50 Shades Review.

SPOILERS AHEAD! Don't read if you don't want to know parts of the movie, if you don't care, read on!

Each week, if within our budget, my husband and I try to escape our hectic lives for a few hours and get lost by watching a movie at the theater. (usually the cheapest days are tuesdays, only 6 bucks!) Honestly, who doesn't want to save a few bucks, especially on movies because they get costly. This week was no different, given my busy school schedule I figured since this movie raised so many eye brows within it's books that it would be a good blog posting for those of you who are unsure if you want to let your curiosity win or whether let everyone else tell you what to think. I will first and foremost say my opinion is my own, and surely so is everyone else's.

Note: I didn't read the books because I wanted to be completely in the dark about what happens and have no preconceived thoughts since I am indeed a huge book reader and will always (with an exception of a few) think the books will be better.

I'll be honest, this movie isn't for ANYONE under the age of 18. I would've hoped my mom would've told me no even if I begged her to go see this as a teenager. It's rated R for a reason. The reason I bring this up is because I seen a "note to my daughter" type of article on the movie floating around social media and caught my eye so I read it and the lady goes in depth saying how she gave in to the peer pressures of curiosity and watched it and how she regrets it now. If you are a grown adult and you hear talk about this 'love story' but yet you have doubts that you may not like it or even realize what the story is about, why go see it if you're not going to have an open mind? I get that you're curious, but I'm not shocked because I knew from the media and word on the street about what it was going to be about. I don't regret it and yes, I even gave into my curiosity as well. Were only human after all. It just is what it is. Keep reading because isn't my official opinion.

With that being said, lets get down to it. There are give or take 4 to 5 sex scenes if I didn't miscount. You see body parts as far as butts and boobs go, and honestly it didn't really bother me. Maybe it's because I'm grown up and married, naked bodies really don't bother me anymore, verses when I was a terribly insecure preteen. I can handle the whole nature of sexy, I honestly don't think there's anymore rated R movies that go without at least one pair of boobs, a sex scene in general, or a butt shot. So the nudity was fair considering what part of the story was about. It was done very tastefully, the director was on point with the camera angles. Very honest dialogue, I'm not sure what's true to the book, but if the dialogue was a lot like the book, I'll most likely enjoy the book.

Character choices - Now I know a lot of the fans of the book had preconceived ideas of who should be Christian Grey and who should be Anastasia Steele, and trust me I understand. When you're such a big fan of a book, you want casting to be pretty close to what you imagine. Let's get real though lots of talented actors/actresses auditioned for these roles and originally Charlie Hunnam was casted as Christian Grey but dropped out. Everyone especially when it's you're name on it has limits. I feel like he was more of a 'Thor' type of man than a business man, maybe it's the muscles. haha. I'm not sure what 'grey' looks like in everyone else's minds that are a fan of the books, but Jamie Dornan in my head was the meant to be Christian Grey. I'm not so sure I would've liked it if another guy played Grey. He's very likable. I was stunned even when before the movie came out that people were saying Dakota Johnson wasn't even pretty, because she's naturally pretty and especially for the role of Anastasia Steele you want someone naturally pretty who can pull off that innocent girl next door thing. I have to admit I found her to be quite charming. Everyone else was good too! The chemistry between Dornan and Johnson was the kind that you hoped for.

How do I feel about the whole thing? I'll be honest. I enjoyed the movie. Call me what you will for liking it, even judge me, because I know a few of you are. Let me tell you why I liked it. The story I don't in this particular one like to call a 'love story' mainly because it's only one sided, you can tell that Grey cares for Steele but he's a broken man. I feel like a lot of women fall for the wrong types of guys, that or some of us fall in love and the guy has major baggage and we especially how innocent Anastasia was don't really know how to help it, so we do and do and do until we get to that breaking point. I don't want to give major details away, but I will say in the last scene in the 'play room' (and no ladies it's not a room with an xbox) that was her breaking point. I truly believe he should've been man enough to realize he needs to fix himself before he did that. Keep in mind, I have no idea what happens after that last scene. Maybe he does, maybe he will. I'm naturally curious and once I start something I have to finish it, so I'll more than likely watch the next one and read the books.

But, if you're asking me if I think Christian Grey is an abuser and Anastasia is the victim and it's only romanticizing domestic violence then no. I think it's a case of the guy has issues, the girl wanted to be the one to fix him. Throughout the whole movie, she negotiates the 'contract', she doesn't even sign it there are 'unwritten rules', in multiple scenes she tells him to leave, to take her home, that she has to go to Georgia, she doesn't even stay after the negotiation, she slaps his hand off of her leg at dinner with his family, and even in that last scene she gave consent. Love makes us do stupid things, even things that were not proud of, but we don't run and yell fire each time we get it wrong. She is not a victim, he may be '50 shades of fucked up' but it's also just a story. Regardless if it's you're cup of tea, let other people decide for their own if they like it. They are not going to hell because they are curious, and we shouldn't be making grown adults feel bad for liking something that you don't like.

I went into it with an open mind. No preconceived ideas of who I thought the characters should or shouldn't be, how everything should be. I gave it a chance. If only the media would do the same and only say what they have to say and move on from it if they don't then that would be great.


P.S. Let's just take a minute to appreciate the soundtrack. I'm obsessed.