Directors
Gus van Sant
As mentioned before, Gus has expressed an interest in the role and
made a test reel with Alex Pettyfer to prove it, so is one of the most realistic options on this list. He hasnt made any films that are directly similar, although Milks scenes between Sean Penn and James Franco may have given him a clue of what sort of thing hes working with. He may be interested in the wider context around the relationship, such as Christians business endeavours for example, which may be good to reduce the purely sexual focus of the film.
Derek Cianfrance
Another one to match with an aforementioned actor, Derek has worked with Ryan Gosling on both Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond the Pines, displaying an affinity with both the serious and romantic sides of the actor. The former, which Derek also co-wrote, shows the deconstruction of a relationship, from the happy beginnings to its turbulent end, and so shows so many aspects that would be relevant to Fifty Shades, from passionate lovemaking to raging arguments and a lot of emotional confusion. He could also add an indie feel to the film, which may prove to work better with the material than a big, glossy Hollywood production.