THE DIVIDE

     MICHAEL BIEHN  LAUREN GERMAN  MILO VENTIMIGLIA  ROSANNA ARQUETTE

AFTER A NUCLEAR ATTACK ON NEW YORK, NINE PEOPLE END UP IN A BOMB SHELTER IN THE BASEMENT OF AN APARTMENT BUILDING.  THE SHELTER WAS BUILT BY THE BUILDING'S SUPER MICKEY (BIEHN), AND INCLUDES EVA (GERMAN), JOSH (VENTIMIGLIA) AND MARILYN (ARQUETTE) WHO NOT ONLY ARE TRYING TO SURVIVE TO NUCLEAR FALLOUT BUT ARE ALSO TRYING TO SURVIVE EACH OTHER.
THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE MOVIES WHERE PEOPLE ARE HOLED UP TOGETHER AND THEN WE GET TO WATCH THEM INTERACT AS THEY SLOWLY DEVOLVE INTO THE BASIC ANIMALISTIC BEASTS HUMANS ARE.  AS A RESULT, THIS MOVIE CAN BE HARD AND DISTURBING TO WATCH: SOME SCENES ARE VERY BRUTAL, SOME SCENES ARE VERY PHYSICALLY RAW AND SOME SCENES ARE JUST INDESCRIBABLE. 
THE DIRECTION WAS GOOD, IT KEPT THE STORY FLOWING AND THE TENSION CRANKED UP.  ACCORDING TO THE DVD COMMENTARY, THE DIRECTOR ALLOWED THE ACTORS TO DO QUITE A BIT OF IMPROVISATION, AND I THINK THAT ADDED A LOT TO THE REALISM OF THE CHARACTERS. 
AS FOR THE ACTING, I THOUGHT MICKEY WAS A LITTLE OVER THE TOP A FEW TIMES; JOSH WENT FROM A BRASH YOUNG MAN TO A VERY CHILLING DARK DICTATOR LIKE ANIMAL.  BUT I WAS MOST IMPRESSED WITH ARQUETTE: HER MARILYN STARTS OFF AS A VERY SCARED MOTHER WITH A YOUNG DAUGHTER TO BECOMING THE SEXUAL PLAYTHING OF JOSH AND HIS PARTNER, ALLOWING HERSELF TO BE SEXUALLY BRUTALIZED WITH TRAGIC RESULTS.
THIS ISN'T AN UPLIFTING MOVIE, IT IS DARK, BRUTAL, DISTURBING AND ENDS VERY BLEAKLY.  THAT BEING SAID, IT IS HARD TO RECOMMEND, BUT I FEEL IT IS A MOVIE YOU SHOULD SEE.
RATING  3 out of 5