At the end of Catching Fire, we last see Katniss break the force field around the arena in the 75th Annual Hunger Games. A rescue team pulled Katniss from the arena as it fell apart, and then told her she was to be the face of their rebellion, their Mockingjay. Immediately she asked about Peeta. She learned that the Capitol captured Peeta and a few other tributes while she was being rescued. In the last moments of the film, she is told that District 12 was destroyed.
In Mockingjay Part 1, the film begins with her coming to grips with the circumstances, and recovering in District 13. Katniss is introduced to District 13's President Coin, played by Julianne Moore, and the team that will help spread their message to the other districts, and specific messages to the Capitol: Beetee, Effie, Plutarch, played by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Hamich. Katniss is assigned a small crew to film propaganda pieces while they visit the devastation in her home District 12 and the survivors of District 8. Inspired, they film several pieces to give hope to the remaining districts. Interviews between Peeta and Caesar Flickerman air regularly showing a rapid decline in Peeta's well-being. Katniss knows they need to rescue him as soon as possible. President Coin saw the opportunity and sent a small group on a covert mission to get into the Capitol and rescue the imprisoned tributes. As a reader of the books, the only scene that I was eager to see is the reunion between Katniss and Peeta. It doesn't happen in the way we all would expect. The rebellion is in full operation, but now everyone has a role to play. Now we wait for part 2 to see the ending to the series.
I can't say enough good things about this film. It is very well made, great special effects, camera techniques, and with Jennifer Lawrence as the lead it isn't hard to feel her pain. Even if you've read the books, and the story is fresh in your mind, the film is hardly predictable. I was pleased, however, that they used the original speeches from the book. "If we burn, you burn with us!" Among others.
The most shocking was watching Peeta's Capitol appearances and each time looking more emaciated, sick, and destroyed. Only at the end of the film we can see a better view of his overall physical state and it is truly heartbreaking to see. You can almost feel the shock Katniss feels looking at him. Over the past year photos from production have leaked, showing Josh Hutcherson looking very healthy and fit, which concludes that they added special effects to make him look as horrible as he did by the end of the film. Josh played Peeta's emotions brilliantly. After everything Peeta has been through, he looks at familiar people with emptiness in his eyes, as though he's never met them before.
I noticed a few problems with the film, but nothing that would change how the viewer sees the film. Towards the end of the film, President Coin is speaking to her district. There is a close up on her face during the climatic moment and you can see she must've eaten before the speech. There was something between her two front teeth! If they can use special effects to make Peeta look convincingly sick, they can certainly erase the speck on Coin's teeth. Maybe it's just me, but Coin's contact lenses didn't look that great either.
I remember Jennifer Lawrence had cut her hair very short between film roles. Kristen Stewart did the same thing between filming Twilight and The Runaways. Which means in the series films that follow, a wig will be added. One of my biggest filming pet peeves is when the hair looks fake. Jennifer's hair is naturally dark, long, thick and wavy with very specific layers around her face. In this film her hair had an all-too-perfect hair line, the layers weren't there anymore, and it wasn't the same texture as her natural.
It was great seeing Philip Seymour Hoffman again. During the ending credits they added a tribute to him. Since his passing I've read his large part had to be cut down to something smaller. They hadn't been able to finish filming with him before his passing. I don't know if his passing affected this film at all, but I expected to see more of him.
I can't say too much more without giving too much away. You have to see this new film! The Hunger Games is some of the greatest works to entertain us in a time films are beginning to suffer at the box office. From page to screen it's an in-depth adventure into a futuristic world. It's about not being poor slaves, but fighting back! Liberation! And Jennifer Lawrence delivers an excellent performance every time.
When the film was over, I heard different voices around me, "wow!" "Aw geez!" "Oh my Gosh!" "That was crazy!" I'm not making this up! It will have you on the edge of your seat the whole way!
