The book was terrible..but the movie was not half bad

Rating: 6/10 (8 March 2015)

Spoilers ahead
I was surprised by the movie. Considering the toilet paper source material they had to work with, I actually enjoyed a lot of the movie. Not enjoyed in the sense that I found it erotic - this story cannot in good conscience be called a romance. It's clearly a drama about an abusive relationship.
Dakota Johnson plays a charming Ana - quiet but very ballsy, and despite her inexperience and considerable manipulation on Christian's part, manages to hold her own a number of times. I think she's an excellent heroine because even though she gets caught up in Christian's web, she never stops fighting to maintain her integrity, and eventually has the courage and dignity to end the relationship.
People have criticized Jamie Dornan's performance as "childish" and not particularly sexy, but whether it was his intention or not, he portrayed Christian as an immature, manipulative and selfish man, and this is exactly what Christian is. So I think he got it spot on. He's a decidedly unlikable person and clearly the villain of the story.
It was also said that Dakota and Jamie lacked chemistry, but I think this works to their advantage. You can clearly see how sad and turned off Ana is in the "Red Room", and it's heart breaking when she and Christian argue about why he feels like he has to hurt her. It's as if the actors are tuned in to how messed up the whole situation is and portray it accordingly.
Ana is constantly fighting for a healthy, loving relationship - with physical affection, romance, and emotional intimacy - while Christian fights just as hard for an emotionally and physically abusive "contract", hiding behind his money and his terrible past. For fans of the book the movie might be a downer and a disappointment, but for people that never found the book sexy to begin with, it's a decent drama and explores some interesting psychological concepts.
Lastly, I must give mad props to the music by Danny Elfman and other various artists. The soundtrack earns the movie a whole star all by itself, and made every scene that much richer and more dramatic.