Good but inconsequential.

Rating: 6/10 (10 December 2014)

I need to start by stating that I am not a great fan of the Hunger Games Franchise. I have not read the books and so the films have been my only exposure to the series. That obviously coloring my opinion of the films; I quite enjoyed Mockingjay Part I albeit for a relatively singular reason. The story and content of the plot is rich, engaging and enticing.
Mockingjay Part I feels like the (partial) culmination of the first two films that come before it. This should be an obvious statement but important as each following film seems to be less independent from the greater whole. The previous films build into the effectiveness of this offering and with your audience primed for hating 'The Man' and baring witness to the difficulties of an essential uprising in the name of freedom which starts Mockingjay on a high and thankfully, it stays there. There are impeccable story moments that Director Francis Lawrence use incredibly well, as well as a few of the expected but emotion provoking 'moments of grandeur' and even the predictable moments similar story arches tend to enjoy. My criticism on this film is that it is too connected and depended on what came before and what will come after. The film is powerful but much of the content is assumed straight from Catching Fire which left me trying to remember exactly where certain characters fit in and which also left me with ample anticipation for Part II of the series resolution, but what does that say of this film? The greater story feels lost while we wait for the conclusion though soaking up such effective story telling while you wait definitely scores some points.
I find it a little hard to pin down an opinion on much of the performance of the film. The acting is definitely effective and there is a moment where Jennifer Lawrence really impressed me (I won't spoil beyond mentioning that having an actor in character act badly and keep character is not always that easy and is something I hold commendable). Beyond that the characters do what you expect them to. They react to what you expect in the way you expect, which is a little disappointing. The plot throws a lot of curve balls (in various degrees) at the characters and diversifying their responses would have enriched the whole film to me, but I'm not complaining on what is presented on screen. The style of filming drew my attention a bit, which I always consider a bad thing – unless it is very deliberate. It bothered me the most in the exposition of the film where the change from hand held to stabilized shots felt messy. Some of the editing cuts also felt abrupt (early in the film) which made me aware of 'the line', continuity and other film making concepts I expect film makers to know but which I would like to forget when enjoying a film. The plot didn't really allow for too much use of music to enhance the visuals though I expect we'll be seeing more of that when (if?) the war finally breaks out in the final part of the series.
In closing, I enjoyed sitting in the cinema and watching this film. I took some food for thought from it (the main and overly perpetuated theme of the series) and I'm looking forward to the next one. Beyond that, I fear Mockingjay Part I will fade into insignificance.