Intriguing, handsome "The Giver" bland and boring
In the new sci-fi drama "The Giver" there's a place known as Elsewhere, where people are sent who can't abide by the rules. After (or perhaps while) seeing it, you may want to be elsewhere. Based on Lois Lowry best-selling 1993 young adult novel of the same name, the premise is intriguing and the visuals are impressive, but it only seems to skim the surface of the issues that Lowry delved into with more depth. In a perfectly engineered world where there is no conflict, racism or sickness, every member of society has a specific role, 16-year old Jonas (handsome Australian newcomer Brenton Thwaites, seen recently in "Maleficent") is selected to be the Receiver of Memory. He is transferred with
memories of the past from his teacher, The Giver (Jeff Bridges, who also produced). As Jonas uncovers the
truth behind his world's past, he discovers that many years earlier, his
forefathers (including Meryl Streep as The Chief Elder) gave up humanity in order to have a stable society. Directed with visual grace by "Salt's" Philip Noyce, the dystopian-themed "The Giver" is handsomely filmed but has a watered-down, vacuous feel to it, likely to appeal to the younger set, who will be caught up in the love triangle, some of the colorful visuals and pop star Taylor Swift in a tiny role. Thwaites in particular is handsome but lacks the acting skills to carry the film, and he pales in particular next to Oscar-winners Streep and Bridges, both of whom try to infuse the film with some energy, though Streep's role is smaller than you might expect and Bridges relies too much on his hammy antics to make you watch). Ironically, the themes of "sameness" and individuality are explored with little depth and a blandness that makes "The Giver" seem like it's copying the similarily-themed "Divergent," a novel that interestingly came after "The Giver," which was a huge literary success upon its release, paving the way for more novels like "Divergent." "The Giver" has some nice visuals and a handful of compelling moments, but even the target audience may be bored with it after awhile. "The Giver," in spite of its visuals and talented cast, is an intriguing failure. Wes's Grade: C
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