"You don't fit into a category. They can't control you. They call it Divergent."

When Tris is taking a test deciding to which faction she belongs to, she learns that she is divergent. She has the virtues to fit every faction, but she decides to join Dauntless - a faction that makes soldiers and protectors of the city. Tris also learns how dangerous it can be different from the others, because difference isn't tolerated.

My friend Tiina watched Divergent and liked it, and now that I'm again into dystopian science fiction, I thought I'd watch this. I was pretty sure I wouldn't like it as much as I like The Hunger Games, but it was also pretty good. However, since I've read The Hunger Games like three times and I adore that, I easily - almost to easily - notice things that were a lot better in The Hunger Games.

For some reason I thought that this movie lacked a bit of rebellion. Of  course I don't expect it to start just like that, the rebellion. That might of course have to do with how the factions were more or less equal. There wasn't a clear arrangement like with The Hunger Games, where there's Capitol which has everything, and the districts that are extorted. In Divergent, most of the factions were more or less happy with what they were doing, except for some factions which wanted more power. But if we look at the main character Tris, there isn't a clear faction which would be the "bad" one, extorting and heartlessly killing others - well, at first. In The Hunger Games Capitol and President Snow are made the enemy from the very start. I think both versions clearly represent something different. In The Hunger Games it's a relationship between the oppressor and the oppressed. And Divergent shows how people can be happily living inside a dystopia without knowing it, and it might take a lot to see what's wrong with the world. 

Also the music, which might seem like a little thing in this context, but it really means a lot to me. In Divergent you can actually hear songs that exist in our day. I mean they can be heard on the radio and such. But then there's The Hunger Games. There's only the music composed for the movies. There's only the kind of score music, and I think it really captures the life in districts well. There isn't any kind of popular music anywhere. Katniss said in one book, that music isn't considered important in the District 12, and the choosing of the soundtrack is very important then. The only actual songs are used during the credits, like Abraham's Daughter by Arcade Fire, Yellow Flicker Beat by Lorde, etcetera. And, well, I'm not so familiar with the world of Divergent, but I'd think the faction Abnegation wouldn't really listen to any kind of music. It would've been understandable, if there would've been more and more music the longer Tris was part of Dauntless.

I really feel like I don't know anything I should know about the world of Divergent. I really feel like the movie didn't do justice to the book. I haven't read the book, so I'm not sure. But I'm going to, just to be sure I understood. Maybe the book opens my eyes a bit more to the movie, who knows.

☆☆☆☆☆

5 / 10

(Note: This rating was edited on 21st of February 2015 due to thinking about the movie more)

"Are you fighting Katniss? Are you here to fight with us?" "I am. I will."

After blowing up the force field in the arena, Katniss Everdeen is rescued to the District 13, home of the rebellion against Capitol. In exchange for getting Peeta and the other victors back from the hands of Capitol, Katniss becomes the Mockingjay, symbol of rebellion.

First of all, I kinda thought that I would be disappointed with how the movie was divided to two parts. I mean I've always thought it was useless, since they never get all the important details there, so why bother trying to do everything so precisely if you seriously can't? That was pretty useless on Harry Potters, which were shit. I haven't seen Breaking Dawn, but I've read the book and I can understand why it was in two parts. I mean it's long and if it was all in the same, it would have to be so close-knit. But Mockingjay isn't that long. Lot of things happen, but it's still kinda slow book, so why does it need to do two parts? Anyway, it seems that the director Francis Lawrence is a pretty smart guy. I can't imagine a better way to end the part I of Mockingjay. The distress couldn't have been more perfect and agonising, if they had just gone on and done the whole thing. I mean Mockingjay isn't like The Hunger Games or Catching Fire. No, those have a lot of little things to "weed out". Mockingjay on the other hand doesn't have that much action, but it has a lot of important things. 

So, I'm very happy how the dividing turned out. Now what about Katniss?

