Fifty Shades Darker 2017

     This film is based on the second book in a series by E. L. James.  Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey had broken off their relationship and Ana’s mother is wondering why?  Ana and Christian meet again and they decide to begin again with the relationship but with differences.  They will not have any rules or any punishments.  Ana and Christian are drawing closer to each other but women from Christian’s past begin to cause them to struggle.

      It was inevitable that this book series would be filmed since the books were so popular!!  This second film seems to be more of a soap opera than the first film Fifty Shades of Grey of 2015.  It may be because more members of Christian’s family are included and there is more about the women in his past?  I think there is a very real possibility that if Christian had boring desk job with little influence and he made little money, he would not be so attractive to everyone???  Money and loads of it adds a lot of appeal!!  Ana is not as stern or as serious as Christian and she doesn’t care about his money, she’d rather give it away!!  3* (This movie is OK)    

  

118 min, Drama directed by James Foley with Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Eric Johnson, Elosie Mumford, Bella Heathcote, Rita Ora, Luke Grimes, Victor Rasuk, Max Martini, Bruce Altman, Kim Basinger, Marcia Gay Harden, Andrew Arlie, Robinne Lee, Amy Price-Francis.

Note:  Imdb 4.6 out of 10, 10% critic 49% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 2*, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 802 reviews, Rolling Stone 1.5* out of 4* review by Peter Travers, 33 out of 100 with 39 critics 3* out of 10* with 196 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  Melanie Griffith is Dakota Johnson’s mother and in the film Working Girl of 1988, Melanie says a line that Ana also says to her assistant.  “I expect you to call me Ana, I don’t expect you to fetch me coffee unless you’re getting some for yourself, and um, the rest we’ll just make up as we go along.”  Johnson and Dornan had a private conversation before some of their scenes.  Johnson would also have a glass of whiskey and Dornan would do push-ups.  Dornan worked out more and packed on more muscle for this film than the first film.  He wasn’t happy with his physique in the first film but he was cast 5 weeks before filming.  Fifty Shades Freed will be released in 2018.  The screenwriter is Niall Leonard and he is the husband of the author E. L. James.