Divergent

Divergent

Rated PG-13 and Released in Grand Rapids 3/20/14

Reviewed 3/21/14 at Celebration North Theatre

with Lynne

3 1/2 out of 5 Js in QUIET Rating System

Lynne and I arrived early for our 6 p.m. movie, being a Friday, with snacks in hand and snagged rail seats in the big theatre - #1. We sat there and looked around as it began to fill and we noticed a common denominator. Uh oh! It seems the majority were young gals, looking to be early teens. Neither of us read the books, so we wondered if we would be lost during the flick. On the contrary, we could follow just fine. Thankfully, neither of us were dissatisfied. Since Friday, I grabbed copies of all three books and Lynne loaded the first one on her Kindle. We both declared we would read by weekend's end. I didn't finish yet, but it is an easy read and won't take long. Needless to say we were both charmed by Divergent. Not as violent as Hunger Games with a little romance like Twilight's Edward and Bella in the mix, make this an appealing action adventure that should not be limited to young adults.

Futuristic but broken down Chicago seems to be the only place left on Earth. The revolutionary society has been divided up into five factions within the high secure walls that encompass the city. You grow up with your family in their faction and at the very "adult" age of 16 you take an aptitude test, determining where you fit in. At a "Choosing Ceremony" the youth can choose to stay with their family or change factions, but once you do so there is no turning back. "Factions before family" is the radical motto. Factions are broken down like so: Candor values truth above all else and runs the judicial system (think arrogant politicians), Erudite are the brainy ones (chemists that are never allowed out of the lab), hippie farmers best describes Amity who are peace-loving (most likely to be found in a nudist colony), Abnegation are selfless and plain (Amish-types wearing grey garb instead of black), and conversely pierced and tattooed (think Goth) radical enforcers called Dauntless are the ones who protect the city. Beatrice Prior's (Shailene Woodley) family is one of the boring vanity less Abnegation. The choosing ceremony for her and her brother is tough, because you can sense a desire for more but that means saying goodbye to your family. When Beatrice's test determines she does not fit in like the "norm" she is warned to keep this quiet.

Divergents they are called and the cunning Erudite leader Jeannine Matthews (Kate Winslet) wants them hunted down. They threaten the society that has been crafted so meticulously. After a heartfelt decision, Beatrice starts her new life with Dauntless. With a new identity she becomes known as Tris. Coming from a peaceful community she does not have much experience that would be valuable with these very physical, fast-moving risk takers. While Initiates that remain at the bottom of the training pool won't make the cut, the alternative is you become homeless without a faction. So the desire is to make it no matter the cost.

Enter the trainer known as Four (Theo James). Tough but sensible and yet he seems different from the rest. Much of the film is spent on Tris and the rest of the Dauntless trainees preparing with rigorous training. Four and Tris have some chemistry that doesn't take long for either of them to discover, but slow to develop. He shares with her some secrets as he has uncovered a plot masterminded by evil Jeannine.  Needless to say, the Divergent status of Tris must be kept secret more so now that she is surrounded by weapon-wielding Dauntless. Tris proves she can hold her own with her face-off with Jeannine in the unsettled stormy conclusion. I can't wait to see how Tris's character grows in this role in #2. Lynne and I sat for a second to be humored by the cheering and clapping crowd. After exiting and the echoes of high pitched squealing halted enough so we could hear, we both quickly asked each other if the other liked it. We both agreed we didn't like it...we loved it!

QUIET Rating system: 3 1/2 Js

Quality: JJJ

Understood story:  JJJj

Interest: JJJJ

Entertainment:  JJJJ

Time:  JJj

Tyler Perry Single Moms Club

Tyler Perry Single Moms Club

Rated PG-13 and Released in Grand Rapids 3/14/14

Reviewed 3/15/14 at Celebration North Theatre

with Cindy

3 out of 5 Js in QUIET Rating System

Tyler Perry directs, writes, and stars in his latest film. I always really enjoy Perry movies. Cindy agreed and said they usually are funny, and have a good message. This is another one.

I will concede that some of his films are cookie cutter with the stereotypes, but Perry sure knows how to cast the good looking and covers all the demographics with blacks, whites, and Hispanics. They have covered male, female of lower, middle and upper classes. Perry even does a lot of recasts, but all this works because people keep going to see his movies. The audience is filled with mostly gals, but really I think there is more broad appeal and guys should not be fearful of the name.

Five struggling single mothers are forced together because their children, enrolled in an exclusive Atlanta prep school, are teetering on expulsion due to some forgivable shenanigans. This gives the principal an excuse to force this mixed group of moms into penance. They are going to be the planning committee for an upcoming school fundraiser. With all their differences it's no surprise they get off to a rocky start, but they quickly learn it's easier to support and lean on each other than being combative. There are a smattering of jerky exes in the mix and then some hot pursuers, making you wonder why there's so much resistance from the mommies. There is a hilarious scene of banter between Hilary (Amy Smart) and handyman neighbor Peter (Ryan Eggold) that carries on and it only takes a second to realize their double meaning that causes a lot of snickering.

The inception of The Single Moms Club happens almost by accident as the idea is blurted out at one of the gals' planning meetings. One weekend night a week one of them stays back and babysits, while the rest go out together. Great concept...and it works...for one week. May (Nia Long) is the first one to lose it with the rest of them when her 10-year-old son walks out of babysitter Hilary's house without telling anyone to seek out his loser dad. He disappears all night and then a tearful reunion between mother and son follows as he reveals he has discovered his dad's true nature. This is of course no surprise to May. There are ups and downs, with more more downs, for these single moms but they land on their feet now and then. Proving that friendships provide support and motivation to make these relationships worthwhile and beats just trying it all on your own. Sweet and delightful, Tyler Perry Single Moms Club might surprise you that this film can appeal to just about anyone...and everyone.

