Poor quality glorification of domestic violence with a few steamy scenes

Rating: 1/10 (6 October 2016)

Sam Taylor-Johnson tried, she really did but it seems like she just couldn't get from under E. L. James's thumb. The result is probably the worst "romantic" film in the whole history of cinema. There are approximately 16 min that are worth removing from the film and watching separately - and I'm kindly including the timings (you're welcome). They mainly are good because they are steamy (what the hype promised) and the characters don't talk. Here they are: 42:25-45:18; 47:50- 50:50; 1.02:47-1.05:30, 1.19:17- 1.19:43; 1.26:58-1.30:34; 1.47:54-1.49:31
Jamie Dornan's wooden acting and tasteless sets aside,I honestly have really had enough of misguided fans exclaiming that Christian Grey is just "troubled " and "misunderstood" and Fifty Shades of Grey (both the book - to use the term loosely - and the film) have nothing to do with domestic violence.
Wake up, please and smell the horrid stench of complacency. Bad things happen because we let them happen - both to ourselves and to others. The popularity of an abusive relationship portrayed as romantic has done and is continuing to do its insidious damage - the violence against women remains at high levels and narratives like this are causing substantial damage.
How on Earth manipulating, coercing, stalking, controlling and actually beating a woman is not violence (as emphasised by some of the reviews)? Coercive or controlling behaviour is now officially a crime in UK (and not a minute too soon by the way).
Artistic/Entertainment points aside the film clearly shows a young woman with an unformed sexual identity who may yet be unsure of what she wants and likes - she seems however quite quite sure that she isn't interested in BDSM as a lifestyle and barely interested in it as a sexual practice - she is happy with the simplest sensation-play but she definitely doesn't want humiliation-play, pain-play, immersive submission or any of the other more involved BDSM practices.
The whole of the above is actually summed up in one of the exchanges they have where Anna asks him why would she do it. He says "to please me". She then says "what do I get out of it" and he says "me".
This portrayal of BDSM here is unfair and deceitful - it offends the very principles of the practice which are Sane, Safe and Consensual. Anna doesn't seem to be very interested in the lifestyle, it makes her laugh and she doesn't understand it. The only reason why she goes into it at all is because she is attracted to the "troubled" creep who manipulates and coerces her from the very start.
We don't see any after-care nor any real discussions about partner's limits other than the most absurd signing of a BDSM contract imaginable.
Furthermore, a Dominant is not someone who actually enjoys hurting another person - that is not what BDSM is about. The relationship of Dom and sub is intricate but it is based on trust and on responding to the deepest needs of the submissive partner. Popular to contrary belief, a Dom can only let go as far as their sub will allow - not only that but a He/She has to remain in control all the time and make sure that their partner doesn't get harmed by being unable to say "stop" when experiencing a powerful endorphin rush. One person at another person's mercy is the fantasy and it is and has to be very convincing for it to work but in reality, the Dominant is fulfilling the submissive's needs first and foremost.
Certain sexual practice is not something that people can be "convinced" of. It doesn't work that way. You can't make someone like something they have no interest in. That undermines the very essence of being human - our free will. And if this is not violence then I don't know what it is.
It doesn't matter one iota if a guy "had a terrible childhood" or anything like that - how is that relevant? If he is disturbed then it's up to him to get help etc and not to inflict violence on innocent vulnerable women. I don't know what the writer - I use the term loosely - was thinking and I appreciate that the director tried to improve it but this atrocious story is beyond saving.