“This time, no rules, no punishments, no more secrets”
When Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James – the first in the Fifty Shades trilogy – was published, this highly erotic tale tracing the burgeoning relationship between powerful business magnate Christian Grey and young college graduate Anastasia Steele, blasted to the top of bestseller lists around the world; it set a record in the UK as the fastest-selling paperback of all time.
Although the novel and its sequels garnered millions of adoring, salivating fans – thanks, no doubt, to its rather explicit depiction of bondage, domination, submission, and other colourful sexual practices between its two protagonists – it had its detractors. Many literary critics dissed the quality of the narrative, characters and overall bad writing. Yet this did not get in the way of the novel’s success.
That success was repeated when, inevitably, the film version was released in February 2015. In the battle between its many detractors (for what it’s worth, the film got only 25 per cent approval on Rotten Tomatoes) and its millions of fans, the fans won out, bestowing on the film a cool €600 million at the box office – not a bad return at all for a film that cost €45 million to produce.
Despite the salaciousness of its source material, it was never as racy as it purported to be
Admittedly, this reviewer was one of the few who did not find that much fault with the original. While far from perfect, director Sam Taylor-Johnson created a stylish, well-acted movie, and actors Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson acquitted themselves admirably as Christian and Anastasia. They rose above the sub-standard material to create two rounded characters who played extremely well off one another (pun very much intended).
Johnson was a revelation, and Dornan recreated the magnetism he displayed in hit TV series The Fall. They added depth to the film which, however, despite the salaciousness of its source material, was never as racy as it purported to be. The infamous sex scenes toned down somewhat, filmed through a rose-tinted lens against a backdrop of superb production design. Any sense of danger was suffocated by the romantic air that surrounded them.
Yet the romance certainly seemed to have paid off, given the volumes of people who thronged to see it on and around Valentine’s Day 2015. And the sequel is set to repeat that success.
So here we are, two years later. Fifty Shades Darker finds an emotionally-wounded Christian trying to entice a cautious Ana Steele back into his life. However, the older and wiser Ana demands a new arrangement before she will give him another chance.
Yet, it won’t be so easy. As the two begin to build trust and find stability between themselves, shadowy figures from Christian’s past start to circle the couple, determined to destroy their hopes for a future together.
The returning cast also includes Marcia Gay Harden as Christian’s mother, Rita Ora as his sister, Luke Grimes as Christian’s brother, and Victor Rasuk, Eloise Mumford and Max Martini; and are joined by Kim Basinger as Elena Lincoln, Grey’s business partner and former lover, and Bella Heathcote and Eric Johnson.
Fifty Shades Darker is directed by James Foley and the screenplay is by Niall Leonard, based on the novel by James.
The Space Between UsAlso showing
The Space Between Us: In this interplanetary adventure, shortly after arriving to help colonise Mars, an astronaut dies while giving birth to the first human born on the red planet. Thus begins the extraordinary life of Gardner Elliot, an inquisitive, highly intelligent boy who reaches the age of 16 having only met 14 people in his very unconventional upbringing.
Split: While the mental divisions of those with dissociative identity disorder have long fascinated and eluded science, it is believed that some can also manifest unique physical attributes for each personality, a cognitive and physiological prism within a single being. Though Kevin has evidenced 23 personalities to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr Fletcher, there remains one still submerged, who is set to materialise and dominate all the others.
Lion: Five-year-old Saroo gets lost on a train which takes him thousands of miles across India, away from home and family. Saroo must learn to survive alone in Kolkata, before ultimately being adopted by an Australian couple. Twenty-five years later, armed with only a handful of memories, his unwavering determination, and a revolutionary technology known as Google Earth, he sets out to find his lost family and finally return to his first home.