Divergent review

Title: Divergent
Director: Neil Burger
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Zoe Kravitz, Miles Teller, Jai Courtney, Maggie Q, Ansel Elgort, Ray Stevenson, Tony Goldwyn, and Ashley Judd
Release Date: March 21, 2014
Rating: PG-13


 

The Verdict: It's unnecessarily complicated, and often quite predictable, but thanks to a unique score, sweeping cinematography, and a number of strong performances, Divergent opens its planned trilogy in excellent fashion.

7.0 out of 10.0
 
 As Tina Fey once said, "This is Hollywood, and if something kinda works, they'll just keep doing it until everybody hates it." And what's working right now is the young adult adaptation. We need only to look at the success of Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games to see that young adult films (and the books they are based upon) are all the rage at the moment in America. But in the latest young adult adaptation to hit theaters you won't find wizards, vampires, or futuristic death matches. You'll find a story that's much more simple, yet no less intriguing. A story with a message our country, and our world as a whole, needs to a hear.


 Divergent tells the tale of Beatrice "Tris" Prior (Shailene Woodley,) a sixteen year-old growing up in a futuristic Chicago that has been divided into five factions. Depending on your personality, you spend your life within Abnegation (the selfless,) Amity (the peaceful,) Candor (the honest,) Dauntless (the brave,) or Erudite (the intelligent.) When each resident of this post-apocalyptic Chicago turns sixteen, they are required to take a test that will inform them which faction is most suitable for their personality. Tris is shocked to discover that her results are "inconclusive," meaning she does not fit in to any one faction, something that is unheard of in her society. Tris is told by her test administrator Tori (Maggie Q) that she is "divergent," and warns her not to tell anyone about her test results. At the "choosing ceremony" the next day, Tris opts to leave her home, Abnegation, in favor of joining Dauntless. From that point, Tris uncovers more about her divergence, and learns that their is a sinister plot brewing in her seemingly perfect society to eliminate those who are different.

 Now, the story Divergent tells is not an overly original one. In fact, we're pretty much always sure of where the plot is headed next. Even the "twists" that occur in the third act are always fairly predictable. Divergent's characters may talk quite a lot about what it means to be "different," but the story is far from a unique one.

 At the same time, there are moments when Divergent is utterly incomprehensible. The opening thirty minutes in particular are very confusing, especially for those that aren't familiar with the book the film is based upon. The movie hardly makes an effort to make details like the faction system and aptitude test understandable.

 Fortunately, Divergent's benefits easily outweigh its flaws. To begin with, the film features a number of strong performances. Shailene Woodley perfectly captures Tris's confidence and curiosity, all the while remaining completely believable as a teenager navigating the uncharted waters of growing up. Theo James is excellent as the solemn, courageous Four who assists Tris on her journey, and Kate Winslet is wonderfully cold and calculating as the villainous Jeanine Matthews. Additionally, Jai Courtney, Maggie Q, and Ashley Judd all give superb performances as the bloodthirsty Eric, the mysterious Tori, and Tris's mother Natalie, respectively. That's not to say the entire cast is great, however. Ansel Elgort is disappointingly bland and dull as Tris's brother Caleb, and Miles Teller is utterly forgettable as the bully Peter. Fortunately, the strength of the rest of the cast manages to overshadow Elgort and Teller's uninteresting performances.

 One of director Neil Burger's best decisions in making Divergent was simply the soundtrack. In many young adult adaptations, pop songs are unnecessarily crammed into the film, even if they completely fail to match the film's tone or setting. Not so in Divergent. Every song is expertly chosen, and perfectly goes along with the film's message and Tris's surroundings. In particular, Ellie Goulding's "Beating Heart" and Woodkid's "Run Boy Run" enhance the story, rather than distract from it. 

 Additionally, the film's sweeping cinematography is wondrous to behold. We stare in awe as the camera flies above a heavily damaged, yet still recognizable Chicago, and the now famous zip line scene in which Tris soars over the city is especially thrilling.

 But finally, what really makes Divergent work is the simple message it preaches. A message that calls us to embrace our differences, both in ourselves and in others. Divergent shows us how conformity can smother human beings, and can cause people to hate what is different rather than respect it. "What makes you different makes you dangerous," reads the film's tagline. And that is indeed true in the dystopian world Tris finds herself in. But with help from her family and friends, Tris fights for a better world. A world where we respect and live alongside those that are different from us. A world we all ought to be fighting for.