Week 12: 50 Shades of Grey

Director: Sam Taylor - Johnson

Writer: Kelly Marcel (screenplay) E.L James (novel)

Seen: Sunday 22nd March 2015

Venue: Eye Cinema, Galway

Snacks: Ben & Jerrys Phish Food

Mood: Not AT ALL SEXY!!!!!!

I am going to start this review with a whinge!! Yes we all love a good whinge! In December 2014 Galway was given the UNESCO City of Film status, one of only 5 cities who have this prestigious title YET we simply aren’t getting films…...I couldn’t wait to see ‘The Duke of Burgundy’ (50 shades grown up sister) and the Cannes recommended ‘Mummy’ but NEITHER came to Galway…...this happens time and again in Galway with everything only being shown in Dublin? I cant understand why this is and can only hope that it will change when The Palace (eventually) opens!

So it was with our tail between our legs that we had to go and watch ‘50 Shades of Grey’.  I had read five chapters of the book when all the hype originally started and then I gave up, the writing was TERRIBLE and I wanted to slap Anastasia Steel (even though she would only enjoy it har har snigger). I didnt have any hopes for this film then…..which was good because it is pretty awful. Christian Grey played by Jamie Dornan is supposed to be a highly influential, rich business man who exudes power out of every pore, unfortunately Dornan just doesn’t cut it….he is too clean shaven and slight. Dakota Johnson plays Anastasia Steele with enough simpering girlishness to make me want to give her a clip round the ear too.

The much anticipated sex scenes are nothing shocking or new, in fact I found them pretty tedious most of the time. Then again it would take a lot to turn such a turgid book into something great, I suppose Sam Taylor-Johnson tried but no banana (pardon the pun).

If you want to see a cliche on top of a cliche on a flowerbed of cringe go see this film.