Wednesday 4 April 2012

The Hunger Games

As always, another busy week. Last week, among the usual gym sessions and driving lessons, I managed to fit in a date night with Liam. Starting off with a (ridiculously indulgent) meal at TGI Fridays, we went on to see the most talked-about film of the moment, The Hunger Games.

If I was one to believe what I read, it was apparent that The Hunger Games was a film targeted mainly at angst- ridden teenagers and the film itself had even been brandished with the label 'the new Twilight.' This description very nearly put me off- mainly due to my hatred of anything Twilight based.  It was only after reading this article in The Daily Mail that I realised I wouldn't be seeing a children's film and that perhaps it really was as gritty as the trailer had promised.

Frankly, I wasn't disappointed. My favourite thing about The Hunger Games? Katniss Everdeen. Surely there is nothing better than a powerful female heroine- and Katniss, played brilliantly by Jennifer Lawrence, had attitude in bucket loads. I found the premise of the film very interesting. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, it explored the possibility of what could happen in society if it was allowed to decline. The fictional nation of Panem, comprised of the wealthy capitol and the surrounding twelve districts, is an eerie and disturbing new world. As punishment for a rebellion against the government, the capitol has initiated The Hunger Games- a televised event in which two young people- a boy and girl- compete to fight to the death in an arena until there is one remaining victor. So far, so violent.
The film follows Katniss as she fights in the Hunger Games- running around in tight black lycra and making brooding stares at the camera. Tortured with fire, killer bees and the threat of the other contestants- Katniss is followed as she struggles to stay alive- whilst managing to keep her hair and make-up unrealistically perfect throughout. It's safe to say that my fourteen year old self was resurfacing the more I watched.

In many ways, The Hunger Games is just a very enjoyable futuristic adventure- and enjoy it I certainly did. For me, there was something reminiscent of dark and gritty television dramas, such as Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror and Liam was sure it reminded him of films from the 1980's- perhaps the camp outfits and over-dramatic performances weren't dissimilar to the old Tim Burton films. There have been good and bad reviews of The Hunger Games- and there seems to be a general consensus that it simply wasn't as good as anticipated. My opinion? It isn't very often I watch a film lasting nearly two and a half hours without looking at a clock. This one kept me captivated, entertained and longing for more- and I didn't check my watch once.