Panem et circenses

Rating: 6/10 (7 January 2015)

Overdone reality. Every year TV shows are becoming crueler, fashion is becoming more freakish, social contradictions are aggravated more. Susan Collins' world is an amazing combination of the fiction about future, legends of the past and realities of the present. The story about young Katniss Everdeen touched deeply many people around the world and of course big hopes were pinned on the screen version.
I read The Hunger Games in 2010 and it was my favorite book. So I was waiting impatiently for watching this film for two years. And when I watched it, it didn't look like I'd imagined.
The script. Well, it's hard work to rewrite not very big but rich in events book in a two-hour film. But I can't tell that they did it well. However, I rate it as higher-than-expected. I thought scriptwriters would cut much more scenes but they only deleted some episodic characters and focused us on really important moments.
But whether were they able to show the story?
Born from the ashes a post apocalyptic state Panem with the shining Capitol and enslaved twelve Districts. Hunger, poverty, silence as only available act of the volition. In the spotlight the girl who was going to die for saving her little sister and the boy who was falling in love with heroine and who had saved her once. Die was cast and they both went to the grand capitol for making a show for its perverse residents and dying on the Arena for their entertainment. «The Hunger Games» – the story without semitones. This was the first spark; the Girl on Fire kindled it in people's hearts. And this was the thing which was missed – the fire. Despite of persistent book following they lost the point with chasing the details. No contrast, no fear, many questions and no sense. The world was gray and didn't aroused any emotions.
Cast. Nobody looked hungry. At all. But OK, you can say that it's not important how they looked like but how they acted. Well, if glared eyes and frozen faces with open mouths were the best that Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson were able to show - it's disappointing. Maybe J.L. had a couple of good scenes but that's all. Now she is very famous and she's one of the best young actresses, she really can play brilliant. However, in this film she was awful. The only character in all film who was really great was Haymitch Abernathy. Woody Harrelson was the only actor who tried to play at least.
Cinematography. What was doing on? Was the camera tied on the rope or was cinematographer drunk so his hands was shaking overtime? I had a headache, it was terrible!
Music. This was the thing which saved the film. There were no needless songs, no pompous tirades. Music sounded naturally and moving where it should be. It made the film atmosphere and it was magnificent.
Well, the odds were in the film favor because of many fans all around the world and because of simple pattern of the story that teenagers like - there were defiance to the system, love story and the choice. But there wasn't anything new or anything significant. It's so wailful, when a good book becomes a popular film because then it often loses its heart.
I think the film was quite well but nothing else.