Fifty Shades of Grey

Student Dakota Johnson is tempted to become a submissive sex slave to dominant mogul Jamie Dornan in this antiseptic adaptation of the first part of EL James's bestselling trilogy. Stripped to linear basics by scriptwriter Kelly Marcel (Saving Mr Banks) under slick if mannered direction by Sam Taylor-Johnson (Nowhere Boy), the pop culture phenomenon is revealed, beneath its bondage shackles, to be a straightforward soap opera romance. Those after titillation must look elsewhere because the tame kinkiness is fleeting, the nudity doggedly softcore and the S&M more M&S than anything edgily erotic. One discussion held in an office, about what both want to do in bed, is about as pervy as it gets. Humour does emerge from the early assignations as Johnson learns the ropes but when the time comes to test sexual limits, high camp moves in and all other purpose - whether serious or erotic - moves out.