Valentine's Day 2015 is in the books and with it came the premiere of the much-anticipated motion picture, Fifty Shades of Grey. While my expectations for the film were at a sub-par level on my way into the theater on Valentine's evening, I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

While it is difficult to critique the film for high-quality cinematic techniques and overly-impressive acting, I can commend director Sam Taylor-Johnson for her visions and guidance, as her expertise was viewed favorably by audience members alike. The suspenseful plot-line and hot and heavy intimacy scenes were just what the wide range of crowds were looking for. In a survey of the theater, the diversity in types of people making their Valentine's Day a viewing party was relatively impressive; young couples, old couples, single college-aged girls and twenty-somethings made up the crowd.

The acting was better than that of some low-quality romantic comedies that have come to theaters in the past, but most recognizably Jamie Dorman (Christian Grey) and Dakota Johnson (Anastasia Steele) both captured their characters impeccably. I will admittedly resign myself to having read the book series out of curiosity and was able to set some standards when it came to my movie-going. The most-anticipated scenes of intimacy between Grey and Steele were just as hot and heavy as expected, if not more so, and could be just what a couple needs to set the mood or what a single girl needs to confirm her (maybe unwanted) independence. With that said, if you're bitter about the state of your romantic life, this might not be an ideal time to see the film.

The soundtrack of the movie is worth highlighting, as many have eagerly waited for Beyonce's breathy rendition of "Crazy in Love", which proved to be more than satisfying to the ears. Ellie Goulding's tunes were also a focal point of the film and the music world.  What was done best, however, was the soundtrack's combination of new artists and older ones, like Frank Sinatra (one of my personal favorites).

The ending proved as evidence that there will be more movies in the series on their way to theaters. Many audience members around me were not pleased with the cliff-hanger that we were left with. You can typically gage the mood of the audience from the chatter-- or lack thereof-- at the close of the movie.  Those exiting the theatre around me were not completely silent; there was a particular tension in the room that made clear the atmosphere that the film had set up.

I would recommend seeing the movie, even if it is only to check out what everyone has been talking about recently. You just may find yourself pleasantly surprised.