Kink - The 51st Shade of Grey

This is just another in a line of documentaries that try to explore the world of BDSM and end up showing us a bunch of people who come off as inarticulate and surprisingly unaware of the origins of their non-mainstream proclivities, but fails to render any real insight. What we are left with are interviews with a bunch of folks who seem to be ambling through life trying to convince themselves that this lifestyle has validity, but not really buying it. There is the Gay director who fantasized about the high school football players and the Dominatrix who worries about verbalizing her lifestyle to her children and others who indulge, but come off as disingenuous to a fault and unable to articulate the true nature of this lifestyle. One would think that any director/producer worth their salt wouldn't settle for superficiality, but instead would want to dig deeper. But, then again, this is James Franco we are talking about. A walking, breathing avatar of why some actors should stay in front of the camera.

I saw Kink billed as a film about a much-maligned and misunderstood community of people into an alternate lifestyle, and thought it might have something insightful and interesting to say about people into BDSM -- and there are many such people, if the huge amount of interest in such books as 'Fifty Shades" are any indication.

I was disappointed to discover that Kink is not about that at all, but rather about the fetish porn industry - and one particular fetish porn provider: Kink.com. A company that actually has a bad reputation when it comes to safety and the handling of actors - regardless of what is said in the movie.

Soliciting the producers and directors of fetish porn for insightful and meaningful observations about BDSM is like trying to make a film about romance and sexuality featuring only the views of prostitutes. This isn't a value judgement on morals -- don't care about that. But rather an observation that if one wishes to make a film about the BDSM community, one might consider actually contacting people in that community and finding out what "real people" are doing and why, instead of going to the people doing it for money.

Very revealing was the interview with one very fetching model. When asked what she liked about doing bondage porn, she might have replied with something like: "I really enjoy BDSM, and doing in on camera adds to the thrill. Plus I get paid good money for doing it." No no, instead she replies that the challenge is in enduring the shoot, pushing herself to get through it. This is is a major clue as to the nature of fetish and bondage porn: the makers and actors, for the most part, are not personally into it. They're only in it for the money.

Unless you would be intrigued by a "behind-the-scenes" look at how kink.com makes their fetish porn videos, this is not worth watching.

This is a fascinating view of a well managed business. A widely misunderstood part of the porn industry is given a human face. Even if BDSM is not your cup of tea, Kink will expand your understanding of sexuality.

Among the fascinating details covered in this documentary are: Rules film makers and actors observe in scripting, creating and filming these films; Rules that are observed to assure actors safety and comfort; How actors are selected, hired and cast; and Differences between fantasy and reality.

Not for every viewer. For those comfortable with HBO's Real Sex, this is a must see.

Yes, it's sufficiently well-made to be watchable. Even if the subject is not particularly of your interest (it isn't mine) and you cannot relate (I cannot), it is still a good thing that such documentaries are being made and it is a good thing to be able to experience them at one's leisure.

It's not a great documentary, of course. After all, it simply records a collection of individuals doing their work and, at times, saying their piece. They don't have any "answers" and, frankly, don't need them either. But it is interesting to hear them struggle to explain themselves.

It is also good to see these young people engage as they are on an activity that not long back would have been dangerous, not pretend/consensual dangerous, but really dangerous, as in their lives could have been destroyed on a whim by the narrow-minded. Nowadays, especially the women involved, are no more than simply reluctant and this only due to the caricature that political correctness has made out of feminism. They are on their back foot, yes, but not running away.

Which reminds me, I particularly appreciated the absolute lack of politics. No lobbying, no proselytism, so suasion. This is rare.

Last, Franco has planted a flag with this work. One of a few, by now. Good for him.

I'm giving this documentary a 6. Hope it pleases a little and hurts a little.

As a sexual educator and BDSM educator and personal Dom myself, as well as a personal fan of James Franco's, I was delighted to see this movie in the library.

However when I watched it I was appalled from the beginning, and continued to be until about 2/3rds of the way through when I couldn't continue watching.

This movie can hardly be called a documentary because it is NOT educational.

Nor is it a documentary about the kink community and BDSM.

It is a documentary about a pornography company that films BDSM torture scenes.

And from the very beginning you will see the basic rules of safe, sane and consensual being broken by this company. You will watch models have things done to them that they are explicitly saying they DO NOT want done to them.

And worst of all you will be forced to watch sexual torture that you do not know you are signing up to watch and makes you feel that your own consent is being violated.

This film is nothing more than the filming of the filming of hardcore torture and rape pornography, with some commentary from the pornographers, that again is non-educational in nature, and is just their own personal thoughts and opinions and feelings and such.

The movie teaches you absolutely NOTHING about BDSM and Kink Culture, lifestyle or practices. It seems as though its main goal is to shock and appall, which it will for any sensible person who doesn't know that this is not really a documentary, so much as a filming of torture pornography...in which the people are actually being tortured since they aren't even consenting to everything that is being done.

This movie is a great disservice to the kink community. Far worse than 50 shades of grey. I never thought I would say this but shame on you James Franco.