Oh my god.
Okay, so as you all know I am in love with this trilogy, so seeing this movie was a big thing for me.
I desperately tried not to build it up too much because I know that I can get easily disappointed, but I really, really wasn't.
I already explained the storyline in my review of the books... so I'm just going to go straight ahead with the movie review, if that's alright? ;)
I just want to first say, the cast is FANTASTIC!
Jennifer Lawrence, for a start, is perfect for this role. I love her because she doesn't overplay it, but somehow gets the right emotions put across in the right places. To me, she just is Katniss. Katniss is (in my opinion) supposed to be strong, but I think in the sense that she wants to show others that she is strong. She is still just a girl, who cares about her family and friends and her district, so the parts where she breaks down (without giving any spoilers) are my favourite, as Lawrence's really brings out Katniss' weaknesses. Josh Hutcherson is another perfect choice. Peeta, I think, goes into the games with the acceptance that he is going to die (still not giving anything away). It's almost heartbreaking how he feels less important next to Katniss, but Hutcherson's way of showing it really strengthens Peeta's character, as we see how through this acceptance, he really wants to concentrate on saving Katniss - not himself.
Hutcherson's portrayal of Peeta is calm and genuine, which makes him entirely lovable - which is what Peeta is meant to be - as noted by Suzanne Collins (author of The Hunger Games) and character Haymitch who says in both book and film how Peeta is easy to like - and I definitely agree!
Gale, played by Liam Hemsworth, I almost just as I pictured him. Very tall, dark hair and completely attractive. One thing I loved about the film adaptation is the way we were able to see clips of Gale (even if they were very short) whilst the games were going on, as I had always wondered what his reactions would be. Hemsworth is equally as brilliant as his co-stars, though we see very little of him. The scenes he shares with Lawrence -though short- really allow us to see the relationship between Gale and Katniss straight away, and how similar they are in terms of their beliefs, family values and their attitudes towards the Capitol and the Games.
Nearly finished I promise....
The last Character I want to look at (though there are many more I could look at...) is Effie Trinket played by Elizabeth Banks. Effie is one of my favourite characters of the book, just because she is so groomed and particular, and I think she doesn't really know what she believes - just that she needs to do her job, and so she does it. Elizabeth Banks plays Effie to perfection. One thing I did notice straight away was that she has interpreted the Capitol accent. It was very subtle and seemed almost natural, but is so important to the overall character of Effie. Banks also managed to create a whole personna for Effie in the way she carries herself and poises her arms upright in a natural pose. It is definitely the smaller details all added together to create Effie's character and you can see how each has been individually thought out by Banks in the development of this character. She definitely didn't disappoint me.
Okay so, one more thing before I leave you all again...
I just wanted to point out that The Hunger Games is NOT a love story!
I would love to sit here and tell you what it is about, but really I think it is open greatly to interpretation. Perhaps one day I will do blog post on it.... ;)
Until we blog again,
x