I've read a lot of complaints about how Katniss doesn't really do anything in this movie and cries a lot, etcetera. I have a newsflash for those people who complain. Katniss Everdeen isn't an action hero. Katniss Everdeen is a 17-year-old girl suffering from PTSD. She had been forced to kill for her life and for others', she has seen people die around her, and she's lost her home district. So if we think about that, Katniss does an awful lot of things. For one thing, president Coin doesn't even want to get her in danger, because then they would lost their symbol. But Katniss does propaganda videos with the help of Cressida, Plutarch and Gale, to help unite the districts.

There isn't a lot of action in this movie, except for when they visit district eight, and seriously, that is the most action that has happened in the book in the first half. Of course that was extended a bit. The books are written completely on Katniss' point of view, so we don't see everything happening. So about two scenes with some sort of action were added, but Katniss weren't with them. And I actually like it this way. since Katniss wasn't chosen as a soldier but a symbol of rebellion. 

As a movie Mockingjay was very, very agonising. I'm pretty sure we heard someone cry during the ending. And Mockingjay doesn't have any of those really, really sad scenes, like Rue's death in the first one. It doesn't make you cry like that. But it is so fucking distressing, but that is the point. And I'm glad they didn't try to make it more "suitable" for the audience, that includes really young teenagers. It was agonising because it had to be. It was distressing from the start until the end. And it needed to be like that. Maybe this kind of agony makes the media forget the question "Team Peeta or Team Gale?" That question has nothing to do with The Hunger Games, and if anyone thought so, I hope at least the first part of Mockingjay makes people realise what truly matters. And what does truly matter? Katniss. Not who she loves, not who she chooses, but she as herself. She's the spark, she's the symbol, she is the story. 

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

9 / 10

Psst, my friend Elli also did her own review (in Finnish)

"Problem? I haven't got a problem. I've got fucking problems. Plural."

Four Rooms tells four different stories in one hotel during one New Year's Eve. All those stories focus on Ted the Bellhopper's encounters with the most eccentric guests, for example a coven of witches, a man who has tied up his wife and points a gun at the bellhopper, the children of a Mexican Gangster and a movie star who has made the weirdest bet with a friend.

I remember how this movie was shown on TV when I was little, about ten years old. I wanted to see it, it seemed funny, but my mom decided that it was garbage, and she changed the channel. So I didn't get to see this until tonight. And heck!

At first I thought that Four Rooms was ridiculously extravagant, or extravagantly ridiculous Well, it totally was, but when it first seemed almost annoying (I saw the beginning as a kid, and as a kid everything extravagantly ridiculous is much funnier than when you get older) but as it went on, you get used to it. It might also have something to do with the director - all four stories had a different director. Of course Ted's manoeuvres were pretty much the same, but few stories the ridiculous extravagance were more annoying compared to some other story. And of course the ridiculousness came from different things with different writers / directors, but Ted was pretty much the same during the whole thing. Then again Ted grew tired of the whole thing during the story, but what I mean is his ridiculousness was the same.

The best example of the different kind of extravagant ridiculousness is, well, the director of the last part. Last story, Man From Hollywood, was directed by Quentin Tarantino. And if you have seen his film(s) then you know his style. And it does stand out. I usually don't even notice differences between directors, but there are few whose style I notice. Tarantino is one of them, and then there's Stanley Kubrick, but if a director isn't as distinctive as those, I barely can tell them apart. Like first three stories in Four Rooms could've been directed by the same people for all I noticed, but Tarantino's style was really noticeable. Then again he actually acting there also might have something to do with it, I don't know.

I really like Tim Roth as an actor. I've seen him in Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction and in the TV-show Lie To Me. He's been wonderful in all of those. However, in Four Rooms I saw a different side of him. The roles I've seen before have been serious, in their own way, but Ted the Bellhopper is a character that can't be taken seriously. His movement and voice are so ridiculous and the ludicrous situations make the whole thing even more ridiculous.

Four Rooms is a funny movie with excellent actors, and I do recommend it, unless you're not a friend of really ridiculously extravagant comedy. And now the fucking theme song is playing in my head.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

8/10 

"Dear Diary, my teen-angst bullshit now has a body count."

