I Origins - A Thought Provoking Sci-Fi Drama

Opens July 18th in Theaters

Written and directed by the proven Mike Cahill, I Origins looks like it will be a satisfying bite of cinema for hungry movie-goers everywhere when released on July 18th nationwide in the U.S.  This work is Cahill's second film; his first was 2011's Another Earth, a sci-fi/drama/romance that did quite well with viewer ratings and critics, as well.  Excitement is building for the U.S. opening, which will be on July 18th.

Winner of the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize at 2014's Sundance Film Festival, I Origins has created a lot of buzz from those who have had the opportunity to view it so far.  The film stars Michael Pitt (Seven Psychopaths), Brit Marling (Another Earth, The East), Astrid Bergés-Frisbey (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) and Steven Yeun (of The Walking Dead fame, as Glenn).

IMDB describes the sci-fi/drama this way:  "A molecular biologist and his laboratory partner uncover evidence that may fundamentally change society as we know it."  Expect

Romance and intimacy run deep in this sci-fi drama

brilliant cinematography, great editing and a layered look at the sci-fi theme of reincarnation, with large doses of passion and tenderness involved in the love story that is intertwined throughout the film.  People may walk away asking how they would deal with questions about their faith, the afterlife and God if it were proven true that reincarnation exists.  For more information on the film, check out the IMDB page for I Origins.

Faith and Beliefs

Unwavering faith in God and Heaven.  That is a Christian viewpoint that must be maintained when watching science fiction films that delve into scientific notions about subject matter such as this; I, for one, would stand firm in my beliefs even if faced with "proof" of the existence of such phenomenon.  Your core beliefs and opinions, no matter what your religious affiliation or faith, will not be changed by a movie, and sci-fi is fiction (not true), to be viewed as a "what if" and not taken as something that is fact.  The film can be enjoyed as fiction and an escape into a good movie with a really cool concept, however thought provoking.  Those who have seen and rated the movie so far have really liked it.  Currently, it has a 7.4 rating on IMDB by viewers.

The Eyes are the Keys to the Soul

"Every person on this planet has their own unique pair of eyes."  This quote from the film seems to take on new meaning after watching the trailer.  See for yourself (no pun intended, of course): 

I Origins Official Theatrical Trailer

"I'd like to tell you the story of the eyes that changed this world." 

~ Ian Gray, I Origins 

I Origins is rated R for some sexuality/nudity and language, and is 113 minutes in length.

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Divergent - The Film, the Costumes & the Fashion Inspiration

Are you ready for Divergent, set to be released on March 21st in the U.S.?  Based on the best-selling series of books by Veronica Roth, Divergent is billed as an action, adventure and sci-fi film.  It takes place in a futuristic world where all people are classified into very defined groups based on their human virtues, and Divergent appears to be a thrilling movie.  The newly released final trailer can be seen here:

Fans of the books will be keeping their fingers crossed that the movie will live up to the hype and come close to the thrills of the storyline in Roth's first book of the same name.

Shailene Woodley as Tris

Kate Winslet at Jeanine

The title character in the film, Tris Prior, is played by Shailene Woodley.  When Tris is told she is a Divergent and is unable to find a identifiable role in any one particular group, she then finds out that the cold, calculating and malicious Jeanine, played by the super-talented Kate Winslet, is heading a major scheme to kill her and all Divergents.  

Theo James as Four

Tris will have to learn to trust the enigmatic and handsome Four, played by Theo James, and the two of them will have to find out why being a Divergent is so perilous before time runs out for them.  One thing is sure, this movie will have a lot of action.

Costume Design for Divergent 

Carlo Poggioli is the costume designer for Divergent.  He was costumer designer on Cold Mountain (BAFTA Nominee for Best Costume Design) and on the TV Mini-Series The Mists of Avalon (Emmy Nominated for Best Costume Design).  Poggioli won the Capri Umberto Tirelli Award in 2007, as well as the Genie award and the Jutra Award in 2008 for the beautiful film, Silk, starring Michael Pitt and Keira Knightley.

Divergent Movie Poster

More recently, he has worked as costume designer on Season of the Witch, The Raven, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and still in production: Romeo and Juliet and The Zero Theorem.  His work on Divergent has simple tones, gray, black and white as the main color scheme, and a very futuristic feel.  

When Poggioli completed the sketches for the film, he told eonline.com "The colors they wear are shades of grey, the fabrics are all natural fibers and very plain, like wool and cottons. And the cut of the clothes is very simple and rough..." However, the trailer and the official released pictures do show a powerful aesthetic that could make him a contender for some nominations once again. 

 Divergent Fashion & Beauty Inspiration

  

Courtesy of instyle.com, these are just a few examples of Divergent-inspired workout gear

Click the link above to see a whole range of Divergent-inspired workout clothing by various designers. Below are just a couple of examples of how the movie is inspiring jewelry design:                                              

Left:  $10 on Etsy.com

Right:  

TomTom Earrings

as seen on   Instyle.com's  22 Edgy

Accessories to Look Divergent Tough

On the beauty front, Sephora has released a Sephora Divergent Cosmetics line, with three products.  Most popular is the Divergent Multi-Piece Collectors Kit (below), which is an exclusive limited edition and sells for $59.50. 

According to Sephora's website, to own it will allow you to "Embody the traits of each Divergent faction with 4 palettes for eyes and cheek, 4 lip glosses, and a brush."  To see the entire line, go to Sephora's site here: Sephora Divergent Cosmetics Line

Divergent is one of those films that will be trend-setting, from clothing to makeup to jewelry.  How far will it infiltrate the fashion industry and how long will it last?  That remains to be seen.  Nonetheless, I'm eager to see this one.  Watch for a review as soon as I get to the theater to see it.

Please leave your feedback and comments, and vote in the latest poll about which movie(s) you are most excited about seeing with release dates in March and April.  Divergent is in that list with four other films.

Divergent Trailer courtesy of YouTube.

Divergent  character pics and movie poster courtesy of divergentthemovie.com.
Carlo Poggioli bio information courtesy of IMDB and eonline.
Fashion inspirations courtesy of instyle.com, Etsy.com & Sephora.com