Now
that I’ve gotten my butt in gear re: the
Divergent books, it’s time to do the
same for the film, so I’ll be ready when Insurgent
hits theaters. My overall impression on
this adaptation is that it’s uneven, but it has potential. The design is stylish and ambitious, there’s
some fine acting to be had, and the film improves on the book in places while
it lets it down in others.
Quick
plot recap: post-apocalyptic dystopian
society divided into five factions.
16-year-olds take a test meant to show them which faction they’re best
suited for, but when Abnegation member Tris takes the test, she finds out she’s
part of the undesirable Divergent, who are immune to simulations and don’t fit
into a single faction. If you’re into
screwed-up social schisms, conspiracies, identity crises, and teenage girls
learning how to kick butt and become heroes, then this movie wants you to watch
it.
First
props go to the look of the film. The
emblematic colors worn by each faction come across well onscreen and nice
differentiations are made between, for example the sleek, high-tech headquarters
of the Erudite and the simple, spartan homes of the Abnegation. Whatever effects went into making Chicago
look like a post-apocalyptic city of the future while still being visibly
Chicago are also impressive.
When it
comes to adapting the book, there are pros and cons. Supporting characters get the short shrift,
as they often do in these kinds of films, and generally, there’s far less focus
on any of the characters’ inner lives. I
know it’s harder to convey someone’s thoughts onscreen, but there’s so much
that’s stripped away here: the way Tris
wrestles with her choosing, most of Al’s entire plot, and the reasoning behind
Tris’s first tattoo are a just a few of the more internal aspects that don’t
get their fair shake. Additionally, we see
more of Tris being handed information rather than figuring it out for herself –
again, I get that this is harder to show, but it makes her look less clever
than she is. On the other hand, some of
the little details added are very fitting (Dauntless would totally use darts that briefly simulate actual gunshot wounds
instead of paintballs.) That, and the
scene of Tris and Four in his fear landscape, as well as Tris in her own, is a
major improvement on the book. While
reading, I kept wanting to shout, “The people who want to kill Divergents are
watching – stop solving things like a Divergent would!!!” and was even more
annoyed when absolutely nothing came of it, so I’m glad the movie addresses
that.
Shailene
Woodley (best known to me from The
Descendants) does a nice job with Tris.
She’s a tough but overwhelmed girl digging deep to find her own bravery. Among the other young cast, Miles Teller
(Andrew from Whiplash) and Ben
Lloyd-Hughes (who had a small part in the first generation of Skins) are noteworthy as Peter and
Will. Teller is perfectly punchable as
the awful Peter, and Lloyd-Hughes makes Will an intelligent bookworm without
being nebbish or overly pedantic. As for
the grown-ups, Kate Winslet captures Jeanine’s icy observation, and Maggie Q
(Nikita!) was actually the main impetus for me to read the books and see the
movie – my only complaint about her Tori is that I want more of her.
Warnings
Violence,
brief sexual content, and strong thematic elements.
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