The Hunger Games – Mockingjay Part 1: Pretty Good.

Director Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games, I am Legend) has delivered a pretty good sequel with Mockingjay1. For fans of the series and the films, this installment is basically Catching Fire but with a far less interesting plot.

Premise: Katniss is now in District 13 after District 12 is destroyed. President Coin tries to convince her that she must be the Mockingjay, the symbol of the revolution. Result: More a psychological thriller with limited action, the film is a pretty good set up for the upcoming final installment.

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) is back again after a second bout in the Hunger Games that landed her in the midst of rebellion. Yet her days are spent essentially moping despite some familiar faces: Gale (Liam Hemsworth), her mom and Prim, a shell-shocked Finnick (Sam Claflin), and even the detoxing duo of Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) and Effie (Elizabeth Banks) – one from booze and the other from accessories.

But Katniss can’t quite shake the absence of her pretend love, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) who suffers endlessly at the hands of President Snow (Donald Sutherland) in the Capital. And so despite her melancholy. District 13 President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) and Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) plot to make Katniss the reluctant heroine of a revolution.

The Hunger Games – Catching Fire: A Thriller That’s an Improvement on the First

Despite a legacy of mediocre films, director Francis Lawrence (I am Legend, Constantine) has delivered anything but with Catching Fire.  The film is itself is a great improvement on the first, while still continuing the legacy of characters and events fans of the Trilogy and the first film have come to love.

Premise: The second installment of The Hunger Games Trilogy finds Katniss back in the arena with far greater dangers than before. Result: An action-packed sequel that builds on the success of the first and goes far beyond.

Catching Fire picks up where the first film leaves off, with Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) struggling in the physical, political and emotional aftermath of the last Hunger Games.  She walks a fine line: she has been seen as an inspiration to the Districts and President Snow (Donald Sutherland) is eager to stomp out this flame in its infancy.

She has her allies in Love-Interest #1 Gale (Liam Hemsworth) and Love-interest #2 Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), with whom she won the Hunger Games.  She has her family still and the rest of her motley entourage in Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) and Effie (Elizabeth Banks); but the daily struggles only worsen as the Capital become ever more fearful of the District’s unruliness, believed at its heart to be Katniss’s doing.

Now You See Me: A Unique Thriller Worth Seeing

Director Louis Leterrier (The Transporter, Clash of the Titans) has produced one of the more enjoyable films of the early summer, using magic in this thriller to entice audiences.  While the film is far from perfect and has a few notable misses, it is fun, interesting and exhilarating from start to finish.

Premise: Four independent magicians unite to form The Four Horsemen, a new magic act that appears to have some seriously criminal implications. Result: A fun crime thriller with a unique magical spin that is sure to delight all the way through.

The fundamental premise of Now You See Me is that magic, if nothing else, is entertainment.  But hidden in this entertainment, this joy brought to observers, is a certain power, as magic is also, at its heart, the art of trickery and audience manipulation.

It is these two concepts that pervade this story, introducing four magicians, each at a different stage in their lives and careers: J. Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), an acclaimed magician on the world scene; Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher), Atlas’ former love interest and assistant who terrifies audiences with death-defying stunts; Merritt McKinney (Woody Harrelson), a former hypnotism juggernaut who has somewhat fallen from grace in recent years; and Jack Wilder (Dave Franco), a novice who is still too unaccomplished to use his skill for more than petty theft.

But all four are brought together by some mysterious agent who introduces them to a plan that was “designed long ago.”  Quickly audiences are transported to a year later, where the motley crew has transformed into The Four Horsemen, an astounding magic act financed by insurance czar Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine) and stalked by notorious magic-debunker Thaddeus Bradley (Morgan Freeman). It is here that they begin their true magical journey, robbing a bank in Paris as one of their great illusions.

Instantly, the “crime” goes Federal, bringing in FBI agent Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and InterPol agent Alma Dray (Mélanie Laurent) to figure out just how these Horsemen robbed the bank. And yet even as they interrogate the suspects and attempt the same with Bradley, there is never the sense that they or other high profile agents like Fuller (Michael Kelly) and Evans (Common) are ever any closer than many steps behind.

