movies

Divergent: Great movie — just not as good as the book

Posted on March 28, 2014 by CharlieClaywell

Although I was pulled into teen action books like Divergent and Hunger Games because I have a teen daughter, I have been impressed at how well crafted the stories are — and how they address deep issues.

Divergent, by Veronica Roth, gets straight to the problem of societal norms and values when main character Beatrice is preparing for the Choosing Ceremony.

For those who have not read the book or watched the movie, in the story humankind is recovering from a near meltdown and to maintain peace, everyone is placed in one of five factions: Amity, Candor, Dauntless, Erudite and Abnegation. Beatrice and her brother Caleb are at the age of reckoning and must take a fear simulation test to help them decide which faction to join.

Once the test results are revealed, they are still free to choose whichever faction they want — but most people choose the faction suggested by the results. The problem for Beatrice — her test results are inconclusive — a very rare occurrence that only happens only to a few: the divergent.

But in a society where it’s “faction over blood,” this presents a deadly problem that may get her killed.

Both Caleb and Beatrice make unexpected choices at the Ceremony rejecting their native Abnegation and leaving their parents behind. The story then follows as Beatrice — who shortens her name to Tris — goes through the initiation process in the Dauntless faction. This faction’s original role was to defend the city, but like all ideals it has disintegrated into something less noble.

One of the inherent problems with creating a movie based on a book is staying true to the original story. Whereas overall, the movie follows the book, it does fail in a few points. One of its most critical flaws is it fails to fully develop the budding friendship of Al, Tris, Will and Christina. These four initiates from various factions bond over the common misery that the basic-camp type initiation process puts them through. The process also brings out the evil side of Tris’ nemesis Peter. Peter’s violent ways are toned down significantly in the movie — probably to garner the PG-13 rating.

Despite the deviation from the book, the movie does push forward the problems of survival and conformity in a dsytopian society. The movie is action-packed and well executed with strong performanace from Tris (Shailene Woodley) and her instructor Four (Theo James). The toned-down fight scenes are still powerful enough and the fearless, almost reckless mindset of the Dauntless faction is portrayed well on screen. Kate Winslet performance of a sick, twisted power-hungry leader is flawless.

Book Rating 4.5 out of 5
The book develops the ideals of the factions in greater detail and also goes into more depth about Tris’ background as an Abnegation child.

Movie: 4 out of 5
Fast-paced story with strong performances, but movie fails to accurately develop important characters like Eric, Al and Peter.

Divergent is the first of three books in the series by author Veronica Roth.

Categories: Books I have read, movies

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas forces you to pause

Posted on March 26, 2014 by CharlieClaywell

Political ideology loses its merit when viewed through the innocent eyes of eight-year-old children. In The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, you quickly understand how depravity escalates when good people simply ‘follow orders.’

Boy in the Striped Pajamas

The story is set in Nazi Germany and the main character is the 8-year-old son of an ‘important soldier.’ The boy, Bruno (played by Asa Butterfield), finds his world turned upside down when his father receives a promotion. The promotion means uprooting the family from its fine Berlin home — forcing Bruno to leave behind his friends — as they head to the countryside. Although, the boy is slow to figure out what his father does, the audience quickly realizes the father has been given command of a concentration camp.

Bruno loves to read adventure books and wants to be an explorer. His need to explore puts him on the outside of the concentration camp fence where he befriends an 8-year-old Jewish boy, Shmuel, living inside the camp wearing ‘striped pajamas.’

While their friendship grows, Bruno is also being schooled in antisemitism by the family-hired tutor, but Bruno’s humanity wins out as he is soon bringing Shmuel cookies and bread to eat.

As the movie nears its end, the young Jewish boy’s father turns up missing — just like his grandparents did — and the innocent, adventure-seeking Bruno offers to help the boy find his dad.

Bruno’s mother, played by Vera Farmiga, is the moral compass in the story. She knows the stakes are high as she struggles to accept the work her husband does for ‘the good of the country.’ Once Bruno’s mother, though, realizes the odor from the camp’s smoke is burning bodies, she convinces her husband to let the children and her move away since “it is not the place the raise children.”

The father agrees to the request, but tragically it’s too late.

Besides Bruno and his mother’s powerful roles, Lieutenant Kotler (Rupert Friend) serves as a reminder of how some men — filled with nationalism, youthful trust and naiveté — can turn evil when given too much power.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Rated PG-13 for violence, language. You can find this movie on Netflix or at your local video store.

Categories: movies

The Way, Way Back is A Must See DVD

Posted on March 14, 2014 by CharlieClaywell

Review of latest cable offering: The Way, Way Back

The Way, Way Back delves into the familiar territory of coming-of-age stories, but with its highly-talented cast and well-written script — it does what so few do anymore — it entertains.

The mood of the story is instantly set when Trent, played by Steve Carell, asks Duncan (Liam James) — the teenage son of the woman Trent is dating — how he would rate himself on a scale of 1-10. Duncan is relunctant to answer, but when Trent refuses to let the subject go Duncan finally says six — to which Trent responds, I see you as a three.

With that they continue their drive to Trent’s beach house where Duncan is exposed to two new experiences. The first is the adolescent behavior of the adults in his life and the second — the adultlike wisdom of the manager at the local water park where Duncan is given a job (and finds acceptance). Even though the water park manager has held on to his youthful ways a little too long, he is exactly what Duncan needs — and through his humor and friendship he helps Duncan find his way in the world.

Although, The Way, Way Back is a feel-good movie, it has enough drama to keep it balanced and with its steady supply of humor you keep smiling as Duncan finds his way through the pain of growing up as an awkward kid.

Rated PG-13 for language.