The Hunger Games

Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Wes Bentley, Lenny Kravitz, Donald Sutherland

Dir. Gary Ross
Scr. Gary Ross, Billy Ray & Suzanne Collins (based on the novel of the same name by Collins)

Set in a futuristic, once war-torn America, The Hunger Games is the story of a brutal annual ritual. A televised ritual, of course. Kids killing kids – can anything be more grotesque? And this film certainly does not shy away from the inevitable violence, earning its M rating and wearing it proudly. If you think this is merely a film for teens, you’d be wrong. This is a compelling, entertaining, disturbing, vibrant film, with some very fine performances by its young cast, notably Lawrence. It’s not necessarily an instant classic, but it’s well worth a look.

The Hunger Games, in its 74th edition in this film, is a yearly form of entertainment in which two teens (a boy and a girl) are selected from each of the twelve districts that, in the distant past, rose up against the authorities and were crushed into submission. They are trained and then unleashed into an arena to fight each other to the death – only one can be victorious, and that victory comes with riches and resources for themselves and their district. The selection process is a horrible form of the lottery – the older you are and the more you have taken from the authorities, the more time your name is entered in the draw. In her first year and against all the odds, young Primrose Everdeen is chosen but is saved by her older sister Katniss (Lawrence), who volunteers to take her place. Taken to the Capitol, Katniss and Peeta (her equally unlucky male partner, played by Hutcherson) are wined and dined and trained to survive and kill. Then, about half way through the film, the games begin.

At over 140 minutes, this is a seat-numbing film. But, don’t despair – it’s compelling and well paced and it’ll end before you know it. Leaving you wanting more. And, of course, there is more – this is book one of a trilogy. And judging by the already frighteningly obsessive teenage-led internet campaign, the second two instalments will be made and will be successful. Think Twilight, but better ... IMHO.

For such a big blockbuster, this is a surprisingly intimate film at times. Intense and at times claustrophobic camerawork brings emotional depth to story of Katniss and her people, juxtaposed with the huge, sweeping vistas of the ostentatious Capitol. Not so subtly, this is ancient Rome – all money flows to the centre of the empire, from the enslaved but natural resource-rich outlying provinces. This is a lush, good-looking film – a feast for the eyes.

As mentioned above, this is also a violent film. In moments, more shockingly so than I ever expected. The audience I was in literally gasped, more than once. In hindsight, it could be no other way. But, at the time, I was very impressed that the filmmakers didn’t shy away from what is surely commentary on society’s bloodlust.

The acting in this film is, across the board, pretty darn good. There is an array of talented adult performances, mostly small-ish but pivotal roles – Tucci as the over-the-top tv host of The Hunger Games, Sutherland as President of this incarnation of America, Bentley as the Games architect and director, Harrelson as a past winner tasked with mentoring Katniss and Peeta, Kravitz as their stylist. All very fine indeed. But the heart of this film is the kids. Hutcherson is good, perhaps a little wooden at times, but in an interesting enough role to keep the audience intrigued. The star here, without a doubt, is Lawrence – a hugely talented young actress who brings equal parts vulnerability and toughness to Katniss. I believe this film would have utterly failed with a lesser, more mainstream actress in the main role. Lawrence’s emotional honesty and transparency is the absolute key to the surreal events of this film.

The Hunger Games is not going to necessarily win any awards or feature on any greatest films of all time lists. But this is an utterly entertaining film. And don’t be surprised if moments remain with you for days. I highly recommend and personally can’t wait for part two.

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Katniss: So you’re here to make me look pretty.
Cinna: I’m here to help you make an impression.