Instead, the four magicians simply become more powerful, leveling several more fascinating targets through some really intriguing acts.  This all amidst a hapless Rhodes and company who appear genuinely out matched throughout; but rather than detract from the film, it simply elevates the excitement of these characters and their amazing feats.

It should also be noted that audiences will also take extreme delight from Bradley’s explanations of the truth behind the magic, transforming the film from a series of unexplained events into a crime thriller with delightful twists and turns, some which importantly, even Bradley cannot explain. Audiences inadvertently play the contradictory roles of wide-awed children and incredulous adults as they are both thrilled by the magic but wish to uncover the mystery it in its own right.

Add in some entertaining car chases and an extremely memorable “magic” fight scene between Rhodes and Wilder and the film successfully lands the punches needed to keep audiences invested.

Of course, the film does have a few weaknesses.  First, Rhodes comes off more as a moronic cop than a genuine FBI agent – while this ultimately is explained, it could have been delivered with a bit less scenery chewing.

Additionally, the introduction of The Eye, doubts about Dray, and several other plot lines are only partially explained, leaving a certain sense of unfinished business.  This is particularly evident in the film’s resolution: while it is an extremely enjoyable twist overall, it is delivered poorly, lingering a bit too long in the realm of over-dramatization.

Fortunately, the performances in the film hit their respective marks.  Harrelson’s performance is most consistently the funniest and most memorable, but Fisher, Franco and Eisenberg all hold their own (this is a film where Eisenberg’s one character works again).

Ruffalo is fairy consistent throughout although there are a few too many valleys that shadow the performance. Laurent is good as always although her mysterious demeanor never really pays off in this film; she is almost too mysterious for the eventual outcome. Freeman and Caine are each quite effective, as would be expected, and their back-and-forth is delightful.

Ultimately, Now You See Me is a pleasure for fans of magic, crime thrillers, or exciting mysteries.  While the result somehow seems a bit rushed and possibly too light for the build-up, it still leaves a strong impression.

Rating: 7- A refreshing Champagne that a cute bartender comp’d you

The Hunger Games: Certainly Fun and Filling, But Not Exactly What We Were Craving…

There is no denying that director Gary Ross’s (Seabiscuit, Pleasantville) cinematic version of The Hunger Games, the first book in the Suzanne Collins epic trilogy, is exhilarating, beautiful, and worth seeing.  However, the chasm felt between the impact and emotional connection found in the books and that not felt in the film is vast and unsettling.  While the film was a fun ride, it is far from what it could and should have been.

Premise: Set in a dystopian future where the Capitol selects Tributes, a boy and girl, from each of the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen is amongst those chosen for the latest match. Result: A strong, often thrilling film that never quite gets better than fun and exciting despite so much to work with.

It is often said that movies are rarely better than the books they are based on.  While a general rule of thumb, audiences time and time again hold out hope that the characters they know and love, the plots they followed intimately, and the emotional connections they enjoyed would be splashed on screen for their visual pleasure.  We long as cinephiles for film to bridge the gaps between our individual and collective imaginations and confirm our sentiments.  But this is far from a simple task and more often than not, audiences are left with disappointment rather than validation.

While it is certainly unfair to judge a film solely as it correlates to a book, especially as many observers will not have read the book (as in the case of The Hunger Games), to delink the two does a disservice to the artists who created the stories and visuals as well as to those who love them.  And so, in the case of The Hunger Games, we are given a story written with an elegance and intensity that inspired, rattled and thoroughly enraptured audiences but a film that although thoroughly enjoyable, failed to elicit the depth of human response it attempted to.

The film begins with a brief narrative explaining the Hunger Games along with an equally brief introduction to Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), the supposed heroine of the story and hunting partner Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth).  Far too abruptly, Ross rattles his audience around from scene to scene, giving audiences more of a headache than an introduction.  Suddenly, there is the Reaping, one of the most horrific events next to the Hunger Games, and yet it passes before our eyes almost unseen, too quickly to draw audiences in, and too quietly to be impactful.  Instead, the event looks more like extras from <insert non-descript post-apocalyptic film here> came together to film a separate scene that was left on the editing room floor, and with good reason. 

