The Hunger Games : Mockingjay Part 1

Rating : 5/10
Release Date : 28th November, 2014
Time : 123 minutes
Director : Francis Lawrence; Writers: Peter Craig, Danny Strong, based on the novel ‘MockingJay’ by Suzanne Collins; Music : James Newton Howard
Starring : Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Donald Sutherland, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Mahershala Ali, Jeffrey Wright, Willow Shields, Stanley Tucci, Natalie Dormer



Grim. Slow. Agonizing.

Probably the three words, in that order, which best summarize this film. It lacks the pace, zing of the earlier two installments (Hunger Games & Hunger Games : Catching Fire), misses any key confrontation or action sequences and just seems to meander along (hopefully) setting things up for the next one.

We watch Jennifer Lawrence grudgingly become the face of the revolution, led by Julianne Moore. She becomes the MockingJay, the counterpoint to Josh Hutcherson, who has been kidnapped by the Capitol and now speaks for them. We watch Phillip Seymour Hoffman, as the marketing guru, try to put a glitzy, schmaltzy propaganda campaign together, aided by Elizabeth Banks and Woody Harrelson, who thankfully votes for spontaneity rather than prepared scripts and costumes. We watch Jeffrey Wright, as the tech brains of the movement, try to gatecrash into the Capitol and Mahershala Ali, along with Liam Hemsworth and Natalie Dormer, lead the muscles unit of the revolution. And above all, we watch Donald Sutherland, as the leader of the Capitol, hell-bent on crushing the other districts, toy with the revolution.

Jennifer’s character seems strangely distracted, more preoccupied with personal considerations (Josh, her sister, a cat) rather than the greater objectives of the struggle. The Orwellian setting of the revolution HQ, with the jumpsuits and the underground chambers, along with the strong-willed Julianne Moore as its head, does beg the question whether the Districts are jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

There is very little progress, story-wise, in this edition, and neither do we learn much more about any of the central characters. There is just a dark sense of foreboding throughout, with somber music to match, that doesn’t make for and enjoyable watch