The Divide (limited)
| release date | January 13 2012 |
| studio | Anchor Bay |
| director | Xavier Gens |
| writer | Xavier Gens |
| starring | Lauren German, Michael Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia, Courtney B. Vance, Ivan Gonzalez, Michael Eklund, Abbey Thickson, Ashton Holmes, Rosanna Arquette |
| site | thedividethemovie.com |
| trailer 1 | Trailer #1 |
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A typical post apocalyptic thriller with a couple of nice twists thrown in for good measure. At a run time of just over 2 hrs, I was expecting a dialogue heavy movie. Set in a basement, a collection of friends/family & strangers are sealed in by the apartment block owner who refuses to let them leave to protect himself from the fallout. There is no mention in the movie as to how long they are down there for. I started to get bored about 20 mins in, then there’s a nice twist that rekindles your interest. After this, the tension between the survivors starts to fray, alpha male syndrome then kicks in and it all goes a bit tits up from there. There are some impressive performances by the majority and you can expect the trade mark Xavier Gens grainy cinematography, quick cut sequences, lots of gore and the feeling of complete dread. There is also some great attention to detail and theres no doubt he put the actors physically and mentally through their paces.
As with any apocalyptic drama/horror you can expect to feel thoroughly depressed and there are some unanswered questions that could lead to a possible sequel. Would I watch this movie again?? probably not. However if there was a sequel and Gans directed it, I would definitely watch it. Although it does stand alone as a one off movie also.I Had a restless nights sleep after watching it, so must have played on my mind somewhat. Tis pretty bleak, but you know that from the beginning.
I really liked the first half of this film, however, when I finally started to realize the direction it was heading it started angering me minute by minute. there were 3 friggin bad guys that had no leverage against the good guys and could have been taken out at any moment with no problem. the movie sucked ultimately because the believable factor went straight to hell once things started going. hated it.
Wow, what an unusual, sometimes gory, sometimes funny movie…but very different..I enjoyed this movie a lot…some good performances from mostly B actors…check it out! Definitely worth a watch…I give it a slightly higher score for originality
The best way I can describe this movie is a sucker punch to the stomach in film version.
This is one fucked up movie. I enjoyed seeing Michael Biehn again and thought he did a really good job. His character was crazy but cool. This movie is gritty, claustrophobic and even worse, very realistic. It is a nightmarish look at the human mind being pushed to its limits with stir-craziness in the worst way. Not necessarily as scary as it is disturbing and at times, sickening. One of the better post apocalyptic horror films I have seen.
Amazing. I wasn’t expecting to believe the hype, but this movie definitely delivered. It started sort of slow, and kind of dies down in spots, but even without the action this has enough fucked up material to please genre fans. It really stabs you in throat in it’s final act however.
I really give it a 10 for everything not story related, even the actors, but let’s focus on the story line. to the point where: the remain sain characters have the chance to kill the insane ones, and dont do shit about it, then the movie starts going down the toilet, we all have limits, but not crossing then to save yourself, that’s just ridiculous. It’s not the worst story line i have ever seen, but it get to the point of ignorance… the Insane ones, could have died like 10 times. Anyways. Great performances from the insanes characters.
The Divide is an apocalyptic survival story and as such it follows a certain structure. That structure being the destructive incident, the establishment of the survivors, followed by the breakdown of humanity.
For such a cookie-cutter plot archetype, I must admit that the Divide impressed me.
For starters, the movie stars with the incident, but we as the audience at least get to see part of it, as well as see our characters in action during the initial panic. Afterwards, the movie takes everything one would expect in this type of movie and introduces a surprising outside element. No sooner is the element introduced, then it leaves the film and readjusts what type of movie we have here.
For sheer swerve factor, the Divide certainly fooled me a little bit. Once we get into the somewhat more predictable third act, I have to give kudos to Milo Mentimiglia, Michael Biehn, Lauren German and Rosanna Arquette, for putting forward honest, solid performances and not for a moment phoning it in. In fact, the performances elevate the last third of the movie and make the final, somewhat cluttered climax worth sitting through.
As far as survivor films go, the Divide may not have broken new ground, but what it did do is set the new standard for how these movies should look, feel and be performed.
Depravity made boring. I just didn’t buy this social examination at all. Trapped in a bunker most in this film quickly turn to rape and sadism while others stand around looking vacant. Preposterous and unsatisfying. Ugly and rape happy.
The Divide is most likely, going to be the most unpleasant, dark, brutal and chilling thriller you will see this year. The movie starts off pretty quickly and doesn’t waste any time. The film opens up to several of people desperately running down the stairs of a high-rise apartment building, to avoid being killed from a nuclear attack. Only 9 of them make it to safer grounds, in the building’s bunker like basement. From there on, their worries and fears goes from bad to worse, as their so called temporarily salvation, is more detrimental than good.
