MOVIE MONDAYS: THE HUNGER GAMES + CATCHING FIRE
May the odds be ever in your favour.
I made the grievous mistake a couple years ago of assuming that it was no big deal if I did not go and see The Hunger Games in the cinema when it came out. I thought it would be a poor attempt to fill the void that was created due to the end of Harry Potter and, dare I say it, the Twilight saga. My sister proceeded to inform me that it was based on a book (written by Suzanne Collins) and that it was just up my street. As she knows me pretty well I buried my nose in her copy of the book. And from the 1st chapter I was hooked! It is sooo different from the Harry Potter and Twilight series. The story is about dire situation a group of people find themselves in which results in them depending solely on their survival instincts. It focuses on the choices a young girl, Katniss, makes to protect her own and the consequences that follow. I am aware that this is a very vague description but you should know better than to expect more than that from me.
I remember trying to figure out how to pronounce Peeta's name and coming to grips with how barbaric this world seemed. And of course, I was completely won over by Rue's character.
It is hard not to be.
But you know me, after reading the book I now knew the entire plot of the film and was not pleased at all. So, I decided to wait for the film to come out on DVD because by that I time I should have forgotten most of the details and be able to watch it with fresh eyes. But of course life got in the way as usual and with the many coursework and project deadlines to meet, the desire to watch The Hunger Games or read the other two books in the series slowly fizzled out.
It was only when the whole of Manchester was covered in Catching Fire posters and the trailer for it was shown at the beginning of most of the films I have seen in the cinema lately did the desire to find out about all things 'The Hunger Games' resurface. So, last Friday I was umming and ahhing over what movie to see on Saturday as I still hadn't gotten my hands on a copy of The Hunger Games DVD yet. My good friend Mercy reminded me about the aim of Netflix so I quickly headed over Saturday morning and searched their database for The Hunger Games. I did not have to search at all as it was on my homepage. I was grinning from ear to ear. I pressed play (after faffing around with uninstalling and re-installing Microsoft Silverlight- so annoying!) and spent the next 2 hours or so crying. I began to have second thoughts about going to see Catching Fire and wondered if I should just go and see Captain Phillips or The Butler like I had originally planned.
I never realised I was such a big marshmallow.
Sat on the floor whilst I waited in line for us to be allowed entry into Screen 2
As Mercy and I had planned to go see the 5.15 pm showing at the cinema Saturday evening I thought it prudent to get my tickets at least an hour beforehand. And boy was I right in doing so. I was 4th in line when I made my way to Screen 2 and in the space of 10 mins the line got incredibly long and dense. Not that I was too surprised as the movie was only released on the 21st and it was the 5.15pm showing on a Saturday. I was so please with my position in the queue as it meant that I had a 100% chance of getting my favourite seat and being completely happy for the rest of the movie. I do not know about you but where I sit in the cinema is a huge deal for me :/
Onto the movie...
Just like I predicted, I spent the next 2 hours or so crying haha. I am pathetic. I loved every bit of Catching Fire and can now see why everyone loves Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone; Silver Linings Playbook; House At the End of The Street)- she plays the role of Katniss. You see, The Hunger Games was the 1st movie I had knowingly seen her in (I did not realise she was in X-Men: First Class!!).
I know. I know. Where have I been?? But early this year I came up with the grand idea of waiting until I saw The Hunger Games before I check out her other work. I know I am weird but that is just how my mind works sometimes. Catching Fire sucked me in from the start. Maybe this was because I had just seen part one of this series less the 2 hours earlier and so all the emotions were still fresh, I dunno. But I was hooked. I was hanging onto every passing scene and every characters word. It was directed wonderfully by Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend; Water For Elephants) and the screenplay was penned beautifully by Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire; 127 Hours) and Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine; Toy Story 3).
There are too many things I loved about this film. The hair, make-up and costumes were fantastic. The new characters were intriguing. The story was captivating. The suspense was forever present. The acting was great. There was humour laced amongst the angst which was great news for me as my eyes were drowning in tears and needed a break every now and then to recharge lol.
Alongside Jennifer Lawrence there are a host of great actors who brought this story to life. Peeta, the polite, thoughtful, loveable and honourable boy who is Katniss' partner in crime was played by Josh Hutcherson (The Kids Are Alright; Red Dawn; Journey 2: The Mysterious Island). Gale, the strong, trustworthy and caring boy whom Katniss trusts with her an her family's lives was played by Liam Hemsworth (The Last Song; Love and Honour;Paranoia). Elisabeth Banks (Zack and Miri Make A Porno; Man On A Ledge; Pitch Perfect) reprised her role as the flamboyant yet loveable Effie, Katniss and Peeta's escort. The charming and ever so talented costume designer for Katniss and Peeta, Cinna, was played by Lenny Kravitz. Good ol'Stanley Tucci (The Fifth Estate; The Devil Wears Prada; Easy A) is also back with his role as the funny host for The Hunger Games who has really white teeth and a unique haistyle, Caesar. Aaaand!!! Jena Malone (Saved!; Into the Wild; The Messenger) also appears in Catching Fire as Johanna- a feisty girl who is not afraid to voice her own opinions. I could sit here all day and talk about all my favourite characters but I am conscious of how long this post is already so I think I will stop here lol.
I might be totally over-hyping the movie...
I just really really liked it. I now want The Hunger Games DVD for Christmas as well as the box set of the books. I feel safe reading Catching Fire and Mockingjay now because I will most likely forget the details by the time the next movie comes out...I hope.
Now, if you manged to read every single word wrote kudos to you!! I did not realise this would be such a long post :/. If you were looking for something to watch this week I do not think that this would be a bad choice at all... unless you definitely know that this is not your thing.
Till next time!
Luv, Mo
xx