Mockingjay Part 1: Did anything happen?

As a reader of The Hunger Games trilogy I of course went to see the third film adaptation of the series, Mockingjay Part 1 (directed by Gary Ross). I thought the film was a pretty good representation of the first half of the book, where nothing happens at all....

Most of the film consisted of "Katniss" (Jennifer Lawrence) walking through the rubble of destroyed districts while on the brink of tears. Now I understand Lawrence was probably filming a couple other projects either side by side or pretty close to the filming of Mockingjay, but her performance plays true to the quote "don't bite off more than you can chew". I found her performance to be lazy and completely lacking in truth. We've all seen "Katniss" grow throughout the past two films as a true heroine; Strong, detached, full of mystery yet always willing to take the bullet. This "Katniss" did not honor her. After going through the games not once, but TWO times, don't you think she'd have lost some vulnerability? The games, where the only way to survive is to become literally inhumane. Don't you think she would have not only run out of tears to shed, but also forget that she's even human. All I saw was a weak, sappy, and irritatingly naive young girl which caused me to wonder, "what happened to our Katniss?". The entire film relied on Lawrence's performance because, as I said before, nothing actually happens. Her talent was the only thing keeping this well done blockbuster from turning into a typical hollywood sham of a film; which is exactly what Mockingjay is. 

As for the rest of the sub-par film, "Katniss" (Lawrence) and "Gale" (Hemsworth) had absolutely no chemistry, which is strange because apparently they are very close in real life. The tension between the two characters was a huge flame in the last book that kept the story flowing, which unfortunately is lacking in the adaptation. 

The only thing that makes this film worth watching (if it is at all) is the amazing and surprising performance by Josh Hutcherson. I was a bit unimpressed by him in the first two films, but I must say I was blown away by him in Mockingjay. during his screen time which consisted mostly of close-ups, he captivates the audience with his honesty, perplexity, and the twinging pain that seems to never leave his eyes. I left the theatre saying to myself "Where did he come from?". Lawrence was clearly the stronger actor in the first two films and in this one they seemed to have switched places. 

While the late Philip Seymour Hoffman as well as veterans Julianne Moore, Donald Sutherland, and Woody Harrelson did pull in fine performances, there just wasn't much for them to do with this half told story. I kind of forgot about them...

All I ask is that when there is $125 Million on the line, please for the love of art MAKE SOMETHING WORTH WATCHING. If the studios in Hollywood weren't so consumed with making money and they actually concentrated on the QUALITY of the films, then guess what? Everyone would win! We'd get to see great quality films and they'd STILL get to make tons and tons of money. But ya know what?  Tons and tons of money just isn't good enough for them. Mockingjay so very obviously should have been one movie and the only reason it's not is because now they get to make DOUBLE.  

Thoughts on Interstellar, Birdman, and Gone Girl

The last three movies I saw were Interstellar, Birdman, and Gone Girl (directors- Christopher Nolan, Alejandro González Iñárritu, and David Fincher).  Each of these films are extremely well acted, written, and directed, and are already contenders in this years award season. I did however notice a strange similarity in the way I felt when leaving the theatre for both Birdman and Gone Girl that was drastically different than the way I felt when leaving Interstellar.

I'm very empathetic which can be fun while watching movies, as I truly feel that I'm sharing the experience with the characters. Of course this can also be emotionally and even physically disruptive while watching something painful (emotionally or physically) since I share that experience as well. While watching Birdman I felt very connected to the lead character (Riggin- played by Michael Keaton) because actors share similar "demons", mostly leading back to the need for outside acceptance and praise in order to feel fulfilled. Although I related to the character of "Riggin" which is wonderful, the film left me very emotionally confused. I felt there was no solution to this "demon" living inside Keaton's character, which made me think there was no solution to my own "demons". I felt that the film forced me to look backward at my personal problems instead of looking forward into the light at the end of the tunnel.

A similar emotion arose after seeing Gone Girl when the only conclusion I could come up with was, "both of these people are terrible." I felt confused as to why I spent over two hours watching humanity at it's worst with absolutely no message behind it. This too made me look backward on the world's issues instead of forward.

I know that every film can't be happy and positive the whole way through, and I personally would find that extremely boring. What I do think every Studio film should have at this point in time is a message that makes people think FORWARD. We know our society's issues. Everybody with an active facebook knows the condition of the world today in every aspect and from every person's point of view. We are on the brink of a spiritual and scientific revolution where we can share ideas and beliefs without filter whenever and with whomever we want. The lines are blurring and the light is spreading like wild fire. I think it's about time the media caught up.

I know It's easy to say, "A movie is just a movie", but think about what our subconscious takes from these blockbuster films. Movies like Interstellar force us to think progressively because of it's message. I'm not saying every film has to be about literal progression like Interstellar. I'm saying the most beautiful messages are always intertwined within the darkest of tales, and that might be the only thing I know certain to be true in this life. Why put something out there for the world to see that hones in on yesterdays problems, unless it leads us somewhere new? Where there is darkness there is always light and that message should be underlaid whenever possible.