But Katniss and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) are shuffled off to the Capital to take part in the Games.  All the emotion of the book is squandered on painfully short moments with little build up and no impact.  On the train, we have a sort of side show where alcoholic mentor Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) and uptight, clown-faced wrangler Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks), prance around while Katniss and Peeta awkwardly take it all in.  But Ross misuses these scenes and makes us improperly frantic for what comes next: instead of anticipation based on the impending nightmare built subtly as we are introduced to these characters, observers are bored and look for anything more interesting.

Throughout the training scenes, several interesting elements are presented that start to heighten the intrigue and excitement.  We are introduced to Seneca Crane (Wes Bentley) who is master of the Hunger Games, President Snow (Donald Sutherland) who brings a new name to eerie and morose, and Ceasar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) who is the absolutely fabulous TV personality that interviews the Tributes (the name given to participants.) We also get brief introductions to other important Tributes like Rue (Amandla Stenberg) and Cato (Alexander Ludwig) as well as Katniss’ clothing designer and confidant Cinna (Lenny Kravitz).

Ross does a good job of creating anticipation in these scenes and the subsequent entrance into the Arena and the Games themselves are far from lacking in intensity.  The sets are quite impressive and the addition of views from other districts as well from the Control Room, add a riveting thrill to the events.  As time progresses, it is hard to remain anywhere but on the edge of your seat as the story takes unfolds.  Overall, the movement through these tricky scenes was effective and did what was needed to keep interest throughout.

But while this film did not lack for thrills, it was lacking in long-lasting emotional impact.  The very concept of this story is mortifying, yet the film makes it all seem like a game show without any of those underlying feelings.  The notable exception was a moment of connection with Rue and District 11, which was certainly heartfelt and finally gave some depth to the characters and the events.  But generally, this was lacking; unlike the book which juggled many complex events with the very real complicated emotions, the film came off as superficial, vying for better effects rather than profound connection.

The acting in this film was in whole quite strong and the casting just as effective. Lawrence is perfect as Katniss, embodying the nature of the girl always confused by her emotions, forced to grow too quickly. What was lacking was the direction and script needed to bring this to the next level.  Hutcherson had the same success and constraints, becoming a wonderful Peeta, someone we were deeply interested in, yet this without ever really seeing or feeling how deeply he felt for Katniss, a huge drawback.

Stanley Tucci stands out as the most enjoyable and interesting character, mastering Caesar’s nuances and mannerisms to both connect with fans and delight non-fans alike.  Each moment he was on-screen was satisfying, even if the rest of the scene was not. Harrelson was surprisingly good as Haymitch, proving that it is possible to improve on the book; Banks, on the other hand, was trapped in a role that goes nowhere as a seemingly drugged-out tooth fairy whose point is lost – in fairness, I think this may actually nail the character. Sutherland and Bentley are good additions although not standouts; nevertheless, both do honorably with the characters.

Overall, The Hunger Games is worth watching as an exhilarating thrill-ride.  It is fun and typically well-directed.  Its obvious downside is that it is typically flat in the important segments, becoming a one-dimensional action film when the theme and story are so much more. So while it is certainly fun, no amount of record-breaking can help it get to that next level: where audiences will leave feeling they got what they wanted.

Rating: 7- A refreshing Champagne that a cute bartender comp’d you!

Game Change: The Story of the Beast, Unleashed

Adapted from the book by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, writer Danny Strong  works with Director Jay Roach (Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Meet the Parents) to bring the story of the 2008 McCain-Palin Presidential Campaign.  Here, through assiduous research and characterization, this team manages to show how the story lives up to its name, working as a watershed moment in American Politics, transforming the political landscape to this day.

Premise: Focuses on the selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as John McCain’s running mate during 2008 presidential campaign, serving to bring about their  ultimate defeat but transforming politics along the way.  Result: A fairly interesting glimpse into an important political turning point.

The Atomic Bomb.  The Kraken.  The Unvetted, Secret Weapon “Outside the Box” Political Running Mate.  All three are almost mythical harbingers of horror which as threats can wield great power.  But like all such lessons of history, the threat is the better option as actually unleashing the beast will surely bring more famine than fortune. Game Change speaks to the true life lessons learned from one of these.  

The McCain campaign came across just such an instant with their selection of Sarah Palin as a running mate. In an attempt to use a secret weapon against a formidable Obama Campaign, McCain’s advisors recklessly chose Palin with a rather weak vetting.  She had seemed too good to be true: charismatic, well-liked, a woman who spoke to “the people.” 

