#4 (or 3.5): Divergent/Insurgent

This isn't really a fourth post, it's more 3 mark 2, as I fulfill the book quota that I didn't include last time. I fear, as I'm doing two books, this could get quite long.

Book: Divergent and Insurgent, both by Veronica Roth (2011 and 2012)
I will admit, my book taste feels a bit like a Young Adult bestseller list (or something that a 12 year old boy requests for Christmas due to my unhealthy obsession with Anthony Horowitz' books and lame fantasy adventure, even though I'm 21 and female).
I would be ashamed of that but I'm really not. Some Young Adult writers write beautiful pieces. It's cliche, I know, but I did genuinely adore John Green's 'The Fault in Our Stars' but also, I have real love for 'Boy Meets Boy' by David Levithan (who is a friend of John Green. Their novel 'Will Grayson, Will Grayson' is another classic with me) and if you've missed the internet phenomena that was Susan Ee's Angelfell, get ON THAT. (I intend to review this at a later date, if only to read it again..)
These authors have moved me. They've made me connect with characters, empathise with their situation or create a magical world for myself. Veronica Roth did not. Yes, I'm aware that is an unpopular opinion, but I'm not sorry.
I read Divergent because of the comparisons with Suzanne Collins' fantastic series, The Hunger Games (if you haven't heard of it/read it, get out from under your rock. Where have you been? Quick run down - the president of the US is still black, there is still war in the Middle East, the Hunger Games was the biggest phenomena to young adults since Twilight (I know that wasn't long ago, but we have a short attention span, keep up!) and Hannah Montana is now a natural blonde and naked more often than not.) but I have to say, that's an insult.
The stage is Chicago. A dystopic Chicago in fact, because currently a book cannot be published without a wee dash of dystopia (yes, 2010, it was vampires. We've moved up.. maybe). Everyone is separated in 'factions' based on their leading personality type and at the age of 16, teenagers are assessed and may, if needs be, leave their families and join a new faction. This is what happens to Beatrice Prior (pretentiously calling herself 'Tris' when she moves), the protagonist of our story. She moves to Dauntless, the foolhardy, idiotic bunch (yes, I think I'd be Candor. To the surprise of no one) and then SHIT GOES DOWN. That's really all I can say without spoiling it too much for you. Just know that things happen, people die, she falls in love (which is a bit out of place, but okay) and there are punches and knives thrown. I did say they were foolhardy.
In Divergent, Tris is alright. She's just alright. She's not a particularly strong protagonist and I find her extremely uninteresting. Her thoughtprocesses do not capture my attention and also, I find a lot of her choices unjustified and bizarre. Roth clearly bends Tris to fit the story rather than the story to envelope her character.
In Divergent, this is manageable. In fact, on the whole, Divergent is just that. Okay. It's an alright read if only because it's a good enough exposition. It sets up something that could be really awesome. Tris has some potential.
In Insurgent, she is unbearable. Tris is quite possibly the whiniest motherfudger to walk this Earth (tied with Bella Swan to be honest). Her choices are reckless, stupid and just.. oh god, slap the girl can you? It took me nearly a week and a half to finish the book because she just made me so infuriated. The whole world revolved around her and her inner crises. 'I have to deal with this HUGE CRAP all by myself because heaven forbid I tell anyone and make my life easier, moan, whine, moan.' Just, one steaming pile of no.
This happened in Mockingjay and I lost all respect for Katniss but with Katniss, there was a backstory. Hell, I'd be fucked up if I'd had to go through all of that TWICE. With Tris, she did one bad thing (okay, it was pretty awful) and something happens which is really, really crappy BUT THE WHOLE WORLD COLLAPSES AND EVERYTHING IS ABOUT HER AND OH MY GOD. I just. Pull your shit together, girl. We cannae be dealing with this nonsense.
Other issues with Insurgent include (but are not limited to): the constant moving (I got whiplash trying to keep up with the different places and people), the fact that Jeanne Matthews was actually a pretty weak villain really, the fact Four is actually a bit wet and to top it all off, I lost the train early on and just couldn't keep up, the political intrigue just isn't good enough to keep you intrested. Oh and the fact I really stopped caring.

tl;dr? The least exciting dystopic novel to fall in my lap, possibly ever. Bothered, I was not. Tris makes you want to punch walls. Or her. Avoid if you get easily irritated. Or if you like a well built character.
Divergent:★★★☆☆
Insurgent: ★★☆☆☆

