It’s been a fun 3 years, but we finally close the book on the provocative “Fifty Shades” franchise.
When we last saw Anna (Dakota Johnson) and Christian (Jamie Dornan) in “Fifty Shades Darker” they were rekindling their romance. Anna started a new job at a publishing company where her creep of a boss, Jack Hyde (Eric Johnson), came on to her. While Anna dealt with him, Christian dealt with some troubling ladies from his past. Eventually, the two over came those obstacles and the film ended with the couple getting engaged.
Now we are at the beginning of the end. “Fifty Shades Freed” opens with a montage of Christian and Anna’s wedding followed by what looks like a dream honeymoon in Europe. However, the newlywed’s aren’t in bliss for too long once they find out Jack Hyde is back and pissed at the couple for “ruining his career”. This puts a damper on married life all together, as Christian continues his controlling ways and has Anna continuously followed by his security.
Besides this bigger plot, there is a lot of other stuff going on. This is the negative part of turning a book into a movie, you can never fit everything in. And even with cutting things from the third book, they jammed a lot into only and hour and 45 minutes (the shortest of the 3 films). In a nutshell, Christian and Anna buy a house, another couple gets engaged, Anna gets a job promotion, there are spur of the moment trips, a pregnancy, and of course, lots of sporadic sex.
Oh, and if for some reason you thought the previous films lacked in sex scenes, this one makes up for it and then-some. It seems married life has only made them hotter! They are making love any chance they can, in the car, with ice cream, red room of pain, etc. Though Dornan’s acting is weak, especially in comparison to Johnson’s spot on performance, their sexual chemistry continues to heat up the screen. In a tantalizing scene where Anna is forced to use her safe word, I nearly shouted “Red” myself.
Unfortunately, out of the three films, I had the most problems with “Fifty Shades Freed”. It was by far the most rushed installment and slightly anticlimactic. The film makes you feel like it is building up to a showdown between Jack and Christian, but instead glances over their shocking history and squashes any conflict in a mere 60 seconds.
That being said, “Fifty Shades Freed” is still just as fun as the first two movies and it’s a great “Girls Night Out” flick. And once again, we are treated to an incredible soundtrack that distracts us from whatever nonsense is happening on screen.
“Fifty Shades Freed” has its flaws and by no means is it a “good movie”, but it is a solid end to a ridiculous romance. The story stays true to the books and ultimately, Christian and Anna are given the happy ending all us fans so desperately wanted to see.
Rating: 3/5
“Fifty Shades Freed” hits theaters February 9.
In Eliza Hittman’s debut feature, we follow Lila (Gina Piersanti), a fourteen year old, spending a hot summer in a blue-collar Brooklyn neighborhood away from the city. Often tagging along with her best friend Chiara (Giovanna Salimeni) and her boyfriend, Lila is the awkward and quiet third wheel. But as she is riding in the back seat of her friend’s love life, she is taking detailed mental notes of what she feels she should be experiencing with a guy as well. Cue the first semi attractive boy that acknowledges her! Yup, meet Sammy, the “bad boy” with a reputation to sleep around. Seems like the perfect guy for Lila to fixate on for the rest of summer. Completely delusional in her endless attempt to pursue Sammy, Lila puts herself at risk in multiple situations.
The fresh cast led by Gina Piersanti is naturally effortless in their roles playing genuine teens dealing with sex, urges, and curiosity. Characters like these have a tendency to be overacted. It was nice to see Hittman’s powerful script didn’t get ruined by heavily dramatic performances. And though you will probably be yelling at Piersanti’s character, she does a fantastic job as Lila, ranging from the harmless school girl crush to becoming the borderline Swimfan. The uncomfortable squirming from Lila’s naïve actions will all be worth it after seeing this film.