The general consensus on the exceptionally popular E.L. James novel Fifty Shades of Grey, is that it’s a relatively absorbing narrative, but presented in a trashy, shoddily written way. So with that in mind, the feature film adaptation by Sam Taylor-Johnson should be able to focus primarily on the story, and utilise its genuine cinematic potential. Thankfully, this is exactly what transpires – making for a film that will give both pre-established fans, and newcomers, enough to warrant a trip to the cinema when this picture opens. On Valentines weekend no less… Christian Grey will hate that.

Dakota Johnson plays Anastasia Steele, an English literature student who finds herself interviewing prominent businessman Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) for her campus magazine. His deft, flirtatious approach leaves a mark on this impressionable young woman – and though intimidating and seemingly out of reach, he takes a liking to her, sending her gifts and visiting her at work. The pair soon start dating, though it becomes clear a traditional relationship is not what the billionaire is after – as he confesses to his somewhat deranged, unorthodox sexual preferences. Introducing Ana to a world of submission, she starts to wonder if she’s willing to oblige…

At its core, Fifty Shades is a traditional story of the underdog, an idealistic romantic narrative we’ve grown up watching – from the likes of Cinderella to Pretty Woman – it’s the notion of somebody affluent and prominent, falling for somebody economically, and socially inferior. Taylor-Johnson affectionately adheres to the genre conventions, though that’s not say this picture isn’t unique of its own right. I mean, it’s not everyday you can witness such a mainstream movie that features a business meeting, featuring two protagonists conversing about anal fisting. It’s not quite Disney.

Taylor-Johnson’s creative spark can only go so far however, as this feature falls into unwanted bouts of tedium, with a sense of repetitiveness. The pair have sex, then they disagree about something, then they have sex again, then they argue again, then there’s some spanking, and so on and so forth. You question if perhaps they meet too soon – as the opening scene is their initial interview, and from there on the cards are laid out on the table and there’s only so far you can go. Of course there is a duty to remain faithful to the novel, but some artistic license is not always a bad thing.

Another issue is that we focus so heavily on Ana’s journey, and thus deviate carelessly away from the more intriguing element to this tale – Christian’s sexual desires. He has this dark, elusive past that remains mostly unexplored, and yet it would be fascinating to delve into his tormented mind and see what led him down this particular path, where he wants to violently mistreat women for sexual pleasure. He’s as afraid of true love as she is of submission – creating an interesting dynamic. That being said, Ana is our entry point – and we need to see this world from her perspective, as somebody new to it all, frightened and vulnerable. Plus, Johnson completely steals the show – and while the less said about Dornan the better, she remains endearing and adorable, and most importantly, relatable.

There is no denying that Fifty Shades, for the most part, is nonsensical and absurd, but it’s undoubtedly good fun. You’ve just got to go along with this one, and you never know, you may well enjoy yourself. As Christian Grey would say himself, go in with an open mind. Now, where did I put that contract…