MOVIE REVIEW: DIVERGENT




* * * *

In this post apocalyptic world the society is divided into 5 factions. 16 year old Beatrice Prior belongs to Obligation - the faction of selfless, and today she has to undergo a test that will forecast her future. It does not go so well. As the test comes back inconclusive she is now a Divergent - someone who does not fully belong to any of the five factions.
As Beatrice tries to build her future she is haunted by the fact that someone is killing off the other divergent. Will she become next?

DIVERGENT is one of those films that will always be compared to the book it is based on, for it is the book's popularity that made this film possible in the first place. It is hard to stop thinking of chapter-by-chapter comparison, especially because of the book being so cinematic, almost to the point of being a detailed script. While in my opinion the movie has ignored a few very entertaining action pieces from the original novel, it made up for it by adding some exciting changes to the ending, making it more believable and satisfying for the screen.

The illogical behaviour of the characters was always the weakest point of the book DIVERGENT, and while the revelation of the second novel had partially explained all the behavioural inconsistency, it will not sit well with modern movie making.

The other weakness of the book is the lack of detail, such as the clothing, the structures, the technology, etc… The film deals easily with all of the above. It is exciting to see on screen the world you have only imagined. As for the viewers not familiar with the novel, the film proposes a high concept entertaining thriller, focusing on a  “Hogwarts from hell” if you like, with no magic, but a lot of beatings and guns.

Shailene Woodley is great as post apocalyptic Cindirella ,transforming from plane Jane into the goddess of war and is probably the best thing about DIVERGENT. Watch what this girl does next!

Theo James, apart from his obvious great presence on screen, delivers us a very likable Four (that is his character’s nick name), but the script does not give him many challenges and his good looks certainly dominate his acting.

Kate Winslet may seem unconvincing as a charismatic "bitch from hell", there’s something lacking about her performance. But in my opinion it is very measured and done exactly right. If you stick around for the sequel you will know why.

Director Neil Burger, whose previous credits include a universally loved LIMITLESS, seems to be at ease with a futuristic coming of age story and the balance of romance and action. He also managed to believably maintain a bloodless film, considering DIVERGENT has probably the largest body count for its family rating.


For the fans of DIVERGENT - the novel there will be a few nice surprises in store. As for the uninitiated, apart from the great set up, the story may be just too predictable to fall in love with.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We'll End Up Together - Nous Finirons Ensemble (French Movie Review)

Image
10/10 Max has a sixtieth birthday coming up. The problem is he is broke, divorced and depressed. When a group of his best friends show up at his doorstep to help him celebrate, he reluctantly agrees to spend a few days with them, but won’t explain what’s going on in his personal life. When ones darkest moments come, will friendship conquer all? Seven years after the breakout success of the film Little White Lies (Les Petits Mouchoirs) comes the long anticipated sequel and it is worth the wait. The success of WE’LL END UP TOGETHER is not in its rather predictable plot, but the chemistry on screen, the characters that we recognise ourselves and our friends in, and the amazing warm atmosphere that makes one believe there’s no problem a good dinner with friends won’t sort out.  Written and directed by much loved French actor and director  Guillaume Canet this movie feels like a welcome return home to those who have seen the original and will also welcome new viewership - the film c
Read more

KOREAN MOVIE REVIEW: MEMOIR OF A MURDERER

Image
8/10 Byung-su is an elderly veterinarian who has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He has a caring daughter who does all she can to make his life easier, and a policemen friend whose name Byung-su forgets from time to time. He also goes to a poetry club (in order to keep his mind exercised) where a lonely widow makes advances at him. But there’s one thing that sets Byung-su apart from the other senior citizens of his little town – he is a serial killer.  When a new wave of killings begin Byung-su starts to suspect that a young man who is dating his daughter is the culprit. Trying to keep the remains of his memories together Byung-su writes extensive journals. But what if his memories are actually real? Losing his grip on reality he goes head to head with the new serial killer in order to protect the only life he cares about in the world – his daughter’s. Before Dexter came around Koreans had excelled in creating charismatic killers as protagonists of the films
Read more

MSFF: DEATH IN BUENOS AIRES (MUERTE EN BUENOS AIRES)

Image
3 1/2 /5 It's year 1980 and we are in Buenos Aires. The wealthy gay man is murdered  and inspector Chaves is on the case. In order to find the culprit he has to plunge into the world of gay nightclubs, drugs and sex. But what is it with the young and handsome officer Gomes, who was the first on the crime scene, and seems to place himself with ease as a mole into a gay community? Is he trying to catch the killer? Or hiding something? As suspicions arise, Chaves is haunted by the feelings he does not understand. Will the fatal attraction to a younger man help him to solve the case, or be his undoing? First time director Natalie Meta is "spot on" on the upbeat atmosphere of the 80s without too much expense. She cleverly uses the pop tunes, over-the-top clothes and many other ingredients to recreate the time. The murder mystery is secondary, and the movie is focused on the relationship between the two men, full of innuendoes and mistrust. The very simple cinema
Read more