Fifty Shades Etc.

Well, I'm guessing I was just about the last person to find out about Fifty Shades of Grey - and if you don't know what I'm talking about then I guess you are the last person to find out.  This blog entry is devoted to sharing my general notes on both the book and the potential casting for this movie.  I don't think I have any spoilers in mind so you should be safe. I've also only read book one of the trilogy thus far so there may be a future edit to my opinions.

First - the book.  Is this a Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius? Um, no.  But is it meant to be? Um, no.  Let's face it - this started as Twilight fan-fiction and while Twilight was not the brightest crayon in the box (literary-wise) it still prompted a mega movie deal and millions of screaming teenagers to the theaters lusting after Pattinson and KStew (Edward and Bella, of course).  Heck, I read the books practically in one sitting and I'm a 31 year old adult.  E.L. James has never claimed to be a great author, nor did she expect the series to explode like this (otherwise, she may well have taken a closer look at the editing).  The fact is - the books share a common theme: forbidden love.  These novels get millions of readers and millions of fans because everyone (of the female gender), pretty much without exception, wants to be pursued, protected and the recipient of obsessive, all-consuming love.  Right?  I mean who doesn't want a billionaire to sweep them off their feet? Who doesn't want an eternity of true love with a sexy vampire suitor? I argue: No One.  Hence - literary success. 

James' work of fiction has been called many things.  My favorite is "mommy porn" - what the heck is that anyway?  As this started as Twilight fan-fiction, there are many resemblances in the theme and character organization to the Twilight novels.  Aside from that however - Fifty Shades is a complete departure from from YA Fiction.  Obviously James wrote this for readers in the "adult" fiction world (i.e. for the audience that read Twilight and wanted Edward and Bella to get it on in the first chapter - come on already!) Many critics have focused their attention on the more, er, porno graphic elements of the novel.  Libraries taking the book of the shelf? Puh-lease.  It's what we, in America, call freedom of speech.  If you don't want to read about an innocent girl being tied up and flogged by a sexy billionaire, then don't read the book.  Simple.  The over-riding theme isn't necessarily focused on the BDSM aspects of the novel anyway - but that's my general take so far.  The only area James failed miserably?  Use of language.  She's written a very adult novel with cringe-worthy, twelve year old-like descriptors.  Ugh.  I'm not sure if she was playing to Anastasia's innocence or what, but the childishness and repetitiveness of "Double Crap!" "my sex" and others made me want to pick up the phone, call her up and say, "Really?"  I got the sense she wanted to write the adult scenes but was embarrassed at the same time. That's the kind of thing where you just have to dive in headfirst - commit to the grit!

Which leads me to: the movie.  What kind of rating are they going to assign to this thing anyway?  NC-17?  If the movie studios back off the grittiness of it all, I'm not sure how well it's going to do.  Then again, thinking about sitting in a theater with 200 of your closest friends watching some of these scenes could be, er, uncomfortable.  Not first date material at all. 

Ah, yes, and casting.  I know this novel was written with Pattinson and KStew in mind - but I think casting them would be doing a complete disservice to the novels and Twilight.  I. Will. Not. Watch. Come on movie studio - Get. It. Right.

So here are my casting thoughts:

Christian Grey

(a tough one as there are several qualified candidates):



Ian Somerhalder

Colin Egglesfield

Ryan Gosling

Alexander Scarsgard

Anastasia Steele

Emma Watson

Alexis Bledel

Jennifer Lawrence

Who are your picks?

And there you have it friends.  This concludes my current thoughts on Fifty Shades.  All I can say is, for myself, when I closed the first book I wanted to know what the outcome would be. Obviously I am entertained by the novel (as millions of others were) or I would not have devoted an entire blog post this ridiculously long to it.  Know what you are getting in to reading, understand it's not meant to be literary perfection and enjoy the fun of it all is what I say. 

Go forth and read.