Palin’s selection was meant to elevate McCain’s well-established but sluggish organization and breathe life into it.  Palin (Julianne Moore), at first, appears timid and agreeable, and how much of this is earnest and how much is an act is unclear.  Nevertheless, both the selection investigators and McCain’s campaign, led by Steve Schmidt (Woody Harrelson), fail miserably to properly vet Palin, particularly in policy, a mistake for which they will pay dearly.

It is not long before the cracks begin to show.  Palin, it becomes clear, is woefully uninformed when it comes to anything approximating world politics, national policy or perhaps much of anything; worse still, as her persona unravels before everyone’s eyes, she becomes nasty, arrogant, and untruthful – much to the chagrin of John McCain (Ed Harris) who had been attempting to run an elegant, truthful campaign.

At almost every turn, the film focuses on Schmidt, Rick Davis (Peter MacNicol) and Nicholle Wallace (Sarah Paulson) who are forever rendered breathless by the endless shocking audacity with which Palin seems to confront the world.  Slowly, just as the dysfunctional campaign unstitches, so does their sanity, as they are driven farther and farther away, stricken by the traumatizing terror of finding that their candidate is pathetically unqualified.

The film does a good job in what appears to be its mission: to paint Sarah Palin as not only a difficult and abundantly unqualified candidate, but also as a terrifying  political persona that redefined Republican politics in her image.  It is not only important to cringe when thinking of Palin as a personality, but as a political leader who brought about change through a new type of derision.  She allowed ignorance to be her shield and cognitive dissonance to be the impenetrable fortress from which she was to reign.  At every turn, this film delivers this shadow, this harbinger of politics to come.

Acting is overall an essential contributor to the tone and message.  Moore is flawless, providing an angrier, far more serious, almost frightening version of Palin.  She manages to summon all Palin’s peculiarities while also painting her with the mind-bending complexity such a woman deserves.  Moore makes her unlikable, cruel and prone to childish tantrum while also making her seem savvy and sympathetic as a woman thrust into the limelight against her will.  But most importantly, she cleverly captures Palin’s uncanny magnetism, infinite narcissism, that often reckless thirst for power.

Harrelson and Paulson are also fantastic, perfectly encapsulating the frustration and  agony of two prominent political advisors who were nearly destroyed by Palin.  Harrelson does a wonderful job of managing a gamut of emotions, all of which seem tinged by the fire of guilt, the guilt of having played a hand in the worst decision of McCain’s candidacy. Paulson manages to reflect the flabbergasted disbelief with which Wallace regarded Palin even to this day when speaking of her in interviews.  And Harris, for his part as McCain does an admirable job of keeping his character relevant and human, despite his juxtaposition with the human carnival.

Overall, Game Change is an interesting glimpse into history, a time not so far off to view without personal investment.  But it is more than a docu-drama; it is a cautionary tale as much as it is a narrative milestone where on-lookers can see behind the scenes at a momentous time in America: the moments that ruined a campaign and changed American politics…perhaps for worse.

Rating: 7- A refreshing Champagne that a cute bartender comp’d you!

 

Friends with Benefits: A Fresh Look at an Old Story (and Half Naked People!)

Director Will Gluck (Easy A) has forged a strong humorous comedy with Friends with Benefits.  By effectively using the flawless comedic timing and brilliant chemistry of his two stars, Timberlake and Kunis, the overall depth of his cast, and a strong script, Gluck is able to take his success from Easy A and move beyond.

Premise: Recently dumped Dylan and Jamie are desperate to avoid the pitfalls of heartbreak again but soon discover however that adding the act of sex to their friendship can be even more complicated. Result:  A playful and enjoyable film that manages to seem fresh despite a thoroughly clichéd premise.

Considering the luke warm response from audiences given to No Strings Attached, the mediocre, misguided Kutcher-Portman Rom-Com of similar ilk, the future did not look bright for FWB.  However, Gluck has been able to produce a fun and often unique spin on an already familiar formula.  Considering the premise was far from groundbreaking, it is a credit to Gluck and his cast that the film came off feeling anything but stale. 

