[Trailer Talk...] Divergent

Divergent is a film I have been waiting for for a while.

This film is the start of  a new franchise, based on the bestselling books by, 25 year old, Veronica Roth. Set in a world divided by factions, it is important that you fit in. At age 16 all citizens must take a test to decide in which faction they belong: Erudite (Intelligence), Amity (Peaceful), Abnegation (Selflessness), Candor (Honesty) or Dauntless (Bravery). After taking the test you are placed into that faction and you cannot leave to go back to your family and you cannot fail initiation or you will become 'Factionless'. However not everybody who takes the test can be placed into a single faction; they might fit into 2 or 3. These people are known as Divergent.

Divergent follows the story of a young girl named Tris who discovers she is divergent and is forced to choose a faction and hide her secret from the rest of the world. She teams up with her mysterious trainer, Four, to find out what makes Divergents so dangerous and why they're being hunted out before it becomes too late.

The film stars some of my favourite upcoming stars including Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort and Miles Teller. British actor Theo James plays the role of Four and Kate Winslet plays the leading role of Erudite leader Jeanine.

I know that after Harry Potter we've see a lot of books made into film over the past few years including Twilight and The Hunger Games but after reading the series I really am excited to see the books come alive on the big screen. It has also been directed by Neil Burger, director of Limitless which is safely a favourite of mine so this adds to my excitement! I can't wait to see how this turns out!!

Frozen (2013)

Frozen, 2013. Film. Directed by Chris BUCK & Jennifer LEE.
USA: Disney

I don’t normally review animated films however after Frozen’s triumph at the Academy Awards this week I just had to share my point of view.

Frozen is an animated comedy inspired by Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale The Snow Queen. It is a funny and exciting adventure based on two sisters, Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel) who are young princesses living in a castle in Arendelle. The problem is Elsa has dangerous icy powers that have led to her being isolated from the rest of the kingdom and her little sister. When Elsa comes of age, it is her turn to become Queen however certain events lead to Elsa’s secret getting out and she flees to the mountains leaving the entire kingdom trapped in an eternal winter. Being a fearless optimist, Anna teams up with ice salesman, Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) and his reindeer Sven to navigate the snowy mountain range in order to persuade her sister to bring back summer. Meanwhile, the team bump into Olaf (Josh Gad); a cheerful snowman that longs to enjoy summer, comically oblivious to the disastrous effects it would have on him. This character is fantastic and undeniably hilarious however he is not actually present at all until the half-way point. At first this frustrated me a little bit because he is what makes the film so funny however, on watching it a second time; all the main characters are just as loveable.

Nothing about Frozen seems particularly formulaic which is refreshing in a Disney animation. Similar to the plot of Brave where the mother-daughter bond fuelled the movie, this story is driven by the love Anna has for her older sister.  It teaches the younger audience that true love doesn’t have to involve a prince. It can be found between sisters. This is not the only refreshing moment of the film. There is a very comical moment when Anna runs up to Elsa to announce that she is going to marry a prince that she has only just met and Elsa refuses to give her blessing stating “You can’t marry a man you’ve just met!”. This is later reinforced repeatedly by the character Kristoff, suggesting that true love is not something that happens in one day. Having grown up surrounded by films perpetuating Disney’s Prince Charming/true love ideology, this is something I think is excellent.

During the film there are eight original songs writer by Robert Lopez and his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez. All of the songs are perfect, meaningful and qualifies this animation and a full-blown musical. (I’m sure we can expect a future Broadway adaption!)

Frozen is a film with plenty of laughs and an emotionally gripping plot. Visually, the animation is beautiful with its snowy mountains and ice palaces.  It is a rare example of a Walt Disney animation that reaches the same emotional level as a Pixar film that, I believe, thoroughly deserved 2 Oscars. I’d recommend it to everyone.

The Spectacular Now (2013)

The Spectacular Now, 2013. Film. Directed by James PONSOLDT.
USA: A24

The Spectacular Now is an American coming of age movie directed by James Ponsoldt and based on the book of the same name by Tom Tharp. I haven’t read the book myself however, when I saw the film was from the writers of (500) Days of Summer I just had to give it a watch.

This movie is about two 18 year olds, Sutter (Miles Teller) and Aimee (Shailene Woodley), who are in their senior year at high school. This could easily be your average teen movie packed with clichés and characters crippled by irony but surprisingly it isn’t. Being a 19 year old I have watched a LOT of coming of age movies and for me this was a rare one. Sure it involves parties, prom, sex and alcohol but all of these themes are handled respectfully and never insults the characters by treating them cheaply.  Both characters appear very real. They are both very clever but both make silly mistakes. They both appear confident on the outside but both are concealing weaknesses on the inside.

Sutter, the boy, likes to live in the moment. He likes to have a laugh, go to parties, drink and generally have a good time. He works hard but he is very naïve when it comes to thinking about his future. Aimee is a dreamer. She is a sweet, selfless and hard working girl working towards getting into college and looking forward to a successful and happy future. When Sutter wakes up one morning, sprawled across an unknown front lawn, he meets Aimee who recognises him from school. From this moment on, the film continues in a naturalistic tone, following the two characters as they get to know each other, hanging out and just truly enjoying each other’s company. The film then develops further when the two characters reach an intent state when they want to help each other with their weaknesses. Sutter wants Aimee to stand up to her mom; Aimee wants Sutter to find out more about his dad. This is what the movie is building up to. It’s nothing really exciting however it is where we really get to understand the lives of the protagonists.

The Spectacular Now is refreshing film. It has such a strong sense of realism you just don’t see in many teen movies. Whilst the novel is set in Oklahoma, the director chose to shoot the film in his hometown of Athens, Georgia to create a college town, suburban atmosphere for the movie. I believe this has really contributed to the personal feel that makes the film so different from other coming of age movies. The film also respects the characters in such a way that makes you care about them and understand them both together as a couple and as individuals. Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley are perfect. They both look, speak and feel like real high school seniors. Teller’s Sutter expresses confidence in such a down to earth, loveable way you can’t help but smile and Woodley’s Aimee is truly beautiful inside and out but in a very real sort of way. She is full of concern for others, love and warm smiles. By the end of the film you feel like you know them. You’ve made it through high school with them and you truly care about what happens next.

Recommend to: Fans of the cast

                           Anyone looking for a heart-warming film with a very real feel to it