Loved It

Rating: 9/10 (6 June 2015)

I think people who have rated this movie so horribly have no idea what BDSM is.
I enjoyed it. I was expecting it to be way more violent considering all of the horrible reviews. I thought the on screen interaction was great. Even though Jamie Dornan may have lacked on the intensity level, I still think he did a great job. I thought he and Dakota had great on screen chemistry. Not sure what all the fuss is about that? I have done my own research and interacted with people in the BDSM community before, so I knew a little bit going in. Just like in any relationship, there has to be boundaries. There has to be trust. No abuse should be tolerated, ever.
That being said, the movie did a very good job at showing her being hesitant to join the lifestyle. She didn't rush in like a bull. There was a contract in place. She was never forced into the lifestyle. It also did a great job showing her emotions when he crossed the line. That being said, I think this movie is meant for a very specific audience.
Was there tons of sex? Yes. Was the nudity ridiculous? Yes. Then again, what did you expect? I mean, really. People that are going to see this movie and are leaving absolutely disgusted -- you knew this movie was controversial. Did you not do research to see what it was about? I don't think that this movie encourages abuse. It's not degrading of women. Just like the BDSM lifestyle, this movie is not for everyone. Many will not like it.
The damage, however, that I think this movie does is spur curiosity. While some may think that's a good thing, I don't think it is. There are A LOT of predators out there that use BDSM to abuse others. You have to tread EXTREMELY carefully if you ever want to get involved in the lifestyle. I think this is going to cause a lot of young people to want to explore things, and be to trusty of strangers. There are people out there that respectfully do BDSM the right way and are respectful of their partners, and it is completely consensual and pleasurable both ways. The fakes that try to use BDSM to abuse others are the ones that you have to watch out for.
Anyway, I loved the movie. I thought it was great. I cried through a lot of it. It really did a great job stirring emotions and creating an attachment between you and the characters. I'm really looking forward to the sequel :-).