Fifty Shades Darker 2017

I've heard so many different opinions about this movie, which I totally understand because it's just not for everyone I guess. I must say though that my opinion is quite positive. I found Fifty Shades Darker to be an enjoyable movie. I started this film with the question "How am I going to watch this for two hours?" but it ended before I realised it.

First off, let me say, I am a sucker for all things romantic and I think the Fifty Shades movies are that as well. It's all quite a cliche (another thing that I love) and in some cases that comes with a not so great storyline. Fifty Shades Darker is one of those cases. What made this movie an good movie, in my opinion, are the actors and the camera work. The only actress that was a bit of a disappointment for me was Dakota Johnson. She was a great Ana in the first film but I feel like she decided to put a lot more of herself into Ana which kind of bothered me. I was pleasantly surprised by Eric Johnson, whom I've only seen in Hallmark movies. Jamie Dornan is always great so, don't have much more to add to that, ha. The camera work and all the sets were great tho. Grey's apartment, I mean, yas.

Yup. I enjoyed it and I'm probably gonna watch it again someday. #noshame

(870-word review) Most haters prefer this one to the first, probably because everything is more low-key and slow with this one, not to mention less problematic, although they also think it's just as much so at the same time for some reason; it's okay to say it's because it was boring, you know? You don't have to lie. If you('re going to) complain(ed) about the lack of BDSM accuracy, you must've missed the first film; this is not it. It's a common mistake. Complaining about that regarding this one means you're doing it for the heck of it now.

Once I got one hour into the film, I thought, "Not much has happened," and that the remaining half would be more exciting/feel worthwhile. And that never happened. It relies heavily on your investment in Ana and Christian's relationship while feeling like the writer didn't bother putting in the effort for you to care. Within that lies my lack of engagement, especially compared with how much more I was into the first film.

That also made me think about Twilight (duh: the Twilight novels inspired the Fifty Shades novels) and the similarities to be made. While those films have yet to be seen, I have seen plenty of reaction videos to them on Youtube, and the second one was slower and less exciting, right? Just like this. And there was Edward's marriage proposal and Christian's marriage proposal. Both films also ended on that, although The Twilight Saga: New Moon ended more abruptly, while this film gave it some breathing room before ending.

The sex scene aspect seemed the most encompassing element compared to the non-sex-scene relationship plot, seeming to be all that happened, despite the opposite being true. They even felt tamer than in the first film even though the intended point to convey was that it's not, that it's more and "rougher." You're left wanting more sex scenes while knowing that probably won't help because there's a disconnect. There's not enough efficiency; both sides fall short, and the balance was off, which felt substituted with the Jack Hyde and Leila Williams subplots.

Yes, you guessed it: those two subplots also fell short.

I didn't care much about Jack, although he was annoying: a job well done, as it was intended that way, specifically his creepiness, which makes me wonder whether he was an insert to showcase the difference in intentions, writing-wise, between Christian and him in a "hitting you over the head" sort of way for the people who can't perceive nuances, going, instead, with having preconceived notions: "I read that the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy is terrible and the worst of what media has to offer, therefore that's what it will be for me because I'm close-minded."

Jamie Dornan's performance/acting direction isn't as on-the-nose creepy because that's not the intention, regardless of instances that ARE logically so, whether you want to admit it or not. Christian had a tragic childhood, and then he was sexually groomed later on, aka abused; he has warped perceptions and needs to work on self-improvement. Jack, on the other hand, in both acting direction and writing, is a clear-cut character who's meant to be creepy and only that.

And Leila's involvement in the plot was unnecessary and abrupt, seemingly only to replicate Ana's "abandonment" of Christian in the first film after the final BDSM session and serve as a plot device for conflict. His way of "subduing" Leila (which only worked because of the prior dynamic there) could have a message to convey regarding the possibility that his BDSM dynamic with her contributed to her current state, and it may have; it likely did.

Yet there was the dialogue line ("She's in the psych ward getting the help that she needs."), including the underdevelopment of that subplot, as if to "subdue," oddly enough, the potential severity and ramifications of Christian's warped perceptions and BDSM practices or lack thereof and lacking adherence to the SSC (Safe, Sane, and Consensual) motto: what it would've meant in its complete form if it weren't for the implication that she may have had some mental troubles, further exacerbated by his irresponsible actions and her husband's death, so I think her existence/purpose was to stir conflict. At least the film didn't end after Ana's at-odds attitude with Christian again.

Some pluses were the improvement of Jamie Dornan's performance (the writing likely contributed) and the chemistry between him and Dakota (despite the acting direction and goofy characterization of Anastasia Steele), John Schwartzman's cinematography, Elliot Grey's iconic gum-chewing (he loves having something in his mouth, doesn't he?), the sudden soap opera-esque, out-of-place helicopter crash, and the expectedly good soundtrack (and score).

Despite plenty of nothing in this, there must've been something somewhere; there was some semblance of entertainment and being interested in what happens next.

And apparently, the theatrical festivities will ramp up with the final film based on the during-credits teaser; who knew a BDSM film could use a villain? Cue the dramatic music. Absolute cinema right here. It doesn't get better than this.

This film couldn't quite surpass its predecessor. But Jamie Dornan's performance seemed more natural than before, the chemistry improved, and the soundtrack popped off again.