Our Film Editor Charles Gant gives his verdict on one of the most hotly-anticipated films of the year:
The plot:
Quiet, virginal literature student Anastasia Steele (Johnson) is about to graduate from Washington State University when she interviews local tech entrepreneur Christian Grey (Dornan) for the college newspaper. Smitten with her lip-biting, accidentally coquettish charm, the intense young mogul woos her to be his new sexual partner. She soon finds out that Christian’s silver-grey ties are not just a fashion accessory…
Fifty Shades Of Grey London premiere: Dakota Johnson wows in white, Jamie Dornan looks sooo suave plus all the other looks
1 of 13Ashley Roberts
The former Pussycat Doll decided to go for fifty shades of gold instead of grey, with her blazer unfortunately looking like a child got their hands on some metallic Sharpies. Looks like she lost a button on the way there too, poor love
2 of 13Nadia Sawalha and Sherrie Hewson
Nadia added a pop of colour with her fuchsia coat, whereas Sherrie wrapped up warm to beat the chill
3 of 13Denise Van Outen
Denise looked amazing (if not a little chilly) in her monochrome co-ords
4 of 13Sadie Frost
Eeeek. We like her sleek bob very much, but those diamante ring details are a bit too Walford for our liking
5 of 13E.L. James
Author E.L. James must be pretty minted by now, right? She chose a dazzling floor-length gown for her big night
6 of 13Sam Taylor-Johnson
Director Sam Taylor-Johnson opted for a sparkly mini and bejewelled heels
7 of 13Kate Garraway
How very appropes with the theme of the evening, eh?
8 of 13Jamelia
It was all about the plunge for Jamelia. We're not so keen on the boob-revealing frock but we heart the shoes
9 of 13Sharleen Spiteri
Texas lead singer Sharleen went for a slightly funeral feel in her all-black ensemble
10 of 13Maria Menounos
Maria kept it casual in khaki leather trews and a tonal coat
11 of 13Lizzie Cundy
Yes, there is such a thing as too much leather
12 of 13Dakota Johnson
The star of the show wowed in her flowing Saint Laurent gown with an embellished trim and a super plunging neckline. We're crushing on her vampy lips too
13 of 13Jamie Dornan and Amelia Warner
Mr Grey himself looked as dashing as ever, with his stunning wife Amelia by his side donning a chic printed frock. We want your pixie cut, Amelia! And your hubby. But we'll settle for your hair
What's right with it?
Adapting a bestselling novel series can be tricky, especially one where fans have vociferous demands about what they expect to be included. In the case of Harry Potter, respecting the source material made for some rather lengthy movies, although the ingenious pageturner story leapt easily from page to screen.
In the case of Fifty Shades, the challenge for screenwriter Kelly Marcel (Saving Mr Banks) and director Sam Taylor-Johnson (Nowhere Boy) has been how to convert the numerous sex scenes, email interchanges and endless contract clauses into gripping screen drama without sinking into dull repetition.
By judicious pruning, they’ve done just that, adding some much-needed wit, making Ana a significantly less annoying character (no talk of her “inner goddess”, thankfully), and eliminating the first-person perspective of the book. More show, less tell, in other words.
Casting choices likewise prove plenty savvy, with a sparky Dakota Johnson making Ana a character we care about, and Jamie Dornan holding his end up as the hot, ripped, mysterious telecoms billionaire. (We can all be glad that a miscast Charlie Hunnam bottled it, bailing before shooting started.)
Director Taylor-Johnson offers us a shameless wallow in location porn, generously throwing sexy interiors, cars, clothes, furniture and helicopter rides at the screen for the film’s duration.
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What’s wrong with it?
Talk about coitus interruptus. The book doesn’t satisfyingly end, just come to a juddering halt, leaving for the sequels the answer to the big imponderable question: why does Christian need to do the things he needs to do? Answers will come in further, gigantically profitable movies.
As for this film, the second half may offer more skin and more kink, but the wit gradually seeps away, and the pace flags as pain barriers are pushed.
Verdict:
Trying to make an erotic feature film can go seriously awry, as Paul Verhoeven discovered 20 years ago with his camp folly _Showgirl_s. Fifty Shades swerves past many pitfalls, cleverly giving us enough of what we think we want and enough of what we actually need.