Movie to Book Feature: Fifty Shades of Grey

Oh, 50 Shades of Grey, what curiosity you have stirred at the box office. I, for one, was very excited to see the movie. I bought my ticket early and thought that, from what I saw in the trailers, it depicted the book well.

In the very beginning of the movie, I enjoyed seeing a compare and contrast between the lives of Anastasia and Christian. It gave moviegoers a glimpse of how different their lifestyles were and opened up the movie really well. However, as the movie progresses, the transitions got a bit choppy. One of the main reasons why I really liked the book was for its character development, and I did not feel that same connection when I watched the movie. Anastasia and Christian have this push-and-pull relationship, and it could have translated on the screen a bit better. For moviegoers who have not read the book, this may not have been a big issue.

I felt that the movie just took the really good parts of the book and bunched them together in a rough-cut way. It did not seem as smooth or flow as well as I thought it was going to. Ultimately, the movie was slow-paced, despite being packed with a lot of key moments.

However, the movie soundtrack is so good, and the tracks elevated key scenes in the movie. One of my favorite moments is when Christian flew his helicopter, Charlie Tango, and took Anastasia for a ride as Ellie Goulding’s “Love Me Like You Do” played in the background. I thought they executed this moment on screen very well.

Now for the heart-aching ending: when Anastasia leaves Christian. This is a vital moment in the book and sets up the second book perfectly. I was pretty pleased with the overall performance of this scene. You heard the collective gasp from the audience as Christian is standing there, looking shell-shocked about what happened.

Overall, the movie left me feeling indifferent. I did not completely love it, but I do not regret watching it in theaters. (Confession: I probably will watch the rest of the trilogy.) From the box office success of opening weekend, I’m not surprised that that Hollywood will be making the other two movies. However, I do not think the movie would have done so well if it did not sell so many books. Usually, you can watch a movie without reading the book, but I highly recommend reading the book before watching the movie. You’ll just have a better appreciation for the characters and their developing relationship. But if you have read the book, then definitely watch the movie.

Darn you curiosity, you win this time.

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