Divergent (2014, PG-13)

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.