Perfectly Average. Degrading? Stop making people feel ashamed about having a sexual appetite.

Rating: 7/10 (14 February 2015)

I went in with extremely low expectations. I watch movies and TV shows with sex/violence & whatnot, so it would take a lot to make me uncomfortable.
Good Points:
No Narrating
Right off the bat, I appreciated that there was no narrating. 9/10 times a movie based on a book has narration – most movies botch the narrating. I'm not dumb, I can watch and comprehend.
Directing
Not too shabby at all. Had a solid mood, it was taking itself seriously and didn't overdo things. Music/shots all OK.
Acting
Durnan's (Grey) character and acting was perfectly understandable. He actually had lines, unlike what I was expecting. I felt that there could, potentially, be a guy out there that acts this way. He had quirks, but there was nothing strange/alien about his behavior. Even the way he presented his fetish was very matter of fact - this is what he likes and that's all there is to it. I assumed that the way women in this movie would act around him was going to be comical; most simply acknowledge that he is handsome and successful – but he's not someone to throw yourself at. My assumptions from the hype was that women, - for lack of a better term - "can't even" just by looking at this guy and this will highlight how weak women are and blah blah bullshit.
Johnson (Ana) sold me. She was a mousy girl, she wasn't some blubbering idiot like a lot of the reviews I've read seem to state. She had personality, she wasn't some moron that didn't have a point of view. Ana was particularly taken by Grey in a way where she felt an attraction that she hasn't felt before. I'm not sure why her attraction/intrigue towards him and his fetish's automatically equal to her then being 'a weak woman'. It's even more insulting to call a woman weak just for being curious and turned on by someone in a way where she feels overwhelmed. I don't see why people need to be ashamed of what turns them on. People act like these feelings doesn't occur ever in life - it certainly does.
Plot
I thought the plot was going to be laughable, I only laughed when laughing was due. I certainly didn't think it's the best written script or the best plot, but it was interesting. Grey and Ana's relationship didn't seem like some kind of otherworldly romance, it was just your basic complicated relationship, particularly cause this guy has very specific fetishes. I went in not knowing anything about the fetish and came out thinking that it is a perfectly understandable sexual appetite to have. Sex is so overly hyped that anything to do with sexuality is way too taboo for people to even function normally. Look at how Americans react to being LGBTQ. I found this movie progressive in highlighting that sex is multifaceted. Why be ashamed of sex and sexual habits/fetishes, if the party's involved are consenting, where's the harm?
Sex
The reviews that keep claiming this is rape, I'd like to define rape for you: rape is when an individual that is not consenting and is forced into being apart of a sexual act. Rape, by the way, is not exclusive to women. There was not a solitary instance in which Grey forced Ana to do things beyond her will. He even took the measure of drawing up a contract in order to have her consent (the paperwork wasn't properly signed because they were 'breaking rules' she verbally – explicitly would give consent towards everything). He had her do research, both negotiated on what she is/is not into. He did not shy away from stating exactly what he wants. I thought feminist and the like always rage that men don't know how to get consent and pressure women into everything, this man is being 100% transparent about what he wants, what he would like to do and is letting her decide if she would like to engage or not. Even, at the very end, a brutal "punishment" occurs, only because - of her own volition - she wanted to experience it. Please note, I'm not saying that women or anyone should be "punished" but, if you are explicitly asking for something, you are responsible for thinking about its repercussion before engaging in something you don't like. For instance, take someone who has never had sushi, they hate the smell, the idea of raw stuff etc., but, if the person then states, "But I just want to try it, to see what it's all about" - fully aware that this is something they may not like – they've committed to trying it, and if it's found foul, they stop eating it. The individual wouldn't then claim that the sushi is responsible for being so "mysterious" that it left you no choice but to try it. The sushi never lied about being sushi.
Sex scenes: In the theater I went to; pin drop silence. Everyone was interested in what is about to happen.
Bad points:
The beginning of the movie was the weakest, I couldn't grasp what was special about Grey to Ana's character it felt forced- but that fact doesn't mean that there isn't a story happening.
Conclusion:
My reaction was 'wait, what... it's over? But..." I realized that I was into the story and liked the resolution. I felt humbled because I had all these prejudices going in, in the end, I had a good time and am looking forward to the sequel.
There are far worse movies out there. This was a movie about a relationship that is overwhelming for both involved. Both felt confused/uncertain and excited. This film told their story well.