At the cinema: Insurgent
There have been quite a few Hollywood attempts to follow Twilight and The Hunger Games with movie franchises from YA novels, and not all of them have made it past the first instalment – Mortal Instruments, Beautiful Creatures spring to mind. But Divergent looks like it will run the distance, with sequel Insurgent now in cinemas. If you enjoyed the first film, this shouldn’t disappoint, with the action expanding across the war-torn city as Tris (Shailene Woodley) and Four (Theo James) take refuge successively with Amity, the Factionless and Candor. Romance takes more of a back seat this time around, and it climaxes with a big showdown between Tris and Jeanine (Kate Winslet), the scheming Erudite leader bent on seizing power. The film may benefit from the enhanced profiles of its young cast – many have experienced significant career boosts since Divergent, notable Woodley and Ansel Elgort in The Fault In Our Stars and Miles Teller in Whiplash. Yes, it’s a bit of a me-too Hunger Games, but there’s plenty of room at the YA table.
On DVD: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1
The final book in the Divergent series (Allegiant) is being split into two films, following the gameplan established by Harry Potter, Twilight and The Hunger Games. Whatever you think about this ploy (giving the fans more, or cynical profiteering?), one thing is for sure: the first parts of these two-film presentations have been relatively weak. That was especially the case with The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1, but it’s also true for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay. As much as we love this movie series, this instalment feels the least compelling so far, as Katniss Everdeen and pals gear up for the big assault on the Capitol. Still, if you’re a Hunger Games fan, you’re hardly going to skip it, and recent Oscar winner Julianne Moore is a nice addition as the leader of rebel District 13.
On TV: Burn After Reading (Saturday, ITV, 10.45pm)
Brad Pitt may or may not be a total brainiac, but he’s sure entertaining when playing a dim bulb. He was very funny as the doper stoner in True Romance (if you’ve yet to see, rent the DVD!), and he’s similarly hilarious here as a gym worker who gets way out of his depth when he stumbles across a disk containing the memoirs of a CIA agent, and attempts to turn it into a rich payday. This film is from those naughty Coen brothers (No Country For Old Men), and it’s one of their more broadly accessible comedies, elevated by John Malkovich as the aggressively smart dude who can’t believe he’s being extorted by such an imbecile. George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and Frances McDormand are also in it, and watch out for recent Whiplash Oscar winner JK Simmons as a CIA boss.