Review of Divergent (2014) by Lamontraymond — 21 Mar 2014
Despite the fact that the movie feels a touch long in its final third, I really enjoyed it – much more than I thought I would. (And no, I haven’t read the book.) The three leads - Kate Winslet, Shailene Woodley, Theo James – are uniformly excellent.
Typically, actors in this type of film will realize how shallow their characters are written, and they’ll mail in their performances. Not so here. Each delivers some of their finest work yet in any medium.
No joke. Because of her lot as a “divergent,” Woodley is forced to hide her true nature, which means she must act within an entirely narrow and tempered band of emotions, which can be a real test for any actor – to avoid appearing as wooden.
She does it with skill, and the audience, in turn, pulls for her. And James – whom I enjoyed in his short stint in the underrated Golden Boy – is the breakout star of this film. Like Woodley, he simmers in a low burn throughout.
Finally, Winslet does an amazing job as the heavy. If you buy into the film, you’ll enjoy it. Walk in trying to poke holes in the story and you’ll find them.
This review of Divergent (2014) was written by Lamontraymond on 21 Mar 2014.
Divergent has generally received positive reviews.
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