Film Review | Insurgent

The internal system is broken. The shattered factions are spread-out like refugees amongst the remaining factions. Tris (Shailene Woodley), Four (Theo James), Caleb (Ansel Elgort) and Peter (Miles Teller) are in Amity trying to reboot and recuperate. But their stay is not long. Even the most patient people in their city begin to wear thin when their visitors' Dauntless instincts kick in. With Erudite elites flooding the speakers with lies and troops of Dauntless traitors continue to massacre Divergents, it’s not long until the truth must be set free.

The Story

Much like the first film, Insurgent follows the storyline of its paperback counterpart. Divergent saw us in Abnegation and Dauntless, Insurgent is set, firstly, in Amity, followed by Candor and eventually, The Factionless. We meet each faction’s head and see the way how they live and how unimportant they are to the faction system and this entire storyline.

In Amity, Tris and her band are hunted down, with a dual betrayal from two members. In Candor, some secrets spill out and Tris loses a friend. In the Factionless, more secrets are revealed. But at the end of the day, viewers are always sent back to Erudite anyway – oh, where THE BIGGEST SECRET is revealed. Now, I’m kind enough not to give spoilers, but for those of you who’ve read the book, you know exactly what it is and will either be overjoyed or overly disappointed – like me.

Overall, the story was pretty straightforward and the action was somewhat believable.

The Cast

Shailene Woodley, alright...I say this all the time about Miss Woodley, but I think I have to say it again (not that she really cares): she has no screen presence; there is nothing in this film that makes me believe her. Time and time again throughout the film her co-stars outshine her. In saying that, I do tip my hat off to Robert Schwentke, Brian Duffield, Akiva Goldsman, Mark Bomback and Woodley if having no screen presence was and is intentional in order for last two films to make sense for non-readers, but COME ON! You’re the lead of one of the most read post-apocolytic-world book series after The Hunger Games – give us something to believe, or at least like, or take you seriously as an actress.

Theo James at least is a less annoying Four than the character that was written into the series at about this time in the second book. I always felt that Four was somewhat emasculated by Tris after they finally told each other that they “loved” each other or whatever it was in the book. At least in this film, James kept his male bravado - regardless of his looks or muscular build, I mean they helped, but at least they were outshone by his acting. Four’s mummy-issues was dialled down a lot more than I remember reading, which is good and you really don’t see his daddy-issues here either. Again, my hat is tipped for Schwentke, Duffield, Goldsman and Bomback if they’re setting it up for the final films, because Four was not this dominant in the book and James was actually likable.

Miles Teller is handsdown the shining star of this film. Witty, funny and believable to the point of pity (that is, when Peter realises that Tris would spare his life if she got the chance), Teller outshone everyone, including Kate Winslet. I was more interested in his character than anyone else’s and wished Roth had given him a bigger role. Teller’s portrayal of a hated character was so on-point that Peter became my favourite character – and that says a lot because I hated him in the book. For his performance, I give Teller a standing ovation.

Kate Winslet, although she did not outshine Teller, did however steal the show for this film. Her strong screen-presence dominated the entire plot and overwhelmed all who were seated in the theatre. She was so domineering that I was on her side when the big reveal came out and was really angry about the turn of events for her character at the end. Roses all around for Miss Winslet.

Overall, like Divergent, if you liked the book, you’ll like the film. That’s all I can say. I hated the book, so I hated the film. It was really hard to say anything nice about this film, but I will say that I’m looking forward to the (unnecessary) two-part ending for Allegiant. No, not because (like the Twilight Saga) it’s about to end, but because this film has set up the finale. I’m actually curious about how the last book will be adapted considering how it was written.

Don’t know what I mean? rRead the last book. You seriously don’t even need to read the first two books now that the films have been released. You’re seriously not missing out on much.

Star Rating: ★★★

Next on sL: Cinderella

Film Review | Love, Rosie

Imagine doing life with the same person. You live on the same street; went to the same schools and even planned to move to the same country for better opportunities. It seems like a simple, everyday situation. But when something so simple is complicated by five tequila shots, it’s not hard to believe how Rosie (Lily Collins) and Alex (Sam Claflin) managed to slip from each other’s grasp.

