Christian Grey (played by Jamie Dornan) is longing for Ana Steele (Dakota Johnson), and this leads him to maneuver his return into her world—through purchasing the company where she works and by vowing to become a more palatable version of himself, shedding some of his darker tendencies. The problem is that Ana isn't truly seeking out a reformed partner; instead, she desires the excitement and physicality of their pa…

This second installment, *’Fifty Shades Darker’*, is a minor step forward compared to the first film, though it’s still not really something you could call good. It seemed to have more substance this time around; it was easier to get through, if you forget what happened in the previous movie. The filmmakers definitely took an easy route, centering the plot on two less appealing characters, which lets you overlook …

My fiancée enjoys these kinds of movies—though her tolerance for sexual content onscreen is lower than mine, and I’m willing to endure some pretty bad films for it—so we went to see this one on Valentine's Day. I want to highlight a significant issue, and I’ll do so by referencing the film’s summary: "Anastasia must confront the anger and envy of the women who came before her." That entire plot point is reso…

The movie didn't fare as well as its literary counterpart. Like the initial installment, this one also falls short of being very good. Perhaps that’s due to the subject matter; films with similar premises often perform exceptionally well commercially, but this film isn’t earning high marks or generating excitement. I don’t imagine anyone will find it truly awful, so it's a watchable movie, just not one people will lo…