Veronica Sawyers is trying to be a part of the most popular girls. all called Heather, in school, when she meets J.D. They accidentally kill the most popular Heather, and they try to make it look like a suicide. J.D. however thinks one kill like this isn't enough

God, I haven't watched 80's high school movies since I watched either Tuff Turf or The New Kids. I've kinda been wanting to watch Heathers since I first saw people quoting it, mostly on the Internet. I don't know, if this movie has been a hit here in Finland or not, but I haven't heard many people talking about it, so I can assume it's either forgotten or it never as so big here. Also what really made me watch this movie right now is probably the music I've been listening to. I mean I've been listening to Chisu and Emilie Autumn and well, simply really dark songs by amazing ladies, and I sort of felt like this movie would be a good to watch right no. (I'll probably watch Girl Interrupted tomorrow, we'll see.)

Anyway, I'm still trying to understand why most of the 80's high school movies I've seen have been really dark and violent and disturbing. The only one that wasn't was Pretty In Pink, which however was a really boring and shit film, and I'm not going to see it ever again. But Tuff Turf was really violent, The New Kids was terrifying and now Heathers. Heathers was actually wonderfully disturbed and it was exactly what I would expect it to be. Too bad they don't make high school movies like this anymore. Sure, maybe it isn't very realistic (or maybe it is in the US, I have no idea how fucked up that place can be) but realism isn't what we need in high school movies, especially if the audience is in high school. People who are going through all that high school shit don't always want to see a movie where the characters go through exactly what the viewer goes through. And at least in Heathers all the violence and murders and suicides weren't there just for the sakes of violence and murders and suicides. They actually had a meaning. I don't know if I can say the same for Tuff Turf.

Also the music had a wonderful effect on the events of the movie. I've never liked the music in 80's movies, because it's sort of disturbing. However, disturbing music goes well with disturbing movie and scenes.

I'd love to write more, but I'm tired and I want to go to sleep. I really recommend Heathers to anyone, who isn't too judgemental on 80's high school movies.

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

8 / 10

"People would be all like: Jane, why do you have a photo of President Garfield on your mantle? And I'd be like: Because I like lasagna, of course."

I seriously couldn't find a poster that was in English and that I could use, so we're going to have to do without.

Anyway I watched the movie Smiley Face from the year 2007. The main character is Jane F, who wants to be an actress. She accidentally eats pot cupcakes made by her roommate, so her day becomes one big weird adventure when she tries to a) Get money for the dealer b) Somehow make new pot cupcakes for the roommate and c) go through the audition. 

I wasn't exactly sure what I would expect from this movie. I sort of expected something less distressing. I mean even though it's a fun movie, it has several very distressing scenes. And most of the effects and music used in the movie were really, well, effective. Basically visual and sound effects and the music made the viewer feel like... Well to be honest when I was watching the movie I felt like I was also stoned. 

I mean I've seen Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, and even that movie didn't have that kind of effect on me. In that movie, even though the effects are insane and the movie is kind of psychedelic, Smiley Face is that but over the top. Smiley Face also had some more realism in it compared to Fear And Loathing. I mean that's just being wobbly. Smiley Face however, well, Jane F wasn't using any harder drugs than marijuana, and she was almost incapable of doing anything. Everything she said and did was just so wrong, and I wanted to grab her and yell at her for being so useless. That kind of made it fun and hard to watch at the same time. Well, that and the mini heart-attacks this movie gave me - there were a lot of those moments when something happens so suddenly you actually get scared.

I truly adore Anna Faris. Most of her characters are truly, well, weird. I've seen What's Your Number like three times, and I adore Faris in it. I've also seen the first and third Scary Movie, though they weren't so good, but Faris was amazing in them too.

I liked this movie a lot, but it also was really annoying to watch. And it gave me a freaking headache. At least I think the movie had something to do with that.

☆☆☆☆☆
5 / 10