When we come to Divergent, we find yet another example for the book-to-film debate. Bear in mind, my argument isn't meant to advocate illiteracy in any form. I believe reading is an excellent hobby. Everyone should learn to read, and have books that they love. My personal favorites is Still Me by Christopher Reeve or Nothing Lasts Forever by Roderick Thorp. But getting back on track, my personal belief is that someone should not have to read the source material in order to fully understand a movie. If you want to include little nods to the book such as the S.Q.U.I.D. program in Watchmen, that's fine. But if you expect your entire audience to have read the book, you're only making half a movie. That unfortunately, is the end result of Divergent.
In the the dystopian future, about 100 years after an apparent apocalyptic war, society has been split into five factions. Upon coming of age, teenagers are tested to see which faction their personality is best suited for, and then must chose which to join for life. Beatrice Prior finds her test results mean she is Divergent, not belonging to any of the factions. When she chooses the Dauntless faction, the leadership is determined to test her limits. Meanwhile, something is brewing within the powers that be.
By it's very definition, the word Divergent means to be different. Ironically, the film is magnificently derivative. Comparisons to The Hunger Games are inevitable, and fully justified. The very premise is almost mirrored. A young woman living in a dystopian, divided, post war society is forced to make a decision and then fight for survival. Not only does it reek of The Hunger Games, it is derivative of Rudy, Mulan, Elysium, Avatar, even a splash of Pacific Rim, frankly so many that I lost track while watching. There's nothing completely original here.
Setting aside the complete lack of an independent tone, the characters (sans Beatrice) are remarkably flat. They aren't fleshed out whatsoever, giving us no reason to emotionally invest in what happens. Nor is there any reason to expect satisfying payoff. No one really tries to convince us that these are more than stock characters ripped out of a personality test results sheet.
The plot itself is also very flimsy. I don't mean in terms of lacking a coherent story, I mean that it takes its sweet time getting to any sort of next step. It's painstakingly drawn out to the point of exhaustion. The interesting aspects of the story such as the actual "Divergent" plot thread aren't revisited until towards the end of the second act, leaving very little reason to hang on. I don't know if that is how the book is played out, but as I've pointed out, I shouldn't have to.
Shailene Woodley, as I said in my review of The Descendants about 2 years ago, has some fantastic acting chops. For the most part, she carries any remote sense of interest in the story. Almost to the level of Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss, her character of Beatrice is a strong willed, fully developed woman. She is completely immersed in the world of her character which makes her carry more weight than anyone else in the film.
Apart from her, nearly every single other performance falls flat. Including Theo James, Kate Winslet, Maggie Q, Miles Teller, etc. They feel nearly emotionless, reading a script for money, no investment in the story. It is almost as if they signed on for the film because they wanted a franchise.
There are however, two small exceptions.
Jai Courtney, while also flat and nearly emotionless, fits his character beautifully. The stern ruthlessness that he exhibits upon his recruits feels natural. I'm not sure if it's good acting or good casting, but something about his character just feels right. Also Ray Stevenson, who normally plays dark, brooding "Punishers", blends his type into something different. Despite his short amount of screen time, the multi-faced complexities we see carry a remarkable amount of weight.
To sum it up, Divergent squanders an impressive cast, and tells a story that reeks of stolen plots from other movies. I'm sure fans of the book will be appeased, as will action fans, but otherwise steer clear and wait for the Redbox.
C
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