Final Embers
November 22, 2015
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (2015).
D: Francis Lawrence. DP: Jo Willems. W: Peter Craig & Danny Strong. Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Julianne Moore, Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Sam Claflin, Natalie Dormer, Elizabeth Banks, Willow Shields, Jena Malone, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, