Movie Review: Fifty Shades of Grey

By: Vanessa Herrera

Photo Courtesy of eonline.com

It has been two weeks now and the craze over the latest movie has simmered down. Now is the perfect time to see a movie without the audience’s sound effects. Why deal with long lines and sharing elbow rests with strangers when one can simply wait a few weeks and avoid all the hassle? Although I encourage waiting awhile before seeing a movie in the theaters, my eagerness allowed me to wait only wait a week to see the highly anticipated film that has everyone talking. Fifty Shades of Grey has kept people waiting and has finally delivered.

Unlike other fans, I have not read the books. It is actually the movie’s soundtrack that motivated me to watch the film. The soundtrack is packed with amazing artists such as Beyoncé and Ellie Goulding. The film introduced audiences to the most recent music from Annie Lennox and many have rekindled their love for The Weekend. Although I am unsure about the movie’s plot, the soundtrack had a lot of promise, so I knew the movie had a lot to live up to,

So, I finally sat down to watch the movie (and yes, I bought popcorn). My advice for those who haven’t seen it: save your money for another movie. It sadness me to see my money go to waste when it could have been used on movies with much stronger plots. I came out of the movie theater feeling cheated, as if this movie had conned me into giving them my money (well actually, they kind of did).

The acting was simply awkward, especially from our dear Christian Grey. There were several cringe-worthy moments that didn’t even involve anything sexual. Both actors were awkward with each other, as if they were two teenagers experimenting with sex for the first time. Mr. Grey was nothing like the Grey I had heard of. He may have the looks, but the acting killed his charm. If the acting was stronger and the connection between the main characters flowed like it did in the book, perhaps the film would have been a bit better.

Numerous people who have actually read the book say that the story does more than intertwine sex and BDSM. It has been said that the story is much more complex and has a deeper meaning and is well portrayed by the characters throughout the book. The film, however, does not even try to highlight this plot, but rather only emphasizes the sex scenes. I cannot attest if what has been said about the book versus the film is true or not, but all of the readers I spoke with expressed similar opinions.

I truly wish I could get my money back (popcorn is not cheap at all). It sadness me that the movie was a downfall for me, especially when the soundtrack was simply amazing. Nonetheless, this should not stop you from watching the film. You may have a different opinion, but if you were to ask me, use your money to treat yourself to something else instead.