey – Friends and Family – This segment profiles cast members including Eloise Mumford, Max Martini, Marcia Gay Harden, Luke Grimes, Jennifer Ehle, Victor Rasuk and Rita Ora.
- Behind the Shades – Director Sam Taylor-Johnson, producers E. L. James, Mike De Luca and Dana Brunetti, actors Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson and the rest of the cast talk about the making of the movie, including a candid discussion about the most challenging aspects of the story.
Blu-ray Exclusives
- Fifty Shades of Grey Unrated and Theatrical Versions – The Unrated version is 3 minutes longer, though it’s nice to have both included.
- Exclusive Tease of the Next Movie Fifty Shades Darker – A 15 second clip in which you see Christian put on a “Lone Ranger” type of mask.
- The World of Fifty Shades of Grey – Discover the artistry involved in creating everything Fifty Shades of Grey, including in-depth profiles of stars Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson, and the characters they play.
Christian Grey –- Inside the world of Christian Grey and what makes him so magnetic and mysterious.
- Christian Grey Profile – Illustrated with film clips- Who is Christian Grey?
- Jamie Dornan – Meet the actor behind the iconic character.
- Christian’s Apartment – Living room, dining room, bedroom, bathroom and the Red Room
- Christian’s Wardrobe – A look into Christian’s wardrobe.
- A Rich Man’s Toys – Christian’s cars, the plane, the helicopter, all of the recognizable items from the book, now on screen
Ana- Discovering Ana and what makes her so compelling and relatable.
- All About Ana – Learn more about the Ana character
- Dakota Johnson’s Profile – Meet the incredible actress behind Anastasia Steele.
- Ana’s World – Beginning with her life as college student to her transformation into a woman living a life of luxury with Christian Grey.
- Ana’s Wardrobe – A look into Ana’s wardrobe.
- E.L. James & Fifty Shades – A chat with the creator of the series, discussing the history of the novel and the experience making the film. Follow the author at the Premiere screening in New York and come full circle as the film is released to the fans.
- Fifty Shades: The Pleasure of Pain – A discussion with the BDSM consultant and a show-and-tell with property master.
- 360° Set Tours – of Christian and Ana’s apartments including the Red Room
- Music Videos from Skylar Grey, The Weeknd and Ellie Goulding
- Behind the Scenes of The Weekend’s “Earned It” Music Video
Fifty Shades Darker
Extras
- Deleted Scenes
- Christian and Ana Discuss what Elena Said
- Christian and Ana Discuss Ana’s Security and her Work
- A Tease to Fifty Shades Freed – A tease to the next Fifty Shades film.
- Writing Darker – Author E.L. James and screenwriter Niall Leonard trace back the history of the book and introduce viewers to the much darker story and its adaptation to the big screen.
- Dark Reunion – The filmmakers and cast members discuss being reunited for this second film, and where we find Ana, Christian and their friends.
Blu-ray Exclusives (all of the extras from the DVD plus these below)
- Unrated version – The unrated version of the film can be selected from the main menu. This contains 14 more minutes of footage from the theatrical version (also included).
- A Darker Direction – Director James Foley explains how his vision had to meet with fans’ expectations.
- New Threats – An introduction to some new, dark and threatening characters, including Jack Hyde, Leila and, of course, Elena Lincoln – aka Mrs. Robinson!
- The Masquerade – This featurette about one of the film’s most iconic scenes — the masquerade benefit event at Grey Mansion — explores the production design and costumes and goes behind-the-scenes with the filmmakers and main cast members.
- Intimate With Darker – An intense look and discussion about the intimate, sensual and provocative world of Fifty Shades Darker, including a visit to the Red Room and, of course, the new “toys!”
Fifty Shades Freed
- Extended Cut – In addition to the theatrical cut, we are given the option to view an extended version of the film. The differences (to me) were minimal, but I like having the option to choose.
- Delete Scene: Hickey and Apology – This is a throwaway scene that expands on an existing scene.
- The Final Climax – This is broken into 9 separate parts that give a good overview of the final chapter as well as other topics. It’s worth viewing for fans.
- Christian and Ana by Jamie and Dakota – This has our two lead actors discussing their characters.
- A Conversation with EL James and Eric Johnson – We hear from the actor and author about the character and thoughts on the trilogy.
- Music Videos – There are 3 separate clips here.
- “For You (Fifty Shades Freed)” by Liam Payne & Rita Ora
- “Capital Letters” by Hailee Steinfeld X Bloodpop
- “Heaven” by Julia Michaels
- Previews
The Bottom Line
Never let it be said that just because a films aren’t well-reviewed that they can’t rake in the bucks. And, of course, sex sells. I personally found myself waiting for the ending credits to roll about 15 minutes into the first movie, but I’m certain there are those out there that liked it. If you’ve been waiting for all three films to be packaged together in a 4K format – the wait is over.
