"Yes, this Fifty Shades Of Grim might have its titillating moments," says Moir, "but it just goes on and on and on for no good reason before ending in an abrupt and unsatisfactory way - the very definition of bad sex". Jan Moir in the Daily Mail calls the film "a great spanking bore". The movie, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and starring Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson, features lengthy scenes of bondage and discipline, which have prompted all sorts of warnings, including an alert by British emergency services expecting a rise in call-outs from people involved in Fifty Shades inspired mishaps.īut many critics warn the only injury you're likely to suffer from watching the film is extreme boredom. The film tells the story of a sadomasochistic relationship between a college student and a businessman, whose desire for domination conceals secrets from in his past. James' erotic best-seller Fifty Shades of Grey opens in UK cinemas today and while it gets a punishing treatment from most critics, others have been more gentle. The hotly awaited big-screen version of E.L. "We couldn't be happier." Fifty Shades of Grey review: is 'Cinderella porn' film any good? "We're all popping Champagne over here," Nick Carpou, Universal's president of domestic distribution, told the Los Angeles Times. Relations between the director and James were said to have become tense as the novelist was given "unprecedented control" over the making of the film.īut for the moment, everyone is celebrating. Ironically, Twilight was the inspiration for EL James's Fifty Shades fan fiction novels.ĭespite the film's success, it isn't certain that Taylor-Johnson will return to direct further instalments in the Fifty Shades franchise, says the Hollywood Reporter. The Hollywood Reporter says Sam Taylor-Johnson's Fifty Shades film is the most successful launch ever for a female director, outdoing the $69.6 million opening for Catherine Hardwicke's 2010 adaptation of Twilight. Nevertheless it raked in $81.7 million, becoming the country's biggest Valentine's Day weekend launch of all time.
The movie opened in the UK on Friday, 13 February, where it scored the best result for an 18-certificate film in history, with a first night total of £4.6 million, reports the Daily Telegraph.īecause it contains "strong sex and nudity" it is also R-rated in the US – meaning those under 17 years old can only watch it if accompanied by an adult. The film, based on the best-selling Fifty Shades novel trilogy by EL James, has opened in 56 counties and is on course for a global debut of $235 million.
Fifty Shades of Grey whips up box office frenzyĮrotic film Fifty Shades of Grey has had a piping hot weekend at the box office, setting records in America and the UK.