Absurd trilogy ender still a nice love story

With the trilogy completed, it’s time to stop smirking and say a few nice things about the “Fifty Shades” series.

The first is this: We’ve been watching Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) and Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) have sex for three movies now, and they’ve strenuously kept it interesting for three movies. They deserve credit for that.

The second nice thing pertains to the newest installment: With the wedding of the billionaire Christian and the languidyet-game Anastasia in the opening moments of “Fifty Shades Freed,” this movie distinguishes itself from its predecessors in helpful ways.

The first film was a getting-acquainted story with elements of sadomasochism and bondage thrown in. The second centered on a deepening relationship complicated by the intrusion of a psycho who wanted to kill one or both of them. Basically, the first two films Directed by James Foley.

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dealt in common movie tropes jazzed up by a particular sexual atmosphere.

But “Fifty Shades Freed” has something extra going for it in its depiction of something that pop culture generally tends to avoid: the romance of familiarity.

The psycho remains on the loose and still wants to kill both of them, especially Anastasia. But he’s mostly on the story fringes, heightening the potential danger and the illusion of action as the movie focuses on its real business, details such as flying to Paris on a private jet and honing one’s tan at an exclusive resort.

At its heart, “Fifty Shades Freed” focuses on minor (and inevitable) honeymoon bickering and choice in homes. Yes, as the couple drive back from their new property, they notice the psycho following them in a blue van — a threat that becomes the catalyst for a reasonably exciting chase scene.

But the scene’s purpose comes after they lose him, park the car and start having sex in the front seat.

Has any movie since the 1970s believed in sex this much, endorsing the act with such wholehearted, unabashed enthusiasm?

Christian and Anastasia have sex with vibrators, sex with ice cream, sex with no props at all — and make the notion of newlyweds being so into each other seem like a very nice thing.

The essential point is this: As silly as the movie it is, it accomplishes the fundamental task of making you believe this young couple is in love.

At one point, Christian sits at a piano to play Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed.” The moment is obvious but feels very right as a song about the romance of familiarity.

Another nice — and curious — thing about the movie: It seems to be arranged as a series of five-minute interludes, many of them entertaining, even when they feel unrelated. She has a nightmare. Then they have sex on the kitchen table. Then she visits the doctor. Then she goes to the psycho’s bail hearing — essentially one thing after another, but it’s mostly fun. Now, for the bad part. “Fifty Shades Freed” is ridiculous. Besides the interactions between Christian and Anastasia, the dialogue is laughable and the plot turns are absurd. Even the overarching story — Anastasia’s former boss at the publishing house turned homicidal maniac — is mostly a joke.

Yet some aspects of movies matter less than others.

I like these people; I’m rather sorry to see the series end.