The Divide (2011) starring Lauren German, Michael Biehn, Milo Ventimiglia, Courtney B. Vanc directed by Xavier Gens Movie Review

The Divide (2011)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Michael Biehn in The Divide (2011)

It Will Divide

Nuclear war has broken out causing chaos and hysteria especially in a Manhattan apartment block where a group of residents make it down to the basement where Superintendent Mickey (Michael Biehn) lives. As the realisation sets in that no one will be leaving in the foreseeable future tension starts to mount between them as the isolation causes some of them to go crazy. Soon the group splits as there are those who try to stay in control of their sanity whilst others become more and more dangerous as they argue in their desperation to survive. But things take a turn when they realise they are not alone and beyond the door there are people still alive.

One thing you can say for "The Divide" it does what the title says as some think it is clever whilst others think it is terrible. For me I am on the fence as there are times when it gets things very right and others when it gets things very wrong. Take for example a scene where outsiders in high-tech bio hazard suits force their war into the basement and take via force the young girl. Your mind thinks that okay we have the government protecting the future by kidnapping the young to keep the world going. But then we get tossed some over the top action and some sci-fi style gore which is out of place. This mixed concept goes on throughout the movie with scene of gallows humour which is sometimes funny at others is just moronic.

But when we have the cliche which sees this group of people end up at each other's throats due to being confined in this room which is remarkably ordinary and seems to be used as a vehicle for throwing shocking scenes at us to see how much the audience can take. I will be honest with you it gets to daft for me and descends in to too far fetched for my liking. It is at this point that I should mention the acting because it is as mixed as the movie with some performances okay whilst others are forced. It doesn't help that director Xavier Gens has this style which goes from action to thoughtful and contemplative in sudden jolts making it an uneven movie.

What this all boils down to is that "The Divide" left me divided as at times it was very good with an interesting look and some interesting ideas yet then there will be cliche thrown in which messes with it too much as does the uneven tempo and styling. In truth "The Divide" is the sort of movie which some day when I am in the mood I will watch again to see if it gets better after a second viewing but it won't be for some time.


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