After reading the novel, I recommended it to my teen daughter – who read it quickly and then consumed the two subsequent parts of the trilogy. As soon as she knew it was being made into a film, I was sworn to take her along.
So last night – after watching the pre-publicity on the TV all week, we jogged along. I hadn’t read the reviews but judging by the relatively empty cinema I don’t think it’ll match other teen blockbuster trilogies such as Twilight and The Hunger Games (both of which she also enjoyed).
But you can see the appeal for young women. The story focuses on Tris – who leaves the rather dull faction she was born into (the selfless Abnegation) - to join the much more exciting Dauntless (the brave who do the policing). So she gets to wear black, run around, jump from speeding trains, fight all day and have tattoos. But really she is divergent – not really fitting into any one faction. Isn’t that the real story of today’s youth who turn down the plastics, the geeks, the jocks and the emos?
There’s not much mention of the Amity (The Peaceful) who do all the farming. Personally, I think I’d like to be with the Candor (The Honest) – who get to say it as it is and judge everyone.
The main plot is around the Erudite (The Intelligent) planning to overthrow the present ruling class – the Abnegation, which happens to be home to Tris’s parents. But the sub-plot is about Tris conversion from subservient brunette into powerful blondish-red-head – yes, we noticed how her hair colour subtly changed through the film. And her budding romance with the strong, silent and rather handsome “Four”.
The film is relatively faithful to the book (we identified a few plot twists that were omitted) although the focus on the action means that we lost some of the depth of character and neither my daughter nor I really connected to heroine Tris or eye-candy Four. Kate Winslet plays her first baddy role as leader Jeanine – but the only villainous thing about her was her awful hair style.
As initiates, Tris has to sleep in a mixed dorm and fight with the boys. She takes a few beatings. That’s equality for you girls.
So it’s interesting rather than thrilling, but it would be a good way to spend a rainy afternoon during the Easter holidays. The film is 12A.
We gave it six out of 10.