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#3: Elysium

Film: Elysium (2013) (dir. Neill Blomkamp, starring Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley)
Confession time (as seems to be a tradition with film reviews I make).
I. Haven't. Seen. District. 9.
That felt like a proper "I'm Laura and I haven't had a drink in 12 days" type confession. Also, vaguely cathartic. I suggest you try it some time.
District 9, if you are like me and avoided it, was a film that seemed to appear out of the undergrowth and introduced a whole new form of class-ism into society (apartheid but instead of racism through colour, it was racism through well, being an alien (an actual alien)), giving us plenty to talk about. As I haven't seen it, I cannot comment but friends and family who have seen it (ie, most of them) were extremely impressed. It was for that reason we went to see Blomkamp's sophomore effort, 'Elysium'.
My, what a lot of food for thought. I should point out that when I first left the movie theatre, I was in awe of this movie and my review would probably have been very different. In the cold (rainy) light of day, there are more plotholes in this movie than Swiss cheese so, we shall see where I go with this review.
First, a summary so you get where I'm going with this. The year is 2154 and Earth has become unbearable. Therefore, those with money have eloped to Elysium, an 'intergalactic' space station hanging above Earth (it can be accessed by pod in ~15 minutes or so to give you an idea of closeness). Down on Earth however, it is like one large shanty town. Everyone is fighting for space, jobs, healthcare; you name it, we haven't got enough of it. Therefore, people are illegally entering Elysium airspace to try and get medical attention. Yes, you guessed it. This was a film centered around healthcare and our ability to access it dependent on class and money. Obamacare, anyone? Also, Pixar might have got in on a similar story five years earlier; be the judge of that yourself.
Unfortunately, that is all it is about but not all it could be about. You get me? The world of Elysium is great and filled with potential (ie, some of the questions my mum asked me after were like; why don't all doctors leave Earth if they can afford to be in Elysium? There is still class-ism on Earth as some people had wide screen TVs and some people didn't. Is Elysium more communist in that everyone has greatness and no one is in the lower echelons of society? How is the political structure on Earth if politicians leave to be on Elysium because they can afford it? HOW DOES THE ATMOSPHERE STAY ON ELYSIUM IF THERE IS NO ROOF? (if you see it, this question will become clear and if you have an answer, please let me know!)) but was so underexplored. Instead, we spent time scrabbling on Earth which was not half as interesting.
However, the cinematography was stunning. Visually, Blomkamp created a clear divide between the lush, rich environment on Elysium where life is technicolour, whilst Earth was multiple shades of grey. The shanty town in Mexico City where this was filmed (but was meant to be Los Angeles (oh how the great do fall)) illustrated the true desperation society could reach if allowed to make it that far and only highlighted the true extreme differences between the two habitats.
Yet, even with the flawed story, the acting in Elysium was top notch. Matt Damon never fails to impress me. Having seen his other summer release, Behind the Candelabra (at least it was in the UK) where his character couldn't be more different, I never felt I was watching the same actor. Max comes to life in Damon's hands and he plays the character sympathetically and creates someone we cannot help but root for, despite the crimes he must commit. Jodie Foster, the other major name in this movie was both brilliant but undervalued. Her part felt very short, a blink and you miss her character. She was billed as the villain of the piece, but personally, I think that award goes to the agent she hires, played expertly by Sharlto Copley, a Blomkamp alum. He gave terrifying a whole new face (literally, as you will see). His part was in equal parts (okay, maybe 60-40) menacing and hilarious. He was an attempt of comic relief yet the most dark comedy you've ever witnessed. He needed a 'Do Not Underestimate' tag on his army kit, I can tell you.
All in all, Elysium is a film worth seeing if only because Dystopia is a fascinating subject. It is interesting to see where the world could go. Personally, I'd prefer Elysium over some other scenarios (the Hunger Games = I'd die in the first five seconds or 1984 = the idea of limiting knowledge scares me more than anything) but if we could try and avoid it, that'd be swell, ta.

tl;dr?: Personally, I think Wall-E told a similar story but was hella cuter. Better luck next time, Blomkamp. A film worth seeing if only because analysis in the aftermath is so great. ★★★½*☆

(yes, I did say I'd do a book and a film review. This just grew to be a monster so I'm going to do a book-only review in the next post!)
(*read ½ as a half star and this will remain the same in all future posts)
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#2: "Yer a wizard, Harry."

Ah, Harry Potter. The series that defines a generation. Literally.
The reason I've chosen to write about this particular subject for my second blog post is threefold (in the voice of Chandler Bing (please, if you get that reference, we will be best friends, no doubt about it).. you ready?)

