The phenomenally successful ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ hits the silver screen this month, just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Words by Bel Booker
Nothing says romance more than a bit of light bondage. This February the 14th you can take your lover to see the film adaptation of the bestselling erotic novel ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’.
Single? No problem. Consider this a gift to yourself. Calvin Klein underwear model Jamie Dornan – known as the ‘golden torso’ – plays the infamous billionaire Christian Grey, and will be getting his kit off for the delight of female viewers.
Stepping into the role of naïve student Anastasia Steele, meanwhile, is Dakota Johnson – daughter of famous parents Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson.
Author E. L. James, who served as both a writer and producer on the film project, has promised fans that the book’s explicit sex scenes will not be watered down. Those who are easily embarrassed can pick up a Fifty Shades branded blindfold prior to viewing!
Fifty Shades takes the World by Storm
‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ broke records when it became the fastest selling paperback of all time. Now the trilogy, dubbed ‘mummy porn’ by the press, has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide and been translated into 52 languages.
A survey found that nearly half of women would rather read the kinky book than have sex themselves. So what makes it so popular?
There have been many erotic books before, but none have featured a male lead character as charismatic, alluring and downright sexy as Christian Grey.
Mr Grey has it all: he’s filthy rich, devastatingly handsome, well educated and super ambitious. This is a man who knows exactly what he wants and just how to get it…especially in the bedroom (with the help of a riding crop and some cable ties!). Another key factor to the book’s appeal is Christian’s pairing with the thoroughly innocent Anastasia. She may be 21, but ‘Ana’ has never been drunk, is still a virgin and has never even ‘explored herself’ down below. To predatory Christian, Ana is a lamb to the slaughter, but she’s a feisty girl and does not easily submit to his will, further fuelling his passion.
‘Fifty Shade of Grey’ takes readers on a tantalising journey of sadomasochistic sexual discovery, but, handcuffs aside, it is also a classic love story. Although he is tortured by his dark desires, Christian’s devotion to Ana is so strong that he is ultimately prepared to let her go. Show me a girl who could resist?
5 Things You Should Know Before You See the Fifty Shades of Grey Movie
It could spice up your sex life:A survey of married couples conducted in 2013 found two thirds of those who had read ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ were having better sex. Surprisingly, the racy novel had a greater effect on men than women, with 87% of men saying it had impacted on their lovemaking. Nearly 40 per cent had more foreplay, 38 per cent had more sex, 38 per cent bought sexy lingerie, 34 per cent talked more about desires and fantasies and 34 per cent introduced more sex toys into the bedroom.
Meanwhile, 34 per cent of women who had read the book also reported a change in the bedroom, with 50 per cent having more sex, 43 per feeling more comfortable initiating sex and 31 per cent having more conversations about their fantasies and desires.
It’s got people hot under the collar: The Fifty Shades movie has some people all worked up, and not for the reasons you might think. Not all fans of the trilogy were happy with the casting. A petition was started asking for Christian and Anastasia to be played by Matt Bomer – known for his role in US police drama ‘White Collar’ – and Alexis Bledel, who rose to fame as Rory Gilmore in ‘Gilmore Girls’. The petition garnered more than 90,000 signatures but the film’s producers refused to budge, stating: “There is a lot that goes into casting that isn’t just looks.”The controversy around the film continues, however, with another petition taking off calling for people to boycott it because of its themes of sexual violence.
“Little concern is being given to the influence that the positive and pornographic portrayal of sadism is having on teenagers and others,” states the petition, which at the time of writing has 7,600 signatures. (To check figure closer to time of publication visit: www.lifesitenews.com/petitions/50-shades-boycott.)
Meanwhile, a recent study has concluded that reading the erotic novel could be bad for the health of young women. The study, reported in the ‘Journal of Women’s Health’, found women are more likely to have sex with multiple partners, binge drink, suffer eating disorders and have a lover who verbally abuses them.
You won’t get to see Mr Grey’s “considerable length”: I’m sorry to break it to you ladies, but Jamie Dornan will not be showing us all of his, erm, talents when he appears as Christian in the Fifty Shades movie. Despite the fact that Mr Grey’s penis takes a central role in the book, the actor told ‘The Guardian’ it would not be making an appearance.
“There were contracts in place that said that viewers wouldn’t be seeing my, um…yeah, my todger,” he said. “You want to appeal to as wide an audience as possible without grossing them out. You don’t want to make something gratuitous, and ugly, and graphic.”
Jamie added that he found filming the sex scenes decidedly unsexy: “Anyone who thinks actors get turned on doing sex scenes in films is mistaken. There are dozens of hairy men standing around, moving cables and lighting equipment. That’s not sexy unless you’re into being watched, which I’m not.”
You will get to see Anastasia’s “inner goddess”: Ok, to be honest, I’m not exactly sure what her inner goddess is, but what I can tell you is that Dakota Johnson will be stripping off and she doesn’t want her mum to see the movie. “I have not seen ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’. I don’t think I’m going to see it,” mum Melanie Griffith revealed. “[Dakota] was like, ‘You guys cannot come. There’s no way.’ So we’re not going. I did go visit for a couple of days when they were shooting just normal stuff. I did see the Room of Pain—I did go in there and check it out.”
Someone who’s not so shy is Beyonce – Queen B has recorded a song for the Fifty Shades soundtrack with a very raunchy video. The music video for ‘Haunted’ sees Beyonce writhing around on a bed in vampish underwear that does little to hide her modesty.
The singer also recorded a breathy version of ‘Crazy in Love’ for the Fifty Shades trailer and, if that’s anything to go by, it sounds like she really enjoyed the movie!
You can now live out your Fifty Shades fantasies in real life: Author E. L. James has put her name to an official range of Fifty Shades sex toys. Available from lovehoney.co.uk, the collection includes the legendary silver pleasure balls, handcuffs, blindfolds and whips featured in the erotic scenes as Christian and Ana experiment with dominance and submission.
“I’m so excited that the toys I described in the books have come to life and can now be enjoyed around the world,” says E. L. James.
And you can take your role-play to a whole new level by booking in for a stay at Scottish hotel ‘Nira Caledonia’. The luxury hotel in Edinburgh has launched a ‘Fifty Plaids of Wahay’ package to celebrate the release of the film. The package includes two nights in a Jacuzzi suite, an aphrodisiacal meal, in-room couples’ massage and a black box containing a feather tickler, fluffy handcuffs, and even strawberries dipped in chocolate. The deal is priced €1,255, but if, like Mr Grey, you have cash to splash, you can add on a champagne bath for €2,522 (niracaledonia.com).
