So hi guys :) I'm back with my normal scheduling and everything's calmed down around here now that I've had time to relax a bit more and focus on a lot of things that I had been pushing back. As an update for anyone who might be interested, my father is now in the hospital prepping for the surgery, which will be on Thursday. We found the perfect doctor and hopefully everything will turn out alright.
BUT IN OTHER NEWS: I saw the Hunger Games. And I want to talk about it, really talk about it, but I loved it. I know a lot of people are complaining about them not including a bunch of stuff but particular things in the movie really spoke to me, which I felt were important and made the adaptation so incredible.
But before that, guys. So amazing.
1. The acting was amazing. Seriously guys, Jennifer Lawerence was phenomenal and blew everyone out of the water. She took Katniss and made her real and breathing and relatable and even made me like her so much more (but still, in a small part of my heart, hate her, which is what I want to feel). The scenes in the arena were heart-breaking and someone mentioned something about her that I found absolutely true: She's not afraid to look ugly. She'll sob and scream and she doesn't care if she looks awful, because she's playing the part. She didn't pretty-cry, it was gut-wrenching sobs that brought tears to my own eyes.
2. One word: Effie. Elizabeth Banks was born to play that role. Her accent, her personality, everything she said was so endearing and so...Effie, I loved it. From the moment she yelped out: THAT IS MAHOGANY, I knew she was going to be a favorite. Haymitch was also amazing played by Woody Harrelson and he really nailed the sarcastic, biting drunk that he's supposed to play. Not as bitter as in the books, but I'm sure we'll see more of that in Catching Fire.
3. Cinna gets his own damn category because LENNY KRAVITZ KICKS SOME ASS. Everyone was complaining about him pre-release but oh my god, he was Cinna. He talked with such a lightness but intensity and that scene between him and Katniss before she goes to the games was just...TOO MUCH INTESNITY. I seriously thought they were going to make out with the tension going on in that room.
4. The romance between Peeta and Katniss was sweet, but not the focal point, which I appreciated. I was afraid they'd turn the movie into this torid love triangle where she desperately wants both of them and BLAH BLAH BLAH and just like in the book, the romance is there, but it's not the main thing. The cave scene did feel a little rushed but I hardly even noticed because I wanted to see how the feast would play out or when the nutts would come or when Clove was gonna appear (side note: loved Clove. And Glimmer. And all the careers. They were squealing like it was Spring Break while chasing Katniss).
5. But what I think is the most important thing is this: they captured the essence of the book. They took the pain and the suffering and put it into a movie without making it too gruesome or awful. I think that was the point, really. People wanted it to be rated R, people wanted there to be special effects, people wondered why it wasn't in 3D: That was the point. The Hunger Games is about a society that watches children kill each other for sport. This was supposed to be stark, bleak, desperate, and sad. There was no huge explosion sequences, no crazy gruesome killings, because this movie was meant to open eyes, not become something like the capitol instead.
The way that they created this movie and made me feeling everything I felt while I was reading it is worth more to me than any scene added or missed. Each character was brought back to life with accuracy and heart and it was just such an enjoyable experience for me I can't even.
And that, my people, is why it's one of my favorite adaptations of all time.
Happy Reading and please love your comments down in the comments and we can discuss!