The Story

The film is based on the originally titled novel, Where Rainbows End, written by Cecelia Ahern (P.S. I Love You). It follows the plot of two childhood friends who were meant to fall in love, but simply kept falling out of it due to a momentary lapse of the mind. Though the novel spans from childhood to their elderly years, the film condenses their life experiences to perhaps their late thirties.

What I love about the story is the emotional rollercoaster that it takes you through. Time and time again you just want to scream, “JUST SAY IT!!! TELL THEM YOU LOVE THEM!!!” Other times you just want to sit there and pat the characters on the back for moral support. The comedic elements of this film were very entertaining and added a light-heartedness to a film that is packed with almosts and what ifs.

The Cast

Lily Collins and Sam Claflin had great chemistry and complemented each other nicely. They were believable as both friends and lovers. They did a great job falling in and out of love with one another, as well as other people.

Jaime Winstone gets a special mention for her stunning performance as Rosie’s BFF, Ruby, who was the main source of comic relief. She brought a beautiful devil-may-care attitude to a film that’s packed with heart-wrenching moments.

Overall, Love, Rosie is one for the girls. Some guys might sit through it, but it’s definitely on for the girlfriends to watch together. I recommend it for anyone who’s never taken John Mayer’s advice and didn’t say “what they need to say”.

Star Rating: ★★★

Next on sL: Insurgent

Film Review | The Maze Runner

Imagine waking up in a large metal elevator and not knowing who are or where you’re going. Imagine seeing foreign faces gawk at you and not know half the things they’re talking about. Then, imagine being trapped by large walls that open and close, never knowing what’s beyond them.

Welcome to The Glade.

The Story

Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) is faced with not knowing who he is and why he’s been sent to a make shift community of boys. It’s clear that these boys have been here for a while, and the constructs of their living are bound by three rules: 1) work hard, 2) don’t hurt your fellow Glader and 3) never enter the maze. Once you’ve come to realise that the story begins at the end, you also realise that throwing a girl (Kaya Scodelario) into the mix means there’s no time to figure out male-female dynamics, but actually, she was sent as a trigger – a trigger to change the rules. The new rule stands as: find a way out or die.

Based on James Dashner’s award winning trilogy, The Maze Runner is successfully the most accurate page-to-screen film I have ever seen. But to be honest, if you’ve the read the books, then you’ll know that Dashner writes with incredible cinematic imagery that leaps from the page into your imagination. Noah Oppenheim, Grant Pierce Myers and T.S. Nowlin all deserve a standing ovation for their incredible adaptation – not to mention a great big KUDOS to Wes Ball for his incredible direction for a film of epic proportions.

If you don’t get a chance to watch the film, then read the book. Either way I recommend the trilogy for any thrill seekers out there. It’s one that will get you heart racing from start to finish.

The Cast

Dylan O’Brien brought Thomas to life perfectly. He understood the mental and emotional rollercoaster ride that Thomas goes through throughout these series. He captured the essence of his character perfectly, taking audiences through the highs and lows of entering the unknown, from finding his purpose amongst the Gladers and eventually becoming a leader by the end of the film.

Similarly Aml Ameen did a brilliant job of portraying Alby, the fearless first Glader. Again, much like O’Brien’s depiction, Ameen beautifully captured a leader whose only flaw was being confused about not knowing his past. Supported perfectly by Thomas Brodie-Sangster, who plays Newt - the Glade's second in command, we see the same camaraderie that Dashner depicted in his book. Brodie-Sangster’s played the logical Newt and Amee played the humble, yet dominant, Alby. Together with Ki Hong Lee, who plays Minho, there’s a great depiction of sound democratic eldership within the Glade. Hong Lee was also effortless in his job portraying a character who is first Thomas's mentor and eventually his equal and friend.

