Since the 2012 announcement of the movie adaption of E.L. James's book, Fifty Shades of Grey, women around the country have been anticipating the release of this intense, sadistic, yet romantic movie. The books were a huge hit, making it onto the all-time top-selling books list and selling over 100 million copies worldwide. The movie had a lot to live up to.
The beginning of the movie had a very anxious, suspenseful vibe to it as they kind of dragged the audience throughout the skyline of the city, filled with very gloomy colors. I could hardly wait to see the characters and compare them to what I imagined in my head while reading the actual books. Throughout the film, there were very few bursts of vibrant colors, which was perfect because the neutral tones made the movie more serious and powerful.
The majority of the movie could have literally been word for word from the book. There were a few things left out, but overall, I believe this movie was a great adaptation. Basically, if you loved the book, you'll love the movie and if you hated the book, then you'll hate the movie.
The characters they chose were lesser known which made it easier to focus on what was going on because I didn't have a previous impression of the actors. The actors they chose were also nearly spot on when comparing them to what I pictured Ana and Christian to look like. Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan could not have been a better match for these roles. They had great on screen chemistry as well. Ana is your average "plain Jane" who doesn't see her worth, and Christian is a beautiful and muscular man with a very distinct jaw line which made him give off an intimidating vibe.
Mizzou freshmen went to see the movie the weekend it premiered and shared their reactions to the movie adaptation:
"I hadn't read the book so I went in not knowing what to expect. I was very disappointed in the ending and am looking forward to the next movie so I can get some of my questions answered," said Payton Englert.
"I am literally obsessed with the book series, and I think they did the best they could. It's kind of a hard concept to correctly portray into a movie. I went in with low expectations and actually ended up liking it," Erin Peters said.
One thing I absolutely loved about the movie that I didn't get from the book was the little moments of humor that they added in. Ana Steele actually has a quirky yet innocent sense of humor that they briefly show in different parts of the movie. In some parts, Christian seems a little bit nicer and romantic than he did in the book. Nothing was overdone and these small details kept my attention completely on the movie.
The soundtrack to the movie is simply perfect. Each track adds something to the movie whether it makes you wonder what he's about to do to Ana, or intensifies the chemistry between the two of them. They couldn't have found better music to match with the scenes. I would definitely check out the soundtrack even if you haven't seen the movie.
The movie is rated R and about 125 minutes, but definitely worth the time. The movie comes to an abrupt stop at the end, just like the end of the first book of the series, leaving the audience wanting more. But whenever Christian Grey is involved, who wouldn't want more?
