Behind the masks
IDECIDED not to read the book before I went to watch the movie Fifty Shades Darker and I do not regret that decision. The thing is, I learned the hard way with Fifty Shades of Grey when I walked into the cinema with a lot of expectations and I walked out disappointed.
From the first scene of this sequel we are able to pick up where we left off. We see Christian Grey grovelling to get Anastasia Steele back. The difference is, this time Christian doesn’t want a submissive but a girlfriend, even though the concept of a “vanilla relationship” is foreign to him.
“This time: no rules, no punishments, and no more secrets.” Those are the conditions under which Anastasia will return to him.
We are also quickly introduced to the other key characters in the story including Kate (Anna’s best friend, who happens to be dating Christian’s foster brother Elliot). We also see Jose – a mutual friend of Anna and Kate – who clearly still has a crush on Anna. Rita Ora brings a different, almost out-of-theme energy and is refreshing to watch as Mia Grey (Christian’s foster sister).
There is a nice balance between the actual storytelling and the (many) sex scenes, so viewers don’t feel like they are watching a pornographic film. The music that accompanies these sex scenes (which are all really interesting and give a glimpse of “How to do BDSM in a relationship setting”) follows the same pace and suitably erotic theme introduced by Beyoncé’s Crazy In Love, which is sung by Miguel in the first movie.
The ghost of the girlfriends past aspect of the story, when Christian’s past threatens to ruin his newfound desire for genuine love, is not as dramatic as I thought it would be. Granted, there is a scene in which Anna is held at gunpoint and one in which her car is trashed, but considering the kind of past Christian has, the drama is minimal.
Any scenes that may feel redundant or the lack of a climax to the film can be forgiven because the story is the middle part of a trilogy. For me it makes sense that the movie takes us on a character tour of Christian and all his shades, explaining why he is a sadist.
We are also exposed to another side of what we have come to know as the “sweet and innocent” Anna. And after the uproar that was drummed up over the whole “submissive” storyline by feminists after the release of Fifty Shades of Grey, the bitchy and almost bossy side to Anna will be welcomed by many. She seems to step out of her insecurity and shyness and begins to tell Christian what she wants.