The film begins with a series of painfully awkward breakups where Dylan (Timberlake) and Jamie (Kunis) are thrown into a tailspin.  Their misery is short-lived, however, since fate appears to have plans for these two other than solitary misery.  Jamie, a relentless Executive Headhunter has finally convinced Dylan to interview for a role in NY, far from his home in LA.  Their strange first encounter, with Jamie trapped atop a luggage carousel, only cements the chemistry between them: both are looking for some unknown change and somehow both are aware that the other might just be that change.

Naturally, none of this is spoken.  Instead, after Dylan takes the risk and moves to New York, the two begin a solid friendship based on mutual, yet indirect flirtation.  Then suddenly, one night after many beers, the two decide to let nature take its course and agree to a fling with no emotional connections of any kind.  Insert a few flash mobs into the mix as well as a surprise encounter from Jamie’s flakey mother, and we have ourselves an entertaining film. 

Their first sexual encounter is as sexy and intriguing as it is awkward and graphic.  Nevertheless, this sets off a chain reaction we have seen time and time before: the benefits component of the “Friends with Benefits” relationship always seems to become the dominant factor, taking up not only much of their activities but also screen time (at one point there was so much sex that audiences may wonder if a film was in danger of breaking out of this porno!) However, this all ends rather abruptly when Jamie stumbles onto a handsome, charming children’s oncologist who sets her dream of finding Prince Charming into motion.

While the beginning of the film is fun and charming, it is simply a more detailed and endearing version of other such tales; where this film turns into more is in the second half, where the two begin to experience emotions they neither welcomed nor expected.  After Jamie’s fairytale relationship turns into a nightmare, and her eccentric, “free-spirited” mother Lorna (Patricia Clarkson) flakes out one time too many, Dylan invites Jamie to his former home on the West Coast to visit his family. It is here that the dynamic of the story truly changes.

Dylans’ family is immediately taken by the beautiful Jamie, and Jamie, who had previously made her family life an open book to Dylan (her mother interrupts a sexual encounter where hilarity ensued) it is she who now has the opportunity to understand him.  She meets his sister Annie (Jenna Elfman) and nephew Sam (Nolan Gould) who are living with his father (played by Richard Jenkins) who in the early stages of Alzheimer’s has an affinity to remove his pants in public.

The true power of this story is that is harnesses the power of confusion quite well.  These two certainly care for each other and yet there is a sense, in some way that both need something else, on some level to be happy.  Or perhaps, in some dark way, happiness is only the dream, not the objective.

There’s nothing groundbreaking about Friends with Benefits but it manages to become a thoroughly enjoyable film nonetheless.  The chemistry between Timberlake and Kunis is unmistakable and transforms this potential cliché into a warm, funny, and memorable comedy.  Audiences will want to laugh along with the characters and root for them; they bring complex emotions to the story and the events are both silly as well as emotionally complex.  The resolution in the film is also as satisfying as it is amusing.

Overall, the acting in this film is also quite strong: Kunis and Timberlake are both believable and appealing in their roles.  Elfman and Jenkins offer strong alternatives to the fantasy the two stars live in by bringing them firmly back to the real world, and in doing so grounding the film itself.  Clarkson, for her role is often hysterical, nailing a role that in some ways is completely over the top by really embracing the madness of it and letting it come out on screen.  The result is often a scene stealer. 

Woody Harrelson, on the other hand, was either completely miscast in his role as the gay mentor/confidant/something-or-other or the role itself should have been left to die on the editing room floor. Everything about this character is annoying and unworkable.  While I applaud the film’s attempt to create a character that supposedly bucks convention, this character fully ruins the tried-and-true formula of the gay best friend. With dozens of painful, pointless gay puns leaping from his mouth at every turn, he has the effect of stealing scenes and not giving them back, no matter how hard the audiences pleads. At one point he exclaims (in reference to owning a boat), “I live in Jersey and I ain’t taking no ferry…unless it’s to dinner and a show. Bam!”  I’m not making this up people!

Nevertheless, FWB is a fun, interesting, emotional comedy that helps revive the tired Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus dynamic through smart writing, strong acting, calculated direction for a sum that is worth more than just these parts. In the end, this film is worth watching, even if just for the flash mobs.

Rating: 7 – A refreshing Champagne that a cute bartender comp’d you!