Film Review: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire   10/10
Director: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth
Plot: A rebellion occurs after Katniss and Peeta succeed in the 74^th Hunger Games. President Snow must now seek justice and revenge.

Well, well, well. The Hunger Games – released back in March 2012 – surprised audiences worldwide with its chilling political message. Labelled a ‘teen franchise’ before it even began; Gary Ross turned the stigma surrounding this so-called ‘Battle Royale’ copycat and ‘Twilight’ successor onto its head. The first film was shocking yet ultimately unsatisfying, leaving audiences craving for more. This time around, Catching Fire is unbelievably epic and satisfying.

Firstly, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is beautifully shot and one of the most atmospheric films of the year. From the get-go, Francis Lawrence throws us into the murky, distorted yet familiar world of District 12. Cinematographer Jo Willems captures the setting perfectly; the light blues are particularly effective when we see Katniss and Gale together in the forest; giving the forest a chilling effect. In addition, the special effects have stepped up ten notches since the first film. The sweeping shots of the tribute train zooming from district to district are truly beautiful and completely believable. It is however the arena scenes where the budget (approximately $130 million compared to the first film’s $78 million) really shows. Colossal shots – which were left out of the trailers, thank goodness – such as giant waves, fighting monkeys and deadly mists, are captivating to watch on the big screen.

Katniss, played by Jennifer Lawrence, is nothing short of phenomenal here. She steals each and every scene she’s in. Her most heartbreaking scene may well be her speech to Rue’s family – a victim of the previous Games - as well as the moment afterwards in which Lawrence is pulled away as the audience rebels. It’s really quite difficult to put into words Lawrence’s excellence in this film.

Though Lawrence shines, there are other notable cast members. President Snow, played by Donald Sutherland, takes a more pivotal role in this second instalment; an earlier scene where he and Katniss have a face-off in her new home is utterly captivating to watch. It’s so very rare you see a younger and older actor and actress play off a scene so perfectly. You don’t for one moment doubt their seriousness and realism in the scene. Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket also returns with some extraordinary costumes and make-up throughout the film; some so laughably outrageous, that you can’t help but love her. Stanley Tucci plays a far different side to Caesar Flickerman this time around; his role, to keep the viewers at home away from the news of the rebellion, is so interesting to watch. The fear in his eyes as all the Victors hold their hands up in the air makes you realise how high the stakes are. You see him realise, for the first time, that he has been contributing to these games. These small touches are the most memorable, which is a reason to believe that this film series is working.

Sam Clafin is also a new addition, who works well as Finnick Odair. His accent is carried out surprisingly well and it’ll be interesting to see how he develops his character through Mockingjay. The most brave, outrageous and excellent addition has to be Jena Malone as Johanna. She is by far the most intriguing tribute to watch, and flourishes whenever she comes onto the screen – her interview before the Games and the ‘lift scene’ are just two of her many highlights.

In Conclusion: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is ultimately flawless. As a book to film adaptation, it works perfectly for book fans and casual moviegoers alike. Jennifer Lawrence is superb and the supporting cast alongside her reflect how this series is truly about its characters. And finally, Francis Lawrence has directed an intense rollercoaster which culminates in a chilling final shot – Mockingjay has a lot to live up to.

Film Review: Gravity

Gravity   8/10
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Starring: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris
Plot: a tragic accident leaves a medical engineer and astronaut out in space, alone.

It’s difficult to find an adjective a newspaper, magazine or blog hasn't yet used to describe Gravity; but here’s a start, unique.

Following the space antics of Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney), Gravity thrusts its audience into the abyss. To begin with, the most impressive aspect of this film is its visual effects. As impressive as the performances are, Gravity presents audiences with effects unlike any they’ve seen before. As a viewer, I didn’t once question whether the events were really occurring in space; the effects are so seamlessly put together, that there doesn’t seem to be one, poorly established or unfinished shot – it all looks so real. In addition, the 3D here is phenomenal. So many films have tried and failed to achieve what Avatar did in 2009, which was a cinematic experience like no other. Gravity continues this ‘must see in cinemas’ hype, which is an occurrence all too rare.

Though its effects are top-notch, it’d be an incredibly thin piece of cinema if its acting didn’t stand up to the mark also. Thankfully, it does. George Clooney does what he does best here, which is… George Clooney. He’s utterly charming as Matt; a character who assists Ryan from the get-go. The main star here though is Sandra Bullock. Her fairly turbulent (pardon the pun) yet – at times – phenomenally successful run in the genre of comedy has become only natural to her. Thankfully though, she has finally returned to the other job she does best; getting down and dirty in a role. Like in the Blind Side, we see Bullock transform into a completely different person, and Ryan is the perfect role for her. Her portrayal is utterly heartbreaking at times, yet steely and determined during others.

Whilst there is much to applaud in Gravity, there are flaws. Firstly, on entering the cinema, I hadn’t once heard how incredibly cliché and corny the dialogue was going to be. At first I considered it a mockery of other science-fiction films but it continued throughout. The painfully random, out-of-place Bullock line, “I hate space” seems forced and if anything, annoying. Unfortunately, such dialogue continues throughout; it seems as if Cuaron (director and writer) was too insistent on keeping these characters grounded (again, pardon the pun), whilst they seem (mainly Clooney’s character) a lot less grounded than they should.

In Conclusion: Gravity’s running time of 90 minutes has become so very rare in today’s cinema, yet it fits its time comfortably and its pace doesn’t falter once. Sandra Bullock is the one to note here, stealing the show throughout, spinning alongside the flawless graphics. Cuaron has crafted a very technically complex film here and you wouldn’t think it had taken so long to make – a real masterpiece in filmmaking.