At the conclusion of Lois Lowry’s timeless book, The Giver’s main character seems to have escaped from his isolated community, thereby making him hear music and see colors for the first time in his life. In fact, this YA classic is reminiscent of the latest sci-fi film Divinity that ends on a similar note, but it is not a spoiler, though. It definitely has an open ending like most of the other parts of Divinity, in which Dorff stars as Jaxxon, who is son to a genius inventor (Bakula) who almost invented something that would bring eternal youth and everlasting life to humanity before he died.
Though he does die and leave his inventions behind for his son Jaxxon (Dorff), an egocentric child who finds no better use for such technology than financial gains. Besides being part of some Oscar-winning works by Soderbergh including Behind the Candelabra and The Informant! Bakula also features in Divinity whose executive producer is none other than Steven Soderbergh himself. This should be reason enough why you should watch filmmaker Eddie Alcazar’s new experimental endeavor which is now showing in theaters.
The film begins with Bakula sitting in front of us portraying Sterling Pierce at day 3, 003 just going about his chores at work station. There are scenes from his lab as he creates something without explanation leaving everyone guessing what it might be. After that we are thrown forward far into the future but still within the same visual presentation: darkness shadows everywhere blackness monochromaticity even though this film looks like it was made many years ago. Is this Earth or another planet somewhere inhabited by people? Are these human beings or some kind of aliens? Whether or not it isn’t clear — we’re intrigued again already locked in anticipation? Perhaps its overall desaturated appearance tends to remind one about earlier independent movies such as Eraserhead.
The movie starts by having Bakula himself playing as Sterling Pierce looking at us and saying it is “day 3,003” of his job. He is in a laboratory of sorts and working on some mysterious creation he only gives hints to. Then we get shot forward in time for what seems like many years though the film’s look remains unchanged—dark, monochromatic and shadowy. Is this Earth or another planet for unknown purposes? Are they human beings or alien humanoids? No matter how much uncertainty there is—we are drawn in anyway – but not defined by it. This overall de-saturated look also resembles other indie classics of the past such as Eraserhead et al.
After some flashy opening credits, we’re years into the future and finally learn what ’Divinity’ refers to: it’s the serum Sterling has been working on, which adult Jaxxon now advertises on TV. Want to live forever? Taking some Divinity might just do the trick. The commercial says “It is true immortality of both body and mind,” Dorff plays Jaxxon in a kind of jittery, scatter-brained mad scientist who never stops working day or night at his lab. However an even worse thing happens as he lays down with his stunning girlfriend (Emily Willis) one evening in their home: two strange brothers (Moises Arias & Jason Genao) break into his abode then hit them with retro-style stun guns leaving Jaxxon unconscious while those guys kidnap him.
The film begins with Bakula himself playing as Sterling Pierce looking at us and saying it is “day 3,003” of his job. He is in a laboratory of sorts and working on some mysterious creation he only gives hints to. Then we get shot forward in time for what seems like many years though the film’s look remains unchanged—dark, monochromatic and shadowy. Is this Earth or another planet for unknown purposes? Are they human beings or alien humanoids? No matter how much uncertainty there is—we are drawn in anyway – but not defined by it. This overall de-saturated look also resembles other indie classics of the past such as Eraserhead et al.
After some flashy opening credits, we’re years into the future and finally learn what “Divinity” is referring to: It’s Sterling’s serum he has been making, and now his grown-up son Jaxxon advertises it on TV. Want to live forever? Taking some Divinity might just do the trick. “True immortality of both body and mind,” as the commercial goes. Dorff plays Jaxxon as a sort of jumpy, scatterbrained mad scientist who works all day and night. But then, disaster strikes: His home is invaded while he’s in bed with his gorgeous significant other (Emily Willis), and he’s taken down with a sort of retro stun gun and taken captive by two mysterious brothers (Moises Arias and Jason Genao).
In a decade where Psycho, The Sound of Music, and Goldfinger were high-grossing releases, these titles appealed to underground cinephiles.
In separate, bleak-white scenes reminiscent of certain universes from the Daniels’ Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once, Bella Thorne (good to see you) plays Ziva, a sort of cult-like leader of women who preaches about the dangers of the ever-popular Divinity drug in their dystopian world, a world which we later learn is plagued by a 97% infertility rate. “Divinity is the crisis,” she says. Are the brothers an extension of this ideology? Is that why they kidnapped Jaxxon?
The stoic nature of the brothers might remind Breaking Bad fans of the bald twins who were also featured in Better Call Saul. After taking down Jaxxon, they hook him up to lethal amounts of Divinity via an I.V. sort of setup, which sends Jaxxon into utter panic when he awakes. “We’re trying to save you,” they say. How so? To reveal the truly dangerous nature of a drug that apparently makes you harder, faster, younger, stronger?
Then, enter Nikita (Karrueche Tran), who arrives at the brothers’ residence for a night of intimacy but whose motives may or may not be ulterior as she soon discovers the captive Jaxxon, who’s been hidden away. Writer-director Alcazar doesn’t lay everything out for you explicitly, making for a thought-provoking little film, so I apologize if my takeaways on certain plot points aren’t the same as what you perceive. But it seems like Nikita is hired to show the brothers a good time for the night, but once she sees the increasingly ailing Jaxxon, with endless amounts of Divinity pumping into his blood, she tries to set him free. But it’s a grotesque image as Jaxxon starts to bulge in unpleasant ways and lose his mind. You’ll see…
All the while we are shown flashes of an incredibly buff man from Jaxxon’s Divinity commercial that appears to be fully successful in creating such serum. His name is Rip (played to perfection by famed bodybuilder Michael O’Hearn) and later in the story their special connection is explained. Meanwhile, Jaxxon starts hallucinating (probably thanks to his bulging forehead, as pictured above) and sees visions of his late father condemning him for his use of Sterling’s invention. “You used it in the worst possible way,” says Sterling to his son.
Jaxxon is finally able to break loose from his captivity and seek revenge on the impulsive brothers who turned him into a bulky brute. In the end, however, it is rather a puppet show that could leave some viewers wondering but it is an original vision and attempt at something different – Metascope as Alcazar himself puts it – which contributes in part to Divinity’s somewhat absurdist nature as a film.
“Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it,” they advise.
It also features that crazy ending we discussed earlier involving “child” birth, which will undoubtedly have moviegoers arguing amongst themselves about its meaning. All these reasons among others might make Divinity a film that will be studied in future film studies classes. In an era characterized by colors, vintage black-and-white look has made its way back to the cinema recently. Alcazar’s new film — The Vandal (short) also produced by him — helps achieve the intended retro-futuristic look of late which again became popular lately due to this director.
Another positive point here is great casting especially Dorff as the main character; conflicted inheritor of magical serum. Despite being older in Hollywood now he still has that young face that complements his childlike personality as Jaxxon even when dead he talks like crying or telling father Sterling in tears. And mix things up with occasional 1:1 aspect ratio too for good measure; you’ve got yourself another new experimental feature to chew on. Thanks to Mr Soderbergh’s faith, Divinity becomes divine. It’s not for everyone, but cinephiles need apply.
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