Magnificent.

Rating: 8/10 (15 June 2015)

Well, what can I say. It's not Titanic, which I haven't watched nor ever will. It's probably not some... top of the line romance with actors not only enthralling, but also literally disturbing in a pleasant way to both genders.
It's a movie made to feel uncomfortable and... relevant.
Some may discuss the matter of BDSM quality and nature presented in the movie. I doubt it's worthwhile. What's shown in the movie is... a joke, a breeze compared to real BDSM. After all, Hollywood is not shooting porn. There are other sources for that, plenty.
I will admit that the premise of the movie, which is inspired by the book I probably won't read, is indeed clichÃ©. Take some Disney prince, add Twilight girl and then seal it with BDSM. People are right when they say that the movie isn't really refreshing the genre.
But the way the relationship is delivered... it's something that's hard to describe. Some people might smile and find themselves there. Some might visualize their dreams. Some - learn something about themselves, discover the answer to certain... confusions.
So as a sick pervert, I can say that Mr. Grey was played out... extremely well. He's been there. All the joys, all the wonders of hormonal cocktail have been opened to him. The very idea of romance is plain, if not disturbing. Christian doesn't find sex by itself to be the reward. When a child shoots a toy pistol with juvenile glee - an adult looks at his hands and realizes that he has once held a gun that took lives. He knew that he will never see it as a toy. Christian does not need romance. He can afford to be laid "on cooldown" by the best models. He can afford any... doll. He had 15 already. Hell, 95% of all women would die for the chance that Anastasia had.
This brings me to the question of the main heroine. The amount of retarded in her is probably palpable even to female audience. To keep her virginity only to lose it on one night's stand of sorts, then to be littered with money, toy with the lover, even test him... She said she fell in love with him. She said she wanted to understand him. And after 6 whips, she collapsed? Boy, now that is a very, very spoiled child. Any girl her age would probably swallow such whipping naturally, but she just had to... Well, to be honest, I think it's artificial. It's the cliffhanger for the sequel, nothing else. She is female, she is dumb, and she had to act out.
But back to the subject of Grey. Some people say that he didn't love her, that he can't even love. These people... I'm afraid to live in the world where they procreate. Perhaps they should read some Great Expectations... or just live their American dream. Smarter people might say that his chivalry was nothing short of outright "purchasing". I beg to differ. It is the innocent, unbending, yet cute nature of hers that sparked his interest. Like I said, there's nothing he couldn't afford. For all the gifts he gave her, he could've already made her disappear and be his slave until she outlives her use. Why would he bother to not only charm her, but also clearly explain his reasons of the contract, prepare her, reassure and even tolerate getting "changed" by her whines? There's a good line in the movie: "If you agree to be my submissive, I will be devoted to you". Few men know what they want in life, and when it goes along the line of "skirt" or "family"... well, bad things happen. But some men want something else, something often not tied to physical standards. Something emotional. Such men remain loyal, because their sole desire has been achieved. He could toy around with any female, but he fell in love with her character. The only thing she'd need to do - is to live by his standards, because he can't go the other way around(and nor should be, he isn't exactly Jose). This would fill his heart with something he couldn't get from physical ecstasy alone.
After all, if she really loved him... not his wealth or his looks... she would tolerate things that would make 6 whips feel like feather licking your cheek, compared to the reality that we live in. Because he loved not her physique - she was god damn ugly. And not her "accessibility", that's not a concern for a man like him. He loved that (supposedly) intelligent mind, romantic, daring and brave. He loved her so much that he allowed her to change him. And that's saying something.
Well, I hope this review explained some possible misunderstandings that people could have, but I still end on the same note I started with:
"The move is personal. You either recognize it or you don't."