Fifty Shades Darker- romance with a touch of Kink #movie_review

Escapism at its finest. I’m giving Fifty Shades Darker a B.
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Picking up where the first movie ended, Anastasia and Christian have broken up and she is enjoying her new job with a publishing house. But Christian can’t live without her and woos her the only way he knows how—with lavish gifts. Unable to say no to him, Anastasia and Christian get back together but with some new conditions. She wants to know more about him and the past he keeps hidden. 

​When danger stalks Ana, Christian sets out to keep her safe, but his heavy-handedness sets them up for conflict. Then there’s Mrs. Robinson who seduced Christian as a teen and set him on the path to BDSM. Played by Kim Basinger, Elena sets out to ‘warn’ Ana about Christian’s needs, but only pushes Ana to fight for him more. The outside conflict brings to light how different Christian’s life is but he’s determination to change for Ana gives her hope.

​Christian uses his money as a way to control his environment and tries to do that with Ana. What’s $24,000 between lovers? As in any relationship, give and take is needed and they try to work things out when disagreements arise, even in the case of her boss…Christian was right but Ana handled it on her own. Sadly, while Ana appears to try to hold her own and keep to her beliefs, one smoldering look from Christian and she gives in. The mixed messages they both send distracted me from the movie. I found myself wanting to rewrite some of the dialogue.

​Fifty Shades Darker is a romance with light-kink. The nudity is rampant and there’s enough sizzle to keep the easily embarrassed covering their eyes. Yet even with the danger lurking, the story ends with happily ever after as love triumphs. Fifty Shades appeals to the fans of the series and makes for a perfect girls’ night out, complete with masks. Just be sure to stay for the sneak peek during the credits for the third installment coming next year.