Time to clean up my room, throw out my notes and reorganise my desk...
I'm not travelling anywhere, but I've still got a lot planned for the holidays. I'm starting work at The Body Shop again in December for a Christmas Casual position, then in January and February I got this volunteering position at uni to help post-graduates with their research studies, so it'll still be pretty busy.
I also want to get back into doing some sort of artsy thing, as well as maybe get back into cooking and baking a little. But that can come later.
So yesterday was a pretty fun day. I went out to the city to get a haircut with my mum in the morning. My haircuts are FREE because I get them done at The Australasian College Broadway, and they need people for their students to practice on, so they have lots of services (both hair and beauty) that are either really cheap or even free. It's just that it takes quite a while for them to do the haircuts because they're a lot slower. Like usually my haircuts would take like maybe 30-40 minutes, but with these students it can take around 1.5 to 2 hours.
And then my mum and I went to watch Mockingjay!!!
68% on Rotten Tomatoes
So the movie kicks off with a fragile and broken Katniss Everdeen suffering from PTSD after heading into two Hunger Games in a row. Following off from the events of Catching Fire, Katniss awaits news about Peeta, who has been captured by the Capitol, in the underground city of District 13.
As she finds out that Peeta is not only alive but being used by the Capitol as a piece in their propaganda to attempt to subdue the uprising in the districts, Katniss finds herself in a difficult position. On the one hand she knows that Peeta is being tortured and forced into saying the things that he is saying, but on the other hand she knows that she must take a stand herself and refute Peeta's messages of propaganda, and thus his credibility.
Ironically, this results in Katniss being yet another piece in someone else's plan, as we start to see the power and plans of District 13's President Coin.
So firstly I'll address this: I don't like it when books are split into two movies (or three, in the case of The Hobbit). Whilst this DOES give me (and other fans) more opportunity to get hyped about films, watch Jennifer Lawrence interviews and see more of the movie, it's definitely just a way for film companies to earn more cash. It also always makes the first movie of the split couple worse because it seems like it's just a dragged out introduction for the epic finale. Which it is. So I'm just going to review this movie based on how it fared with the book, and how it leads up to the last movie.
So the movie actually did really well if you look at how closely it followed the book. I think it emphasised a lot of the things that it should have emphasised, whilst also keeping those key themes in the movie.
This movie is probably something that you'd either love or really really dislike. Why? Because there's not much action. And there's not meant to be. In the final book of the trilogy, the first half is full of propaganda. In the second half, it still focuses on propaganda but there is more action because it's on the war that's happening. So the second half would be more interesting of course.
But I still really loved this film because it just shows how terrible reality is. In reality, you don't have one hero. In reality, the war isn't won by one person. It takes a team, a group, a nation of people to win a war.
Yes, Katniss has a very passive role in this film. But that's how she is in the books, because it's showing you that this is no longer just about Katniss. In the first two movies/books/games Katniss was central to the events. In this book/film, she's still central but she's no longer as important any more. In the first book/film, Peeta says that he wants to make sure he shows people that he cannot be used as a piece in their games. He does not want to change who he is for other people, regardless of what's happening.
But this film shows you that that is not your choice to make. The circumstances around you start to shape you whether you want them to or not. You're no longer than large predator that you thought you were; instead you're just a small pebble amongst a riverbank of stones, being weathered and eroded down by your environment.
Add to that the stuff that Katniss has been through, and her PTSD, and you realise that she simply just can't do much anyway. But when she decides for herself that she will stand up for herself and help the cause, it's not as amazing as she'd think it'd be.
In this film, Katniss thinks she is doing what she is doing because it is what she wants to do. But she doesn't realise that she's just a piece in the games, be it President Snow's games, President Coin's games, or even Plutarch Heavensbee's games.
This film is the perfect lead up to the last film in the series, because it shows you just how disposable Katniss is. Yes, they need her voice, but even if she didn't cooperate they would have other voices, e.g. Finnick.
I also really loved how they elaborated more on what some of the other districts were doing. The hanging tree scene and the dam was my favourite part of the film, together with the scene from District 7 with the lumberjacks, because it shows you that this film extends beyond Katniss. Katniss is no longer crucial to the plot.
So yeh, I would say that it was actually a really great film, which keeps the major themes intact and has a really good portrayal of the emotional journey that these characters are going through.
Also, I'd like to add that Jennifer Lawrence's acting in this was perfection. Everyone's acting was amazing; especially Josh Hutcherson (and even Jena Malone's very very small bit as Johanna Mason).
And I'd like to further add that the ending is PERFECT. If you've read the books and you think you know where it's going to end, then yes, that is where it is going to end.
Anyway, so yeh that was my review of Mockingjay. Sure, it's a bit biased but those are my thoughts anyway.
I realised I didn't talk about things I didn't like, so I'll briefly do that:
1. The novel emphasised a lot on Katniss' Mockingjay suit. It was the product of Cinna's soul and it meant a lot to her, and the fact that it looked amazing didn't help either. The previous two films in nature focus a lot on the costumes, so they should have included a bit more emphasis on her suit. In the novels you realise that even though they're fighting against this warped system, they still have to make her look pretty and make her continue her role as a fashion icon. It's ridiculous because she's still just being used like a prop.
2. Finnick's character was so shallow here. In the novel he actually breaks down a lot. When he says the line about how it takes ten times as long to put yourself together than to fall apart, it has so much impact in the book because you really get him. You see him being completely out of it and lost, and you see how he recovers over time. It gives you hope that Katniss can do the same, and it gives you a lot of respect for Finnick because you understand the pain he feels. But in the movie? Almost nothing. The most was him looking sad on a hospital bed. He didn't even break down. At least give us one scene please.
ALSO I BOUGHT THE MOCKINGJAY CUP FROM HOYTS!
HAHAHA it's actually SO LARGE.
Also, if you think that the movie was bad then I have some real shocking news...
They're thinking of doing:
Hunger Games the Stage Show?!?!!?!?!?!
Here's the article about it, as well as the video.
I mean I don't know why people seem really keen about it; it sounds like a horrible idea. Some people are saying it would be great if it was a musical but honestly? That sounds so bad. Even a stage show by itself sounds horrible.
In the video, the stage looks really awesome; a rotating 360 degree stage, but I mean can't they just use that kind of a stage for a completely different production?
It's only going to be in London (I think), but if it gets bigger and gets to Australia, I would definitely watch it out of obligation and curiosity, but I still think it would be horrible. There's just no way you can fit that action, brutal murders and furturistic technology into a stage show. And there are 3 books and 4 films to be fit into one stage show...
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