The Giver - Movie Review

Again, WATCH AT YOUR OWN RISK - MASSIVE SPOILERS

Who's in it?

Brenton Thwaites, Odeya Rush, Meryl Streep and Jeff Bridges

What's it about?

In a Communist world that only Kim Jong-Un dreams of, every person born except 'chosen ones' can only see in black and white due to daily medication - a bid to keep "equality". As you can imagine, Jonas is that chosen one.

Any Good?

Watching this movie for the first 20-30 minutes is awful, you're just watching a badly acted and even worse scripted mirror of The Hunger Games or Divergent; then out of nowhere the movie suddenly ramps up in quality and beauty and doesn't stop.

Even from the outset the film is pretty, the high quality black and white style making a nice departure from the usual dull 3D colours, but when the "Receiver" starts to see the colour bleeding into the world, it's absolutely incredible. Subtleties like the colour of his LI's (love interest) hair or even the red of an apple is striking, and the way it continues to slowly fill in the rest of his world makes it my favourite art style since maybe even Enter The Void. 

An example of the art style

The acting in the film is just bad, it's like someone cloned Plank from Ed, Edd and Eddy and gave them roles in a movie, even Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep aren't good half the time - but with a script like this even Jaysis himself would have a hard time working a miracle of consistent acting.

I don't think I've ever gone from hating something to loving it as quick as this movie. It's story is clichéd, it's script is atrocious, and yet it's incredible. The memories given to Jonas are powerful and actually moving in context, and the bleed effect of colour in only Jonas' view are astounding and well worth a watch just for that.

This movie is that absolutely beautiful woman/man you could easily find yourself falling in love with, and then they turn out to be dumber than a rock. It's stupid, unbelievable and slow-paced, but just for the art direction I love this and recommend it wholly as a visual spectacle alone. There's also one of the most shocking scenes I've ever seen with Alexander Skarsgård - oh you'll know it.

Rating: 

That Awkward Moment - Teenage Movie Review

Who's in it? 

Zac Efron, Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan and Imogen Poots What's it about? After Mikey's wife reveals she's been cheating on him with her lawyer leading to their divorce, he makes a deal/bet with his friends to stay out of relationships and build 'rosters'.

Ridiculous photoshopping!

Any Good?

This movie is a weird one, there's no doubt it's an awful film but it's for some reason watchable with all its sexism, terrible acting and unfunny jokes. That Awkward Moment just doesn't know what it is, one moment it's a 'guys' comedy and the next a romantic love story. Out of so many unfinished plots, the worst offender had to be FORGETTING THE DAMN SETUP OF THE FILM! 

*WARNING, SPOILERS!* 

I never ever do spoilers, but it's necessary just to explain this ridiculous slip-up by the film makers. Inexplicably, out of nowhere, just a little into the movie Mikey starts sleeping with his wife again, as if forgetting aaaall about the fact she CHEATED ON HIM AND DIVORCED HIM FOR ANOTHER MAN until the end of the movie when he finds his wife's lover's coat in her closet while making thanksgiving dinner in her apartment. I mean, I understand some movies leaving a plot to be tied up later, but the whole setup of the film? You can't be serious.

*SPOILERS OVER*

The jokes were tasteless (I love Bill Burr and like some of Jim Jefferies' work, so you know it's bad if I find them tasteless)and just plain awkward. The acting was stiff and wooden even from Michael B. Jordan and a lot of the movie just... happens with no good reason except for filler and none of it fits together. This isn't even a 'college movie' like The Wolf of Wall Street was, it seemed like it was made for 8 year olds until someone slapped some curses and sex on to bump it up to 15s.

This film is a mess, but for some reason it was viewable to some degree, not enjoyable, just viewable. No way in hell it's worth the price of a ticket into the cinema, or even to rent it. I'd wait until it's on Netflix or somewhere else on the Internet instead of wasting money on it.

Rating:

The (sigh..) Eldest Gorgebag