ARE VIEWERS SET FREE?
A look At Fifty Shades trilogy
Like countless devotees of the Fifty Shades trilogy, I recently made my way to the theatre to catch Fifty Shades Freed, the much-anticipated final instalment in the cinematic series based on the bestselling books by E.L. James, and starring Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson.
And like so many of those same devotees, I couldn’t help but surrender all logic and decorum to the deliciously naughty chemistry that exploded between the lead characters Ana and Christian as they painstakingly laid out, scene by luxury-drenched scene, what the sassiest, most sensual of newlywedships (or rather, newlywedyachts) might look like.
The French Riviera background reached fresh peaks of passion right alongside the protagonists in the foreground, while the now legendary toystocked Red Room — tucked neatly into Christian’s posh Seattle penthouse — was steamier than even his adrenalin-kicking Audi, leaving few touches to the imagination.
And there was no shortage of intrigue and excitement for the adventure-inclined, thanks to several seat-clawing story twists involving kidnapping, blackmail, even a bloody gunshot from a courageous shero.
That said, what I believe really captivated most viewers of the hopeless romantic variety (guilty as charged) was the well-done modern-day evolution of the seemingly incorrigible bad boy (replete with heartbreaking childhood and 12-pack-baring jeans) into a loving and devoted mate — sweet, empathetic, funny, understanding.
The query: But the nagging question remained: is that type of evolution possible? Could the emotionally unavailable bad boy, who’s dripping with the dangerous appeal that our mothers warned us about from our earliest dating years, be “the one,” the happily-ever-after, the bigger-than-Big?
Real-life findings: Well, according to my own research, the answer is a colossally predictable NO! I’ve encountered incredibly chivalrous versions of this BB species throughout my ... let’s call it colourful dating life — those suitors adept at wooing, wowing and invariably breaking down well-fortified barriers with their lethal charm, humour and sex appeal. But time and again, I’ve found the intentions of these master seducers to be dishonest and nefarious. Prince Harming would be more like it.
Reel-life hope: Still, giving us cause for pause is supersized Mr. Grey, the construct of hopeful writer James’s exquisitely vivid imagination, the bad boy with a soul buried deep beneath his 50 shades of effed-up. Transformed by the healing love of his soulmate — thrust unexpectedly into his perfectly contained albeit empty world — he might retain his melt-inducing superpowers while bidding adieu forever to his demons, eventually embracing a full-on fabulous fairy-tale life with his one true love.
But really, does this set us free? Just my humble opinion: I think it does. As the adage goes, life is stranger than fiction — so who knows? A Christian of our very own just might be out there right now, primed for rescue — a beautiful shades-of-grey thought for Social Gals or Gents with a thing for bad boys ... ahem.
Look for the return of Jennifer Campbell’s regular column on March 10, starting with her spring/summer social calendar.