A stylish and sensitive adaptation of a complex young adult novel

Rating: 8/10 (17 May 2013)

This film came out last year, and I grabbed a copy at the library last week. I knew a little bit about the back story, but made it a point not to oversteep myself in the story before watching it, because I'd heard good things. In a nutshell, it's set in a post-Apocalyptic North America. Most of the population has been wiped out, except for a large wealthy centralized city, with smaller populations in widespread districts who are forced to pledge allegiance. In order to maintain political control, the authorities enforce food rationing by way of brutal televised games involving children from the various districts. The games involve fights to the death out in the wild, "Survivor" style, until a final winner is declared and their district is allotted food rations.
Although the original novel is targeted at teens and young adults, I found the material rich and complex enough to satisfy older viewers. Themes of conflict, loyalty, betrayal, heroism, political intrigue, as well as a little bit of teen angst, are all composed against the backdrop of a constant fight to survive. The film has Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, and a surprising good role by Lenny Kravitz.
Stylistically, I enjoyed the portrayal of the futuristic Capitol and its upper class citizenry, shown as essentially colorful, ornately dressed puppets, compared to the stark utilitarian clothing of the district dwellers. It brought shades of "Aeon Flux" and "Metropolis" to mind, as did the entire film - a dystopian society on the verge of massive change and upheaval, brought about by gross injustices, founded upon its own underlying inhumanity. This film is part one of a three-part series, and I do hope the remaining films are made.