Rating system: 3 Js

Quality: JJj

Understood story:  JJJj

Interest: JJJj

Entertainment:  JJJj

Time:  JJj

300: Rise of An Empire

300: Rise of An Empire

Rated R and Released in Grand Rapids 3/7/14

Reviewed 3/11/14 at Celebration North Theatre IMAX 3D

with Gary

2 1/2 out of 5 Js in QUIET Rating System

The first few minutes of 300 give an indication of what is to come. Lots of blood splattering, reminding me of an overly violent video game. We thought they could have lightened up on this and utilized more development on the characters. Part prequel and part sequel, it lays out enough to keep us interested but falls short of the first 2007 300 film, which was so unique.

More about the evil dipped in gold Persian (God) King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and less about the super woman fighter Artemisia (Eva Green) would have been a big improvement also.

Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton) is the military leader of Athens and he knows the only way to defeat the advancing Persians is if all of Greece unites and they can't do it without the trained fighter Spartans amongst them. The narration is well done by Queen Gorgo (Lena Headley) of Sparta and wife of the fallen Leonidas (Gerard Butler) who commanded the resisting 300 Spartans. She gives the backstory as it toggles back and forth of what led to the battle of the 300 and then of course what transpires after. Themistokles and his hodgepodge soldiers consisting of artisans and farmers is without the support they really need as the mourning Queen Gorgo is resistant to have Sparta jump in the war.

So the Greeks have to face the onslaught of Xerxes' naval fleet led by the female general Artemisia without them. The creators really should have skipped the scene of Themistokles and foe Artemisia meeting on the ship to discuss a surrender. Good time for a popcorn run. There are some great battle sequences in the seas that are really spectacular. Although crazy absurdities but that makes it the visionary splendor it is and while it lacks historical accuracy, we shouldn't really expect this anyway. Those cultured Greeks are pretty tough and they keep at it until their ships are so outnumbered, it is a sure defeat. While I won't divulge the end, you can either decide to read up on your Greek history to see what really happens or go see 300: Rise of an Empire. Could be a toss-up but in that case, I would probably see the movie.

QUIET Rating system: 2 1/2 Js

Quality: JJj

Understood story:  JJ

Interest: JJj

Entertainment:  JJJ

Time:  JJ

Son of God

Son of God

Rated R and Released in Grand Rapids 2/28/14

Reviewed 3/5/14 at Celebration North Theatre in Grand Rapids, MI

with Gary

3 1/2 out of 5 Js in QUIET Rating System

This is one of the best accounts of Jesus's life told on the big screen. I don't claim to be a scholar, but it does seem to follow the scripture with a certain amount of accuracy. Gary said he is giving it at least a 4J rating, while I'm a bit tougher on it. We both agree this has quality to it that many religious films don't possess. One aspect where I think writers can do better when telling the story of Jesus, is to emphasize on the triumphant part and not the resurrection. My qualifier, or disqualifier...keep in mind that I am reviewing the movie about the Son of God, not the accuracy or comparison to the Holy Scripture.

Touching on Jesus's birth, the story shifts focus to his three years of ministry, the primary focus of the Gospels. Jesus (Diogo Morgado) calls his original 12 disciples early on. Jesus faces Peter who is about to go out fishing and his famous "I will make you fishers of men" squeezes out the emotion. Jesus and his followers travel to Galilee and word spreads throughout the land of Christ's work and miracles. The Pharisees are beginning to feel the looming threat that Jesus is to them. They spread word to the vile high priest Caiaphas who is based at the temple in Jerusalem. He does not want Jesus to come to the city, especially not during Passover where the audience will be so big.

Jerusalem has the Roman military leader Pontius Pilate presiding over it and keeping the Jews forcibly under control is his only focus. Pilate does not care if this individual that everyone is worried about comes to Jerusalem, because as far as he is concerned Jesus is Caiaphas's problem. However as prophecy foretold throughout the Old Testament, Jesus rides in on a donkey with olive branches being waived in his path to welcome this "savior". In their minds he will save them from the oppressive Roman rule. They are not thinking about the truism that he is meant to save them from their sins.

Keeping a close eye on him, the high priests are increasingly becoming alarmed at Jesus's knowledge and not being able to be tripped up by them. Led by the urging of Caiaphas, they plot to rid of him as soon as possible. Judas, one of the disciples, collaborates with the paranoid religious leaders to betray Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane after the touching Last Supper takes place. The soldiers haul away the Son of God and bring him in front of Pilate with the trumped up charges and conviction. Pilate is reluctant but eventually the contrived agreement from the Jewish people convinces Pilate to go through with their wishes and sentences Jesus to death. Most of the brutal moments from here on until after the horrific crucifixion, I could not watch but it still had its effect. After three days Mary Magdalene discovers the empty grave open where Jesus Christ has been placed and he appears to her. She runs to tell the disciples and they think Mary is crazy, but still a few go to see for themselves. The risen Lord reveals himself to the disciples and appears before them a few more times before the movie concludes with part of the "Great Commission". "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature..." (Mark 16:15). Everyone in the theatre stayed as the credits rolled to revere the moment. It just seemed appropriate. This is a well done story and we should show support of Hollywood producing this meaningful film and maybe they'll release more. I think everyone should see Son of God.

QUIET Rating system: 3 1/2 Js

Quality: JJJj

Understood story:  JJJJ

Interest: JJJJ

Entertainment:  JJJ

Time:  JJj