There’s not enough sex, the sex doesn’t accurately portray BDSM, and the characters are anti-feminist and misogynistic.
The criticism for the hit film “Fifty Shades of Grey” is wide-ranging and often on-point. But there’s one progressive scene in the movie, and it’s one of the most panned aspects of the plot: The contract laying out the boundaries of the sexual relationship between Anastasia Steele and impossibly-young-yet-wealthy Christian Grey.
Slammed as the least sexy and most boring part of the film, the contract signing highlights the difficulty of consent at a time when sexual assault is a disturbingly common occurrence.
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In an age when “yes means yes” has to be delineated by legislation — as in the case of an affirmative consent bill passed in California last year — the idea of clearly communicating limits is a step forward. That’s not to say couples need to discuss clauses before tearing open condom packets, but it does highlight a growing need for explicit understandings of sexual boundaries.
In that sense, “Fifty Shades of Grey” gets it right. And certainly, many people around the world are paying attention to this film, whether to mock or marvel. The movie grossed $248.7 million around the world this weekend, making it the biggest international opening to date for an R-rated film, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
When Steele says “no” to anal or vaginal fisting, striking those neatly from the legal document, there’s the hope that it makes conversations about sex a little easier for couples. After all, if a character in a mainstream movie can say “no” to suspension but “yes” to cable ties, then maybe real life discussions about STD histories can be a part of foreplay, too.