1. There are books AND films to discuss.
2. I've just been to the tour and oh my word (see some pictures attached to this blog).
3. I was brought up in and around Alnwick, Northumberland and some of the first/second film was shot at the building next door to my school.  I was too young (by a YEAR) to be in the film, but friends of mine were (our school filled out Ravenclaw seats (which btw, is my house from Pottermore so it would have been perf, but I'm not bitter. Much.)) and my best friend at the times' dad provided the gas tanks for the Quidditch stuff and got to see them shoot scenes. Therefore, for sentimental reasons, there is a hell of a lot there for me.

Ollivanders

Privet Drive

The thing I find so fascinating about Harry Potter is the way it managed to capture the imagination of children from all walks of life, all over the world. My friends abroad, no matter of nationality, have read the books, seen the films and lived for a brief moment in their life in their head at Hogwarts. At it's heart, it is a simple novel with simple ideals - Love conquers all.

I mean, yes, if we seriously get down to brass tax, there is a lot more to Harry Potter than just that, but it's half 12 at night and I'm not feeling up to in-depth analysis (my apologies).

Now, if I'm honest, there are faults with both the books and the movies. That had to be the case. With so much material, there were going to be errors. The books get too long. They strip away the need for the child/adult to create the world for themselves. I realised during a recent re-read of the earliest books that important scenes (that I thought were heavily written about given how long they were in the film (for example)) were maybe a page long? Couple of pages at most. The rest I had created for myself. The feelings and environment were inventions of my imagination alone. When you get to The Order of the Phoenix, that need is lost. We become spoon-fed a greater proportion of detail. Plus, if we're talking about OOTP, I have to say Harry's teenage angst made me want to slap him upside his head. I mean, seriously, we get it sucks but lord, if you could stop whining for a second and just. Also, Sirius died and I was not okay with that.
With the movies, the faults are greater if only because as a fan, there are little details I loved that were cut or things that I felt were tampered with too much (the tent movie, for example - what a travesty) and due to that I was a bit uncomfortable with some of the choices made. I mean, I love them as a separate artform. They bring Ms Rowling's world to life in a way I couldn't imagine and to a level of detail that (now I've been to see the sets) makes you feel as if this world does exist just beyond your muggle vision. The choices of actors was always a triumph, including wee Harry himself, DanRad (I'm a fan, don't get me wrong, but in POA I want to shake him. The level of emotion in the film is almost a complete loss. Maybe it was his boy hormones messing with his head and he wasn't yet old enough to deal). As a self-pronounced Sirius fangirl, I didn't see Gary Oldman at the start but by his death (still not over, beeteedubs), I was sobbing and he became my Sirius.

All of this said, they are all part of a greater series that gave children my age and older something to read, to watch and to love. The be all and end all? Every second I spent reading and watching (and getting frustrated over the tiniest of details) was so unbelievably worth it. No matter how old I get or where I am, I still feel the magic of the story. I have friends who, even at 21, sit down with me and we discuss all the little things about these stories.

Will this last forever? Who knows. I'm not Raven (go on, make my day and tell me you know what I mean) and I cannot see into the future. Is Harry Potter a classic? Cliche as it may be, only time will tell.

For the curious, my ratings
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - Book/Film: ★★★★☆
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - Book: ★★★★★, Film: ★★★★☆
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - Book/Film: ★★★★★
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - Book/Film: ★★★★★ (The film rating is partly due to the fact I have so many inside jokes around this movie..)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - Book/Film: ★★★☆☆ (The rating is partly given due to the fact Sirius died and I'm still not emotionally over that)
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - Book/Film: ★★★★☆
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Book: ★★★★★, Film Part I: ★★★☆☆, Film Part II: ★★★★★ (averaged at: ★★★★☆)
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Already off to a bad start.

I'm ashamed.

I promised one blog post a week and I haven't even managed that (every Thursday, right?).

I have a brilliant excuse. Well I don't. Just know I've been busy moving back to university and things I wrote my plans in/on have been mislaid.

So, I can promise you two (not one, but TWO) posts on Sunday (that's the 15th).

Go forth and hate on me. It's okay. I will reiterate - I'm ashamed and therefore very, very sorry.

The next post beeteedubs should be amazing. Like I'm actually properly excited about sitting down and writing it. I have a plan and everything.
Stay tuned, if you can forgive me this indiscretion.

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