The Giver (2014)

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

The Giver, set in a utopian future where everyone is equal. No war, no discrimination, no inequality. The story follows Jonas when he comes of age and earns a mysterious role in his community that consists of the world's memories such as color, family, and love. These factors and more affect Jonas as he discovers the world he thought he knew. The Giver makes you look at the world differently. Shows how human actions affect everyone, and how when people are given the freedom to choose, they choose wrong. Which sheds light on how the world needs to change, I mean not perfectly. Though we should all work to better ourselves. The Giver will have you on the edge of your seat as their are hidden secrets and discoveries around every corner. Definitely recommend."Memories are not just about the past. They determine our future. You can change things. You can make things better."-Giver, The Giver

I watched this on Netflix, and was a bit unsure after reading some newspaper reviews from movie critics. I think this movie has been judged too harshly. I did not have any problem understanding the "how" human society got there. How it was possible to consider so much of the joys we take in life as something to be sacrificed for the opportunity not to suffer the pain we have. I did not have a problem to imagine a society orderly organizing the lives of every single member of the community. Some feature of the organization attained by the movie's society are old ideas really, out of some philosopher's dreams (or out of everybody else's nightmare): Plato's Republic came to my mind, during some parts of the movie, except that the society in the movies arrives to strikingly similar results from following objectives which are way different (getting rid of pain was not Plato's objective in an ideal organization of society). I liked the acting, especially in the character of the Giver, Fiona and Jonas. I think the use of black and white was interesting. What almost managed to ruin the whole movie was the rushed ending. It could have been much better: but as it is, it just looks like the money to keep filming suddenly finished up and they had to look for a quick way to end the movie. In any case it's still a 7.

I had expected a variation and moral similar to George Orwell's "1984" but what I ended up waiting for was a mumbling Dennis Quaid as the, to be looked up to know it all. I can suspend belief and imagine, far away places but this show took it to it's very hard to imagine that only hate and conformity exists. I may have heard, "Yeah that's the point" but when I had a teacher friend tell me that's what's being read in a different classroom I was shocked. Reality is that we all go through trials of different sort as children with allowances to grow,sing, love, etc. We faced bullying,rivalries, fights, etc. but found a way to learn and grow and get over it.How many movies, or books portray "Infanticide" to make a point? Only the desperate. The scene of this actually taking place with the father using lethal injection then disposing the baby down a trash chute is reprehensible. Oh the classroom where it was taught also had LD kids in attendance. Given recent atrocities like "Sandy Hook", the Church shootings in Texas, children were harmed or murdered. Year's ago I can't recall this happening for real or in print. To profit on any idea of harming newborns,this was the most vile and to use this to sensationalize a story? Is there someone "out there" seeing this whom would imitate, or murder, rather then seek a safe place for a newborn? I doubt teenagers (yet) have the capacity to understand this attempt at being "Highbrow" and should've been scrapped to begin with, and not emulate the attitude this story ...tries to convey.

So, I had to watch this movie because of a school project after reading the book and have to say, I was amazed at the awfulness. The effects weren't ... that bad, I have to admit. My biggest complaints are the script and the actors. The book is kinda strange but it has a few very important emotional scenes that were either skipped completely or that were delivered so badly I wanted to chuck my phone at the screen. Okay, you may say that the people in this movie are supposed to have no real emotions and that's fine! But if you deliver these 'emotional' scenes without ever showing a reaction from the one guy having emotions (Thwaites) then that's just idiotic. The movie was chaotic, sometimes we all just sat there and frowned at the screen. There were a few 'twists' in the movie that were painfully obvious even if they didn't happen in the book. The few good (experienced) actors that were in this thing were apparently determined to deliver their worst performance yet. The main characters' (Thwaites and the love-interest) acting was so painful I could barely stand to watch it. Thwaites always had this look of vague awe on his face even if it didn't fit. The love-interest's actress was one of those actresses where they are completely unremarkable. One thing however stood out. Their laughter sounded so fake it hurt!Another major problem I have with this movie is 'the Giver'. Somehow, every scene with him and Thwaites has this sexual vibe going on which is really sickening if you consider the fact Thwaites' supposed to be sixteen in this and 'the Giver's about sixty. It really creeped us all out. In conclusion (because I have to cut this short) it's awful. Don't watch it.