Fifty Shades Freed (2018)

Directed by: James Foley | 105 minutes | drama, romance | Actors: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Eric Johnson, Eloise Mumford, Rita Ora, Luke Grimes, Victor Rasuk, Max Martini, Jennifer Ehle, Marcia Gay Harden, Bruce Altman, Arielle Kebbel, Callum Keith Rennie, Robinne Lee, Brant Daugherty, Andrew Airlie, Amy Price-Francis, Fay Masterson

Writer EL James has become very wealthy with the ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ series. Although the British had never expected that. According to James, the erotic trilogy is a reflection of her own midlife crisis, but greatly magnified. “All my fantasies are in it, and that’s it.” Hundreds of thousands of women around the world recognized those fantasies, because the ‘Fifty Shades’ books sold like hot cakes. After finishing the trilogy, written from the perspective of the female lead character Anastasia Steele, she decided to re-release the stories, but from the point of view of her male counterpart, Christian Grey. Of course there had to be a film version as well, and although ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ (2015) was completely slammed by the international film press, the (mainly female) audience managed to find the cinema hall en masse. The first film in the trilogy grossed $571 million. The second film, ‘Fifty Shades Darker’ (2017) made an additional $381 million. Because even though the story is very small and the erotic scenes are not nearly as exciting or ‘kinky’ as they probably want to be, fans are more than happy to be seduced by a couple of beautiful people who linger around each other in a lavish environment. and dive into the suitcase together every once in a while.

Where the first two films already had little to say (!), the end of the trilogy, ‘Fifty Shades Freed’ (2018), is even more boring. In a quick cut, we see Anastasia (Dakota Johnson) and Christian (Jamie Dornan) having a fairytale wedding day; in an equally fleeting next scene, we see them enjoying their honeymoon on the sun-drenched Côte d’Azur. Of course they flew there on one of Christian’s private jets. There seems to be no problem, until it turns out that the luxurious villa of the Grays has been broken into. Back in Seattle earlier than planned, Ana goes back to work. Without her having to do anything, the publishing house where she works promoted her. This probably has to do with the fact that her former boss Jack Hyde (Eric Johnson, in a caricatural villain role) was fired in the previous part because he couldn’t keep his hands to himself. Christian doesn’t like Ana to work, but his wife won’t let herself be told what she can or can’t do. This costs her dearly, because when Christian is on business across the country on business and she goes out with her friend against his wishes, she is overpowered by Jack when she returns home. Fortunately, her two bodyguards are standing by to rescue her, but Jack won’t be put off just like that. Meanwhile, Ana’s desire to have children seems to stand between her and Christian; he is as yet unwilling to share it, even with their own flesh and blood.

‘Fifty Shades Freed’ has a handful of intrigues that are so poorly developed that they are hardly intriguing. Jack Hyde tries to attack Ana several times, but is pushed aside with equal ease. The marital tensions surrounding her desire to have children are very small. The back story we get about Christian is marginal and uninteresting. If the sex scenes were still exciting… But alas. Everything is done very dutifully. Christian has less and less need for his ‘Play Room’ with BDSM attributes and opts for the more well-behaved work. A scene in a vacation home in Aspen, where the couple stays with friends and where a sleepless night is brightened up with a tub of vanilla ice cream, comes closest to spicy. Dakota Johnson tries to make the most of it by adding a touch of humor to her role, but Jamie Dornan seems mostly tense; like he doesn’t enjoy his job at all. There is hardly any chemistry between the two, while that must be a crucial aspect in a film like this. Beautiful people alone are not enough; we need to watch the sparks fly off the screen. But that is absolutely not the case here. It also hurts to see a great actress like Marcia Gay Harden – a woman who has won an Oscar for her supporting role in ‘Pollock’ (2000) and earned a nomination for her contribution in the fantastic ‘Mystic River’ (2003) – seen here languishing in a tiny part as Mother Grey…

What we do see are commercial-like settings: the fastest cars, most expensive houses, sleekest interiors, lavish clothing and everything mounted as smooth as a mirror. Beautiful people who immerse themselves in the greatest wealth: superficiality at its best. A story that is not only unbelievable, but also wafer thin and deadly boring. Moments that should be exciting or exciting are not. The two protagonists have hardly any chemistry and Dornan in particular does not radiate any passion. Director James Foley once made top films such as ‘At Close Range’ (1986) and ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’ (1992), but here squanders his reputation with a saltless nothing. Fortunately, the trilogy has finally come to an end.