Fifty Shades of Grey: Trailer Review

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock the past few days, it’ll come as no shock that the new Fifty Shades of Grey trailer has made it’s official debut. Honestly? I can’t say I’m too impressed.

Like any fan, I'm somewhat protective of the original content and how it’s handled when converted for a cinematic audience. When the film was announced to be in the works, I found myself questioning how something so, um…explicit could be accurately portrayed on the big screen with anything less than an “X” rating. However, I tried to remain positive and had the highest hopes for the movie. To be fair, I still have high hopes, although I am not as excited as I initially was. This is a result of the newly released trailer. It’s not bad, per say, but it isn’t what I had expected, and if you're like me, you’re not sure what to make of it.

* WARNING: Steamy content below - proceed with caution*

The film stars Dakota Johnson (Beastly, 21 Jump Street) as Anastasia Steele, and Jamie Dornan (Once Upon a Time, The Fall) as Christian Grey. Both are prominent actors, so it would seem like a match made in heaven and, while this may still be true, the trailer did not do it justice.

To start off, the initial scenes depicting Ana and Christian’s interview seem incredibly awkward. In the book, Anastasia is described as being a little thrown by Christian Grey’s attractiveness and intimidating disposition, but Johnson’s portrayal seems overdone. In fact, I would say that she seems uncomfortable in her own skin rather than intimidated by Mr. Grey. I would say that Johnson was clearly trying to capture Ana’s timid demeanor, but personally, I think she missed the mark.

Following these initial scenes is several quick clips of the two interacting, coupled with voiceover of Christian Grey, alluding to his need for control and troubled past. While Dornan does a good job of capturing the dark spirit of Christian Grey, he seems to lack a certain fire and pizazz. His controlling personality comes off as slightly robotic, and it takes away from his attractiveness. Like Johnson, I think Dornan’s heart was in the right place but unfortunately, he definitely overdid it; and as a result it seems a little artificial.

To round this review out, let me end by making a few disclaimers about myself. I am a huge cinephile, but I’m by no means a movie expert. I have also acted professionally, so I understand how difficult it can be to put yourself out there only to have someone critique your creative choices. I’m not overly impressed by this piece, but that doesn’t mean that the movie won’t be fantastic. I am hopeful that this was simply a poorly constructed trailer (Beyoncé’s song wasn’t doing it any favors), and it does not reflect the tone of the film. As a loyal fan of E.L. James’s series, I, along with the vast majority of the female population, plan to see her novel come to life next Valentine’s Day. I may have some reservations going in, but I sincerely hope I’m proven wrong. Laters, Baby.