Divergent

Divergent

Starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Jai Courtney

Directed by Neil Burger

Synopsis:
In Chicago 100 years after the war, society is governed by splitting people into one of five groups: Abnegation the selfless, Amity the peaceful, Candor the honest, Dauntless the brave, and Erudite the intelligent.  People are assigned a faction based on an aptitude test, or by choice.

Beatrice (Shailene Woodley) has a family who belongs to Abnegation, who also is the governing body, yet she's always had a desire to be Dauntless.  When she takes her test, she discovers that she's neither - she's a Divergent.  A Divergent is someone who doesn't belong to any group, and are the most feared by the people, especially the powerful leader of Erudite, Jeanine (Kate Winslet). 

To hide this potentially deadly "flaw," Beatrice joins Dauntless and falls for one its leaders, Four (Theo James).  As she struggles to hide her identity, she begins to discover more about herself and the power within her, and the ability to potentially change the world for the better - if she can survive.

Review:
I was worried at first that "Divergent" would be a weaker "Hunger Games," or worse, a "Twilight"-style love story.  Thankfully, it was neither.  "Divergent" gives us another powerful female lead in Beatrice, who is superbly performed by the talented (and seemingly underestimated) Shailene Woodley.  She brings Beatrice to life in not just a powerful female hero, but also emotionally and mentally powerful as well.

While the story seems similar to other post-apocalyptic tales (warring factions, eliminating free will, governing without emotion), "Divergent" adds a sentimental love element as well between Beatrice and Four, without making it overbearing and annoying.  The action in the film is exciting, when even a game of capture the flag can be entertaining. 

Another great aspect of the film lies with the casting.  Along with relative newcomers like Woodley and James, they throw in Oscar winner Kate Winslet as the lead villain and veteran actors such as Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney and Ray Stevenson as supporting actors who deliver tremendous performances.

There were, however, some casting that was unintentionally hilarious.  In the film, the relationship is between Woodley's Beatrice and James' Four.  However, there are two other male characters - Peter (played by Miles Teller), and Beatrice's brother Caleb (played by Ansel Elgort).  What makes this funny is that, in "The Spectacular Now," Woodley and Teller's characters are a couple, while in "Divergent" they're enemies.  And in "The Fault in Our Stars," Woodley and Elgort's characters are a couple, while in "Divergent" they're brother and sister.  It's just an odd thing and mildly detracts from the film when you think about it.

Summary:
Despite some questionable casting, "Divergent" shines in a dark world, delivering heartfelt drama and pulse-pounding action all at once.

My Rating: A-