Starring Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Katie Holmes, Alexander Skarsgard, Taylor Swift, Cameron Monaghan, Brendan Thwaites and Odeya Rush. The Giver is directed by Phillip Noyce (Salt) and is based on Lois Lowry’s acclaimed novel. It depicts a seemingly perfect community, whose dark and deadly truths are discovered by a young member of the community.

The Story: of the Giver centers around Jonas, who grew up in a seemingly ideal world of conformity and contentment, a community  without war, pain, suffering, differences or choice. Jonas, is chosen to learn from an elderly man – The Giver – about the true pain and pleasure of the “real” world.

Review: The movie was…let me start by saying that as soon as I saw the first trailer it was clear to me that the movie was merely inspired by the book.That it was the same universe but with a slightly different story. This much was clear to me from the very first trailer so I had time to cop with it, besides it said based on the book.
Although, the book is a very interesting read, I loved it, it probably would have been a boring movie if it was adapted exactly as it is written. It probably would have been long and tedious. Some things can’t be translated into the screen as they are written, it’s a different medium so people should have expected differences.
I also think authors nowadays, write with a movie prospect in the back of their minds, so they’re influenced by movies. The Giver was published in the early 1990s and I don’t think that authors wrote with a prospect of a movie deal in the back of their minds.

The movies was interesting and very entertaining, I loved the way they did the ceremony, it added an edge to Jonas’ angst, we feel anxious for him and with him. The changes made to Asher’s and Fiona’s jobs were smart, it allowed them to kept that small cast and add layer to the characters. They took everything that was suggested in the book, every subtlety, and brought it to life in to the big screen and that was another smart move. The movie makers added, some much needed, substance to the secondary characters. These character development are crucial for a movie adaptation of this book.
I think a love triangle was added, it’s very subtle, but that’s what it was. I do not understand what’s it’s doing in the movie but I guess it adds a little flavor to it. Even though, it doesn’t really makes sense, since one of the parties involved is still taking his morning injections which takes away emotions so how can he be jealous?

Jonas’ relationship with the Giver was sweet and felt more genuine in the movie. From someone who had all those memories, emotions, and knowledge the Giver was a little too much like everyone else in the community in the book. He was too passive and seemed helpless in the book, he had more fire in the movie.

I enjoyed the way colors slowly and discretely crept their way in every frame that involved Jonas until they were all there and it became completely natural. Then when it goes back to black and white to illustrate how the characters in the scene are still under the influence of sameness it comes unnoticed.

I also command them for keeping the baby release scene, I never thought that it would make it into the movie but i was glad to see it. It was important to the dark and deadly truths about the community.

We get to see what’s happening in the community once Jonas has left, which is much more interesting for a movie than staying with Jonas the whole time like it is in the book. A friend of mine complained about it and that was probably the most stupid complaint I heard about this movie. In the book I was left with the impression that everything went smoothly in the community once Jonas ran away. As if no one suspected he left with the baby but the film is more realistic than that.

In conclusion, The movie may differ from the book but the spirit of the book is there. The film is honest and in my opinion it’s as good as the book is.

Please comment and let know what you think?