The tagline for the poster read "Don't miss the climax", that pretty much sums up the makers intentions, in completing what has been a silly soft-core kinkfest trilogy, based on the awful novel by E.L. James, the first film was cringe but okay, the second was only slightly better, I didn't have my hopes up for the final instalment, directed by James Foley (Glengarry Glen Ross, House of Cards). Basically young corporate executive Christian Grey (The Fall's Jamie Dornan) and Anastasia "Ana" Steele (Dakota Johnson) are now married, and enjoy an exotic honeymoon in Europe, but this is cut short and they return to Seattle after receiving news of a break-in at Christian's corporate headquarters. Some computer files were stolen, security cameras have captured the perpetrator, Ana recognises it is Jack Hyde (Eric Johnson), her former boss who was fired for sexual assault, meanwhile Ana is introduced to her new personal security team. Christian surprises Ana with a new house and has hired attractive young architect Gia Matteo (Arielle Kebbel) to rebuild it, she openly flirts with Christian in Ana's presence, Ana privately threatens to dismiss Gia if she continues the flirtatious behaviour, forcing her to stop. Christian goes away on a business trip, Ana promises to stay at home, but she disregards this and goes for a drink with her friend Kate Kavanagh (Eloise Mumford), Kate is dating Christian's younger brother Elliot (Luke Grimes), she worries their relationship is fizzling, and she is suspicious of Elliot working closely with Gia. When Ana returns home, Jack is there waiting for her, he attempts to kidnap her, he is subdued by the security and arrested, Christian returns and they have an argument, Ana berates him for being controlling and possessive, she demands more freedom. Christian surprises Ana with a trip to Aspen, bringing along her friends Kate, Elliot, his sister Mia (singer Rita Ora), and José Rodriguez (Victor Rasuk), whilst there Christian and Ana continue with their erotic sexual experimentation. But then things get complicated when Ana announces she is pregnant, Christian is deeply disturbed, he had plans for them, and is not ready to be a father, he is not ready to share his life with anyone else. Christian leaves and goes on a late-night drunken bender, the next day Ana is disheartened to find out that Christian had recently contacted Elena Lincoln, his ex-lover and former BDSM dominant. Shortly after, Jack has been released on a $500,000 bail, he calls Ana and demands a ransom of $5,000,000 in cash in two hours, he has abducted Christian's sister Mia and is threatening to kill her. Jack warns Ana to tell no one and to bring the money alone, Ana takes some cash, and a revolver she found from the house, she then goes to the ban k to withdraw the full amount. The suspicious bank manager Troy Whelan (John Emmet Tracy) calls Christian, she thinks Ana is leaving him, but then realises Jack's release and Ana's sudden large cash withdrawal coincide, Christian tells the manager to give her whatever she asks for, and races to find her. Hyde instructs Ana to get into a car parked in the alley and hand her phone to the driver to discard, Ana hands over the bank manager's phone which she took, she discovers the driver and Jack's accomplice is her co-worker Liz (Amy Price-Francis), Christian is following using Ana's phone GPS. Ana arrives at the drop-off point with the money, Hyde is now psychotic and vengeful, he attacks Ana, kicking her in the abdomen, Liz tries to stop Jack as Ana pulls out the gun and shoots him in the leg. Christian and his security team arrive, Hyde and Liz are apprehended, Ana blacks out and wakes three days later in hospital with Christian at her side. He is still angry at Ana's recklessness, and anxious about fatherhood, but Christian realises how important the baby is to her, they reconcile, and Christian's adoptive mother Grace (Marcia Gay Harden) assures him that she will not leave him. Ana returns home the following day, Christian's private investigator reports that Christian and Hyde shared the same foster family, he also blackmailed Liz into being his accomplice, Christian and Ana locate where his birth mother is buried, he lays flowers on her grave. In the end, Christian and Ana continue as a happily married couple, two years later they have a son named Teddy, and Ana is pregnant with their second child. Also starring Max Martini as Taylor, Jennifer Ehle as Carla May Wilks, Bruce Altman as Jerry Roach, Robinne Lee as Ros Bailey, Brant Daugherty as Luke Sawyer and Hiro Kanagawa as Detective Clark. Dornan returns very slightly to being dominating and possessive, but softens up eventually, and Johnson is no longer as naïve, but dips in and out of being vulnerable and determined, and Johnson is a little pantomime villain as opposed to a dangerous threat. The sex scenes are still like a softcore porn movie standard, there are the odd kinky bits with sex toys and torture that are laughable and sometimes awkward viewing, it also plays too much on the glossy glamorous millionaire lifestyle, and the subplot of the vengeful ex-boss only adds a little thrill to proceedings, I knew this final film was going to be naff or disappointing, but I had to know how it all ends, overall it is a slightly lacklustre and almost forgettable erotic romantic drama. Okay!
Review of Fifty Shades Freed
