Should you watch this at weekday movie prices? Yes.
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? If you’re prepped for the genre, sure.
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 139 minutes (~ 2.5 hours)
(Image from Wikipedia)
“Divergent” is a science fiction movie set in a dystopian world where humans follow a caste system based on their personalities – and those who cannot be so easily classified are termed “Divergent” and hunted down. The movie stars Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Maggie Q, and Kate Winslett.
I liked it, but then, I didn’t take it too seriously. The movie straddles the very fine line of adhering to the usual tropes and cliches of its genre, but does it with a slightly tongue-in-cheek, over-the-top style – resulting in a movie that is one huge metaphor for puberty. I enjoyed it both as a minor and as an adult. I haven’t read the book yet.
So why is it worth watching?
(Image from Divergent Wiki)
Huge puberty metaphor
I think the trailer already gives it way, but – trying to classify people into neat cookie cutter stereotypes? I don’t think anyone liked being given such labels when they were younger, but that’s exactly what happened when we were growing up right? The endless tests (academia) we were subjected to – in hindsight, didn’t all that studying fail us in the real world?
And when the main characters Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) go into Four’s mind together – that was one big sexual metaphor, coupled with the actual act. What better way to signify that Tris has passed the tests and grown up by a figurative and literal deflowering of her innocence?
I liked this puberty metaphor, and how it just kept building on itself to make the movie one big Bildungsroman in hindsight.
Pretty people
Everyone is good looking in the film. Extras, senior citizens, villains – you name it, they’re pretty. Or handsome. It’s very easy on the eyes.
(Image from International Business Times)
Act Three’s action set piece
Once the movie moves into Act Three, the whole tone shifts. Gone are the soft sunset shots or the repeated flashbacks to Tris getting her hair cut. It becomes a straight out action flick – and it doesn’t disappoint, surprisingly.
And the trains! Almost every other stunt involves jumping on and off a train. It might sound repetitive, but they manage to find enough variation with their train action sequences that it is quite interesting to watch.
The tone shifts abruptly from Act Two to Act Three
It goes from chick flick to action movie. It’s a bit jarring, but since I like action, it’s a plus.
(Image from Shepherd Project)
But I wouldn’t recommend watching this movie on weekends, because…
The lead performances are wooden
Shailene Woodley spends too much of Act One and Act Two keeping her eyes as wide and large as possible, and not actually emoting – until Act Three, where she’s focusing on her action sequences and actually cedes control of her facial expressions. Ironically, this results in a more nuanced performance. But in Act One & Two… her range is very limited.
The same goes for Theo James, without the excessive effort to keep his eyes wide open. It’s only when he’s concentrating on fighting something or someone that his performance becomes more interesting to watch.
It’s unclear what is at stake
What happens if Tris fails the test? Yes, she becomes a social outcast – but doesn’t Abnegation do a great job of taking care of the homeless? Isn’t her family supportive, and Abnegation to boot?
I know the conflict at the end has the lives of the council members at stake, but you don’t know that for the first two Acts. You only know that Tris has to pass the Dauntless test. And that just isn’t enough of a threat for me to really want her to pass the test. What has she got to lose?
(Image from Rope of Silicon)
Tris (Shailene Woodley) undergoes a test administered by Tori (Maggie Q)
Contrived love scenes
It’s like they’re firing one-liners at each other in a battle to see who utters the cheesiest line! I really couldn’t stomach my laughter at the terribly awkward romance written in. It feels like the writer doesn’t have a clue how love operates.
Faction names are inaudible
Seriously, if you miss the scene where they explicitly show you how the faction names are spelt, you might not actually know what the words are for the rest of the movie. The problem with the faction names is that they are multi-syllabic, uncommon words – good on the eyes, but not easily identifiable for the ears.
(Image from Chicago Now)
Four (Theo James) trains Trist (Shailene Woodley)
Generally speaking, “Divergent” is a chick flick that put on a sci-fi blazer. You can see what’s really at the heart of it – but then, if you’re a visual person, the sci-fi is more than enough to appeal. Go watch it next week!
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