According to the date on my book review for EL James’s Fifty Shades of Grey, it’s been over two years since I finished reading it. It’s not that surprising then that I don’t really remember intricate details, especially when my brain has apparently worked very hard at blocking most of the story out. I do, however, recall two lingering feelings that stayed with me once the story had come to an end and I had breathed an un-erotic sigh of relief.
Firstly, there was the need to attack it with my red pen, to highlight repetition, delete entire sentences and circle words where actual anatomical terminology might have been more titillating than ‘down there’. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, there was the general idea that a story did exist, buried deep within the pages, and it was screaming to get out. The makings of a sexy tale of tortured pasts and self-discovery was there – you just had to see beyond the awkward, cringe-tastic dialogue and the incessant inner monologue of our female protagonist in order to uncover it.
Enter director Sam Taylor-Johnson.
Sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself – and I won’t lay a finger on the film until I have explored the many clauses of the book…
The success of this phenomenal book trilogy cannot be overlooked. The writing may not be exactly Booker Prize-worthy but it certainly taps into a particular fantasy in which a tortured man is completely overcome by his need to be with a woman who stands for everything he is not. The book is so silly, it begs to not be taken very seriously. This, in turn, meant that many readers around the world discussed it with friends. Word spread. Love it or hate it, people were talking about it. Of course, notoriety doesn’t actually bear any reflection on the quality of the product in question. But it certainly makes for some pretty heated debates!
The film of FIFTY SHADES OF GREY is really a game of two halves. The first half, in which Ana and Christian are first introduced to each other, has a lot of humour. Some is intentional; much of it is not. (That Dakota Johnson (Ana) and Jamie Dornan (Christian) were able to deliver some of these lines without bursting into hysterics is a true testament to their acting abilities.) By the time you reach the second half, things become altogether more intense and the relationship between these two lead characters becomes that much more interesting.
(Of course, that intensity can be ruined in a split second when you’re seeing the film in a cinema with awkward, giggly viewers who sigh and squeal at every flash of skin or utterance of – and I use the term loosely – ‘romantic’ dialogue.)
When Charlie Hunnam pulled out of playing Christian, the role fell to Jamie Dornan (The Fall) who, despite all his preparation for the role, sadly never quite captures the depth of Christian Grey. He has the charm and the chiselled features but he just doesn’t pull you in like Christian should (and has – just look at the book’s sales figures!).
Johnson, on the other hand, is mesmerising. This is an incredibly daring role for her to take on and she has somehow managed to add depth and humour to a character who was insufferable in the novel. She plays the mixture of naivety and quiet strength well. Once you remove her inner goddess, she’s actually rather endearing – and bold! – and you can see why Christian might be drawn to her.
For those familiar with the plot, arguably the most impressive scene of the film comes at the very end when both Dornan and Johnson really demonstrate just how seriously they took this project. It’s a complex scene, packed with plenty of emotion but very little dialogue, and they handle it brilliantly. It’s just such a shame it takes the entirety of the film before such a moment appears.
When the film rights were first bought, the adaptation could have gone one of two ways – art-house serious or farcical laugh-out-loud insanity. The end result is a combination of the two, probably due to all the ‘creative differences’ it has been reported took place between Taylor-Johnson and James.
You can see how hard the director tried to add depth to the story and turn it into a serious piece of filmmaking – and then some ridiculous dialogue is thrown in and it quickly turns into farce.
Ultimately, this film comes across like a really good first draft. Remove James’s hold over the production, allow Taylor-Johnson free reign and bring back Charlie Hunnam – and you might just have a really great movie!
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