The performances were all very powerful, but the development of the characters was mostly bits and pieces, so most of them come off as cold and distant. Most of the actors went all out with their performance, making the situation have an impact on you, therefore making it effective, grueling, gripping and very disturbing. No one really outshines the other in this film and all had their haunting moments.
Xavier Gens definitely made his signature mark, with his unapologetic, graphic violence. In these vile scenes, which might not be as memorable as in his earlier effort Frontiere(s), but just as blood curdling and hard hitting, in a Funny Games, A Clockwork Orange, The Hole type of way. It will leave you wanting to take a warm shower after the proceeding.
Overall, I expected, wanted something more rewarding. Some of the characters moves were not too brilliant and subplots not fully explained. Yet for the most part I was enthralled, on the edge of my seat in certain scenes, shocked and disturbed and dreaded every turn. The Divide will definitely divide viewers, but what it accomplished wasn’t less than decent and has a powerful emotional punch of an ending. It makes you feel tons of emotion, which can’t be said about most movies of its kind. Worth at least one watch, but it’s not an easy one.
3 out of 5 skulls
Absolutely brilliant. This is basically a case study in humanity and the push-pull of base evil that resides in many of us. The film outlines a universal fact of many historical dictatorships: a peaceful and idle majority can, for a time, allow a fucked up minority to sieze power and run rampant. Think Nazi Germany. Or more aptly, North Korea as it is today. Apparently many viewers fail to grasp this, and ding the film in the process.
In my opinion, this is also one of the most depressing, “feel-bad” films I have ever seen. But that is the point, and the filmakers pull it off very well. I cannot get this one out of my head.
Wow this man can direct! Xavier Gens, I am of course talking about who had a mild, if forgettable beginning with the mediocre Hitman, but then went on to direct (in my opinon) one of the greatest modern horror films ever made in Fronter(s). Obviously a lot of people disagrre with me, so I would imagine that a lot of people would be divided (pun absolutely intended) by Xavier’s next horror film. Now The Divide promises a lot from its visceral opening as we watch New York burn to the ground through the eyes of people in an apartment building. The directing is quite beautiful in this section (and is throughout) with a fantastic sweeping shot down the staircase which almost creates an order out of the panic. Then we find a bunch of people locked in an agressive man’s Big Brother styled basement (you know the one with Paula). Then the titles run with an incredibly emotive score placed over it. I don’t know why more people aren’t talking about the score because it blew me away, it immediately sets the depressing tone and I felt almost quite move by it. From then on I knew that this film was going to produce good things, and I don’t think that I was wrong!
The first act is pretty involving as we get to know the characters, all of whom don’t seem to be that likable, however this changes as the film progresses. I think The Divide is the type of film that would get better with more views as you’d get to know the characters a bit better. I found myself confused in some parts because some people looked very similar and/or acted similar. By the end of it it’s hard to tell anyone apart, but I think that that is very purposeful and illustrates the film’s point perfectly. There are some dashes of thrilling action when some space men come in and don’t behave too positively. We immediately get to see who the stronger characters are and we learn quite a lot about them through their actions. There’s also some wonderful editing with that brilliant score being played over, most notably when the camera tracks past walls and we see all the characters. It’s superbly done and memorable.
Unfortunately things start to take a slower place in the second act. Whilst the directing is still good, it all gets a bit talky without conveying much about the narrative or characters. Don’t get me wrong, there is splashes of involving lunacy and we do get to spend more time getting to know everyone, but some scenes did tend to drag, similarly like in The Mist, although I suppose that film’s that are just set in one location are going to drag slightly in places. Fortunately the thrid act more than makes up for it, producing some of the most intense scenes that scould only exist in French cinema. There’s also been some complaints about characters making stupid decisions, but you’ve got to remember that these people are completely starved and parched and of course aren’t going to as on the ball as you and I (well maybe not me).
The third act is what prevents The Divide from sinking to an 8/10 to a 9/10. It becomes incredibly involving, and almost reminiscent of the third act of Frontier(s) (which is a good thing in my book). There was a moment when I realised that I no longer felt like I was watching a film, but was actually inside the basement with them. It’s so involving and delivers a choking atmosphere that you’re not likely to soon forget. It’s so interesting to watch the characters completely psychologially deteriorate into psychotic dictators. It becomes quite frightening in some places! There were some moments, particularly towards the end, where I was on the edge of my seat, completely gripped. There are some very intense moments and characters who you end up rooting for.
The Divide also doesn’t hold back any punches. There are some rather sick ideas explored, but all with good reason. Everyone gives a brilliant performance, which all builds up to an intensely moving finale. By the time it was finished I was in awe in what I just watched. It’s depressing, bleak but brilliant and has got me excited to see what Xavier can produce next! The ending is beautifully shot and still conveys that atmosphere of hopelessness, which is never lost. It’s an incredibly interesting and intricate psychological examination of humanity, whilst also being emotional, intense and thrilling. I loved it!