The film begins by picking up where most romances would typically conclude — an upscale, Vogue-worthy wedding and a montage of a whimsical honeymoon across Paris and the Cote D’Azur. Despite the romance of the glittering shorelines and moonlit bike rides, the fundamental problems between Christian and Ana are made evident quickly in the film as Christian demands that Ana not remove her bikini top at the beach. This dominant, power-ridden attitude remains consistent throughout the film despite the director James Foley’s best attempt at making it seem as if Christian has progressed as a character. He has undeniably softened, but his insatiable need for power is still clearly bubbling under the surface.
Ana, on the other hand, has definitely developed as a character and added a layer of humanity and lighthearted humor to the stone wall that is Christian Grey. Johnson takes on the role of Ana in stride the third time around and further proves herself to be a clever actress with natural talent. Dornan, however, seems entirely bored with his role and puts minimal emotion into the dialogue, which makes Christian come across as even more mechanical and lifeless.
Universal Pictures/Everett Collection
Although the film is intended to paint the relationship between timid Ana and billionaire Christian as every woman’s dream, the truth of the matter is the supposedly swoon-worthy duo point to one gigantic red flag. They handle natural relationship conflict by reacting with silent treatment and torture, haven’t discussed the possibility of children despite already being married and run away from their problems with alcohol and exes.
Once the subplot of Ana’s unexpected pregnancy comes into the mix, the couple’s superficial and unhealthy relationship comes to even further fruition. Christian throws an aggressive tantrum when he doesn’t get his way and one has to wonder how these two polar opposites intend on raising a child when they themselves haven’t created a foundational, solid relationship.
Aside from the unrealistic character dynamics between the two leads, the film also seems quite scattered in terms of flimsy plot structures and twists. A wedding, honeymoon, pregnancy, cheating, kidnapping, home remodeling and more — the Fifty Shades franchise definitely doesn’t slack when it came to covering all the bases. Admittedly, that isn’t necessarily for the better since by covering such a wide variety of plot devices, the film is unable to delve deeply into any of its twists.
Universal Pictures/Everett Collection
