First review of Fifty Shades of Grey says no sex for 40 minutes

Dakota Johnson in the film adaptation of the novel Fifty Shades of Grey.

EL James fans around the world have been restlessly anticipating the release of Fifty Shades of Grey for months - but the S&M film is reportedly a bit of a slow burner.

According to one of the very first reviews, there is no sex at all for the first 40 minutes - and only 11 minutes of raunchy scenes throughout the entire two-hour movie.

Based on James' best-selling trilogy about the relationship between playboy billionaire Christian Grey and naive student Anastasia Steele, the film is expected to be a risque romp through the world of dominance and submission.

But a reviewer from The Sun said the early scenes of the movie rely more on sensuality and tension between the couple, played by Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson, rather than full-on sex.

Apparently, members of the audience were getting "restless".

However, the reviewer said little is left to the imagination when things finally do heat up: "They make every one of those 11 minutes count with boobs, bums and even a glimmer of Jamie's manhood making it on to the silver screen."

Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, the R18 film has been criticised by domestic violence campaigners in America, who have called for a boycott ahead of its official premiere at the Berlin Film Festival on Wednesday.

Three leading US cinema chains - AMC, Regal Entertainment and Cinemark - have requested that theatre-goers do not bring whips, ties, ropes or more into screenings.

Meanwhile, the film has been banned in Malaysia for being "more like pornography than a movie". Malaysia's Film Censorship Board said it contained "scenes that are not of natural sexual content".

Fifty Shades of Grey is scheduled for release on February 12 in New Zealand - just in time for Valentine's Day. Two sequels have been confirmed.

- Independent