Fifty Shades of Grey

Review by Matt Finley 

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY. It's a book. It's a film. It's a phenomenon what's strange pop cultural power extends so far beyond the work as to make objective criticism of the art itself about as relevant as a graphic design review of an enchanted sigil. 

E.L. James' breakout 2011 novel Fifty Shades of Grey began life as a randy bit of Twilight fan fiction before the author cast out the popular vampires, exorcised all traces of the supernatural, and rebuilt the story as a BDSM-inflected romance between 28-year-old business magnate/millionaire/pilot/pianist (so, way more believable than a vampire), Christian Grey, and doe-eyed 21-year-old intern candidate, Anastasia Steele.