By Jodie Ng, News Correspondent
Based on the worldwide best seller by author Veronica Roth, “Divergent,” is among the latest literary franchises to be adapted into a motion picture, directed by Neil Burger. The film follows the roller-coaster adventure of Beatrice Prior, also known as Tris — played by Shailene Woodley —who is forced to decide between staying with her Abnegation family and being true to herself.
In a futuristic dystopia, society is segregated into five factions where each represents a different virtue — Candor for the honest, Amity for the kind, Erudite for the intelligent, Abnegation for the selfless and Dauntless for the brave. Those whose mind cannot conform to one mere faction cannot be controlled. They are divergent.
Every year, all of the 16-year olds undergo an aptitude test that helps determine which faction they truly belong to. Tori — a Dauntless member played by Margaret Quigley — administers Tris’ test and discovers she is among the rare population who are divergent. When the moment comes for Tris to make her choice at the Choosing Ceremony, she makes a choice that leads her down a journey that she could have never anticipated.
Faction leaders, such as Max — played by Mekhi Phifer – want their members to think and behave a certain way. The minds of Divergents, however, cannot be confined to a sole way of thinking. The enigmatic Four, who is played by Theo James, teaches Tris how to hide her divergence to ensure her safety.
Beatrice looks to Tori for advice and guidance, but Tori understands the dangers of being divergent as it promises a certain death. Quigley, more famously known as Maggie Q, explained why this role was different for her compared to her previous body of work, specifically her role in “Nikita.”
“I played a mentor on my show [‘Nikita’], but I was the mentor that was willing and able and eager while my student was a little resistant to it,” Quigley said. “This is the opposite. I’m the unwilling mentor trying to get information and I’m like ‘I just do tattoos. Get out.’”
Both Quigley and Phifer are only beginning to explore their characters, establishing who they are for “Insurgent,” the next movie in the series.
“I like that Max is a leader. What I like most about him is an unknown,” Phifer said. “There’s an X-factor because I have to see where they go and where they take him and that’s kind of what I like is exploring the unknown with who Max is and is going to be.”
For those who have not read the book, Woodley, an up-and-coming actress, was not who many fans envisioned in the role of Tris. According to Quigley, Beatrice is a young and complex character; two attributes that don’t necessarily go together, but Woodley’s personality is fitting for the role.
“She’s a very old soul,” Quigley said. “She’s very wise for her age and I think that really shows on screen. I don’t think that’s something you can fake. I think that wisdom is sort of deep and rooted in something.”
There were some significant and rather important details in the novel that were omitted from the film, but the entire cast, from costumes to cinematography to acting, put up an entertaining and fun display. Phifer, who plays Max in the film, said there is a certain amount of creative license that comes along with movie adaptations.
“Obviously, we can’t quote the book word to word,” Phifer said. “But I think that people will be pleasantly surprised and pleased from the book to the film adaptation with what our creative forces put together.”
With the legendary composer Hans Zimmer producing the score, and Junkie XL composing, fans can expect beautiful and sweeping melodies and dramatic beats. Following movies like “The Dark Knight Rises,” “MegaMind,” “Inception” and “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa,” “Divergent” marks the fifth scoring collaboration between Junkie XL, also known as Tom Holkenborg, and Zimmer. Also, with a soundtrack featuring artists like Snow Patrol, Ellie Goulding and Zedd, it guarantees a phenomenal playlist.
“Divergent” premiers in Boston theatres on March 21. It’s a thrilling, action-adventure motion picture that has something for everyone.
