Divergent
I’m certain that Divergent is the kind of film that, when you stand back and look at the narrative as a whole, doesn’t make much sense.
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Tag Archives: Teen
Love Like Poison
The strength of Love Like Poison lies in the simple and honest nature of the storytelling. In the quest for realism, writers Quillévéré and Mariette Désert aren’t too focussed on easy answers, so don’t expect everything to be tied in a neat bundle by the film’s end.
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I Am Number Four
The performances go a long way to making I Am Number Four watchable. Everyone performs admirably considering the less-than perfect screenplay, and even Timothy Oliphant succeeds (though only barely) in delivering some massive clunkers with commendable conviction.
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All That Glitters
Rounding out their friendship group is Audrey Lamy as Carole, their oh-so-blunt friend who works as a personal trainer and has to put up with them at their worst. Her scenes of indignation are possibly the best in the film.
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The Loved Ones
The coming of age portion of the film is so perfect that the encroachment of the central horror plot is actually a bit disappointing. Alas, this well-written and performed drama doesn’t mix at all with the horror. In fact, it almost feels like two separate films at times.
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Easy A
I cannot overstate how clever Bert V. Royal’s script is, either. The sharpness of wit coupled with the oh so contemporary understanding of the way the world works (and specifically among the younger generation) is practically unparalleled, particularly in the realm of teen comedies.
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Tomorrow, When the War Began
Beattie has indeed taken much of the dialogue straight from the books, so perhaps this is a simply a case where some more creative rewriting needed to occur in the transition from book to screen. It is such a pity that the film falters in these few moments – and they are indeed only moments – when the rest is so wonderful.
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That he has managed to retain the quintessential Australian-ness of the story while aiming to produce a film with more than local appeal is quite impressive. The use of great music by local artists for the film’s soundtrack really helps.
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The Myth of the American Sleepover
That several of his characters eventually do make the ‘right’ decisions is heartening, although this might be disappointing for those expecting this film to lay bare the consequences of misguided teenage hubris. Nonetheless, The Myth of the American Sleepover is a solid and realistic take on the rites of passage of American teens.
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The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Rest assured that Eclipse continues the franchise’s horrendous record of setting feminism back several decades. Bella Swan has no ambition whatsoever, and is only interested in being with the man/men she loves. She’s fragile and passive, and frequently needs protection from Big Strong Men.
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A single speech made by the pitiful ‘heroine’ of this piece near the end of the film can’t make up for almost three full feature-length films worth of moping and passivity. If only the most phenomenally successful text of its time could have featured a female lead worth bothering to cross the street to avoid.
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LOL (Laughing Out Loud) ®
We’re assaulted by rapid-fire scenes, introduced to a dozen teenagers – who all look the same – and witness several montages in a row. I can only assume that the producer and editor are the enemies of the slow-burn feature.
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