Will Poulter also took on the great roll as Gally – the hated Glader. Poulter understood that Gally need to be liked just as much as he needed to be hated. He was the voice of doubtful-reason and he took that job seriously enough for audience to be swayed to listen to him at times.

Blake Cooper gets a special mention for his perfect portrayal of Chuck – the comic relief and the youngest Glader. Through Cooper we see the battle between boyhood and manhood as even the youngest of the pack needs to be both protected and play his part in the community.

Kaya Scodelario did an equally believable job portraying Teresa. Although I wished there was a lot more of the telepathic uniqueness between her and Thomas that Dashner envisioned, I thought Scodelario did an amazing job portraying a scared girl in a world of boys - not to mention a scared girl in a world closed-in by gigantic moving walls and monstrous mechanic killing machines.

Special and Visual Effects

These departments receive a special mention for their amazing work on the maze. It was so real and the movements of the maze, along with the Grievers, were absolutely phenomenal. The magnitude of their dedication to creating such a large-scale maze to look realistic was undeniably mind-blowing.

Overall this is 2014’s must-see film. It’s jam-packed with thrills that will make you squeal, action that will make you heart leap, and suspense that will keep you guessing. Like I said, read the books and watch the film – it’s worth every penny.

sL Star Rating: ★★★★★

Next on sL: Love, Rosie

Film Review | The Giver

Is something ever lost if you never had it from the beginning?

In a society where the past does not matter and the now is always as it has been, memories seem insignificant; language is precise and feelings are conceptualised. Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) is at a point in his life where all of this will only be a distant memory, because only he has the privilege of accessing the past, to truly see the present, and change the future.

The Story

The Giver takes on the title of the novel it is based upon. Like many post-apocalyptic films, this film is set in a futuristic world where everyone is truly equal and communities are segregated. Although it does not have The Hunger Games’ or Divergent’s concept of differing groups functioning in different ways, The Giver has a similar thread in terms of how individuals operate in a society.

The film follows the same plot of Lois Lowry’s novel, but he only major change was the additional budding romance between the protagonist and his only female friend. There was also a slight attempt to have a love triangle, but I think that sub-plot was just to show the differing friendship dynamics when “growing up” is added to the mix.

Overall, I thought it was accurate to the book. The parts I loved in the book were all presented in the film, but be warned, although Micheal Mitnick and Robert B. Weide do an excellent job of adapting Lowry’s novel, there’s so much more to the story that were omitted to suit the 97-minute time limit. Otherwise, I thought it did the novel a great justice.

The Cast

Brenton Thwaites is one to definitely watch over the years. Another Aussie hitting up the big screens, Thwaites not only held his American accent, he also portrayed a very believable Jonas. He understood the naivety that Jonas begins his journey with and allowed himself to progress into that hunger for more as his character began to make different discoveries about the past. As Jonas grows in his ability to “see beyond,” Thwaites was able to draw you in and invite you to take that journey with Jonas.

Jeff Bridges, who plays the Giver, was incredible in his portrayal of a man burdened with the – literally – the weight of the world. You could feel his fatigue, passion and his agony over the loss of the world around him and his own personal loss too. Together with Thwaites, the bond between mentor and pupil was evident and inspiring.

Meryl Streep was as beautiful and captivating as always as she played the Chief Elder of the community. She was elegant and fearsome which is exactly how the book portrays the collective body of Elders.

Odeya Rush needs a special mention considering her character is not as central in the book as it is in the film. I love the fact that she had a delicate balance of child and adult in her portrayal of a girl who’s learning different ways of seeing life. What I loved most was that chemistry between Jonas and Fiona was not strong, because it made the film more believable – not to say that the two had no chemistry at all! Rush complimented Thwaites very well and balanced his mental discoveries with her limited physical imitations to perfection.

Overall I thought The Giver was incredibly enticing and captivating. It had a brilliant concept on the page that was well executed on the screen. I recommend reading the book prior to or after viewing the film in order to fill-in the blanks. Like I said, there was much that was omitted in order to get the main progression of the story presented on the screen.

sL Star Rating: ★★★★

Next on sL: The Maze Runner