Starring Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons
Directed by Andrew Niccol
When you see a movie based on a Stephenie Meyer novel, theres a good chance it will bear several hallmarks of a specific genre a moody, hormone-fueled teen love triangle is certainly one of them. However, in this case, a convincing performance and a sci-fi twist make The Host a lot more tolerable than any Twilight film.
In the not too distant future, a parasitic alien race has taken over the world and infiltrated the human minds of most of the planets population. Saoirse Ronan (Hanna, Atonement) stars as Melanie, a young girl with the ability to control her minds own invader who actually manages to communicate with the entity.
These conversations are voiced through inner monologue, which seem silly at first but soon settle into an effective narrative struggle for the character.She finds herself on the run from The Seeker (Diane Kruger) and comes across a band of non-assimilated humans hiding in the desert; this is also where the inevitable romance ensues courtesy of Max Irons and Jake Abel.
Unfortunately, the sappy and often forced love story that forms the core of Meyers plot comes off as contrived here and overshadows an intriguing premise that director Andrew Niccol conveys so effectively at the start of the film. The screenplay is heavy-handed and much of the production design lacks creative flair. However, Ronans commitment to the conflicted character adds real weight to her role and despite its flaws The Host takes itself seriously enough to pose some insightful questions.
