I walked in to the theater having never read the books and thinking that “Divergent” was just another “Hunger Games.” What a bad way to start an evening.
It would have been more accurate to compare it to “Twilight,” except it at least had Kellan Lutz. What was I thinking? “The Hunger Games” was a thousand times more entertaining, with much better performances and an actual plot that didn’t make me wish for a pillow. I mean, the lights are off, the air conditioning is on and it’s a boring movie: that says bed-time to me.
“Divergent” is about a post-war America that has broken off into five factions. At a certain age, the children take a test that dictates which faction they are best suited for. However, the children are free to choose a faction. Insert the shout out to the pretense of free will.
Tris, played by Shailene Woodley, doesn’t fit into any category and is called “Divergent”, hence the name of the film. However, she chooses the bodyguard faction called Dauntless, obviously because the movie needs to have action, and what better way than to have the main character choose a faction that does nothing but run, fight and wear tattoos shockingly well. Come on.
While in Dauntless, Tris meets a guy named Four, played by the Liam Hemsworth stand-in (lead heartthrob of “The Hunger Games”) Theo James. Yes, his name is really Four, like the number. It’s supposed to signify how many fears he has. How ridiculous. I have eight lipsticks; does that mean people will start calling me by that number?
The two had an instant connection. I think I noticed it most when he threw knives at her, or when he beat her up. I mean, he was under a mind control serum, but still. Woodley, in a recent interview stated that this love story is healthier than that of the co-dependent Bella and the obsessive Edward. Yup, this is way healthier than the “Twilight” love story. Woodley, I think you need to re-evaluate what it means to be in a healthy relationship with someone.
The setting, I will admit, was kind of cool. The future Chicago looks bleak with overflowing weeds and half demolished buildings and loose rubble everywhere. The testing building for the teens looked very different however: state-of-the-art technology and freshly leathered chairs that look like La-Z-Boys.
Dauntless housing, on the other hand, reminds me of an underground grunge club from the 80s. That’s right; the Dauntless faction lives in caves. So much for moving up in the future. The center of the housing is called “the pit” and it looks exactly like it sounds. It is the center of the action, literally. The initiates train, fight, and socialize in the pit. There are even a few celebrations/parties, especially when Tris finally makes it into Dauntless; the initiates had to physically prove, by beating up someone else, that they are capable of protecting the factions. She celebrates with a nice cold shoulder from Four. That’s true love, apparently.
The weirdest setting, I think, was Four’s room. The room itself wasn’t that weird, but the fact that he had a room, with a queen size bed and a kitchen while everyone else seemed to live in co-ed dorm style rooms just seemed out of place. It looked like a loft in Soho. I guess, they had to set up a private place where Tris and Four could make out in peace, but it didn’t match the rest of the living situation.
Stay tuned though for Ashley Judd’s character, Natalie, Tris’s mother. She will surprise you. Judd’s performance might redeem the movie at least to the point where you’re not totally bored. Granted, she is probably in the movie for like 10 minutes, and getting through the rest of the movie for these precious 10 minutes might be grueling but they are kind of worth it.
Woodley’s performance, though it didn’t kill the movie, was somewhat unimpressive. She wasn’t awkward and didn’t halt the film in any way, but it also wasn’t outstanding. She conveyed emotion when appropriate and didn’t go too far for the dramatic scenes, but there was something lacking, an oomph as it were. I think Jennifer Lawrence is safe from the threat of being de-throned as the queen of down-to-earth 20-something actresses. Then again, it’s probably not fair to compare anyone to Lawrence.
A surprising pep to the film was Zoe Kravitz as Christina. Her sarcastic quips and funny anecdotes kept me from walking out. Kravitz had just enough sass to be the perfect sidekick to the uninspiring Tris character.
The best but, less-featured character was Jeanine, the villain, played by the incomparable Kate Winslet. I know you are supposed to hate the villain, but she was my favorite character. Winslet gave an outstanding performance as always. She is the only reason to stay in the freezing, teen-infested theater. I would watch anything for Winslet’s performances; this one was a test of my affections.
The only thing divergent about this movie was Kate Winslet’s American accent. I think the biggest problem is that I walked in with high expectations and was grossly let down. The subpar acting mixed with the obvious appeal to tween audience was just too much for me. However, it wasn’t all terrible.
There were a few scenes that were really well done, and a few places where Woodley and Hemsworth — sorry I mean James — showed that they were, at the very least, better than “Twilight.” Look out for a scene in the subway that makes the film a little less clichéd, not enough to take that nauseating feeling away totally, but it will take the edge off.
The author Veronica Roth’s obvious distain for conformity was too clichéd for my taste. If you are going to make that kind of claim in a movie or book about society at large, at least make it good one or more subtle. Maybe my problem with the film is that I have never read the books and have absolutely no intention to do so. Maybe the book is stronger.
