' Roll your eyes at me again and I will put you across my knee!'

Rating: 7/10 (8 March 2018)

Though a few years late in viewing this immensely popular film and not having read E.L. James series of novels on dominant and submissive sexual experiences, the 'better late than never' applies. No, this is not a 'great movie' but as adapted for the screen by Kelly Marcel it is entertaining (though a bit long) and it is cast with credible appearing characters (the central focus couple spends the better part of the 125 minute film without clothes and pushing the usual standards of X rated to the limits - almost). Sam Taylor - Johnson, the British female director manages the situation well.
Shy literature student Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) rooms with the worldly Kate (Eloise Mumford) and goes to interview the wealthy Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) as a favor to Kate who is to interview Grey for the school paper. She encounters a beautiful, brilliant and intimidating man. The innocent and naive Ana starts to realize she wants him. Despite his enigmatic reserve and advice, she finds herself desperate to get close to him. Not able to resist Ana's beauty and independent spirit, Christian Grey admits he wants her too, but on his own terms. Ana hesitates as she discovers the singular tastes of Christian Grey - despite the embellishments of success, his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, and his loving family, Grey is consumed by the need to control everything. He gradually introduces (? seduces) into the realm of submission and dominance - and the film ends with a cliffhanger that guarantees the continuation of James' novel.
Johnson and Dornan have fine chemistry and make the affaire noir credible. The others in the cast who contribute well are Jennifer Ehle (Ana's mother), Marcia Gay Harden (Christian's mother) and bit parts by Victor Rasuk, Max Martin and Luke Grimes among others.
Be prepared for a lot of visual body contact - but of course everyone knows the story and its reason for being because of all the flutter about James' novels.