Dystopian young adult film The Giver pits
love over violence. By Piya Sinha-Roy
A world where pain and mankind’s memories are erased along with war, violence and prejudice may seem like utopia, but ignorance is not always bliss, as explored in the latest young adult film.
The Giver, in US theaters and based on Lois Lowry’s novel, explores a futuristic society cultivated and controlled by Elders, whose leader is played by three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady).
The Elders have formed an efficient working society but erased any colour, music and frivolity. At 17, the teenagers of the society graduate from school and are assigned a place in the workforce according to their personality traits.
Jonas, played by rising actor Brenton Thwaites (Maleficent), is chosen as the Receiver of Memories, a singular job that leads him to The Giver, the man who holds all the memories of humankind’s past — from wars and death to the beauty of nature and love.
As Jonas learns more about the world before his, he realises that not everything is perfect within his own society and its selection process from birth, and he begins to question it.
“It’s very reflective of our times,” said Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges (Crazy Heart), who plays The Giver. “We live in a society that’s swept up by technology and our ethics haven’t really caught up with us, and it’s time to slow down a bit and think about what we’re willing to pay for our comfort and happiness.”
The Weinstein Co’s The Giver comes on the heels of dystopian young adult film franchises such as The Hunger Games and Divergent, but offers one key difference to the genre.
“This movie has no violence in it. Some of these other dystopian books and films have had a great deal of troubling violence to me, children killing other children,” said Lowry. “I can’t write that myself and I’m glad it’s not in this film.”
Much of the film is filtered in grey to depict that the society’s inhabitants do not perceive colour, but as Jonas learns more about the past, he notices glimpses of vibrant hues in his surroundings and starts to feel more emotions. “The hardest part was making these moments real. I’ve experienced these things before — I’ve seen colour all my life, I’ve experienced love and a little bit of pain,” Thwaites said.
One of the biggest deviations from the book was the decision to raise the children’s graduation age from the cusp of entering their teen years to 17, which director Phillip Noyce (Salt) said was in keeping with the age for graduation in schools around the world.
“I think the themes of this book are powerful, and the tagline is ‘search for truth and find freedom,’” said actress Katie Holmes (“Batman Begins”), who plays Jonas’ mother. “Human beings have been drawn to stories like that forever.” – Reuters
Denzel Washington takes detox help
Actor Denzel Washington, who partied hard during vacation on a yacht with his wife last month, reportedly underwent detoxification. He is said to have left an Orange County detox residence where he was staying for more than two weeks to detox after a wild, alcohol-fuelled and gluttonous month-long vacation, reports tmz.com. According to sources close to the actor, Denzel partied really hard during his trip. Upon his return here, he went to the Orange County residence, where he had professionals help him detox. If one source is to be believed, the detox sessions were more than merely for alcohol. It was an overall cleansing for toxins.
He is also said to have sought help from a nutritionist, a trainer and a chef. – IANS
Mila Kunis satiates
ice-cream craving
Actress Mila Kunis, who is set to give birth to her first child in “less than a month”, celebrated her 31st birthday recently at an ice-cream parlour with fiance Ashton Kutcher. After attending a prenatal yoga class to help her keep fit, Kunis headed out to satiate her ice-cream craving on her special day August 13.
The Friends with Benefits actress was spotted enjoying a “very playful” romantic date.
“They were very playful, grooving to the music playing in the shop, and clearly just really focused on and into each other. He was totally doting on her — rubbing her belly and opening the door for her. They looked so in love and were acting goofy,” UsMagazine.com quoted a source as saying.
Kunis is expecting a daughter. – IANS
B-DAY GIRL: Mila Kunis
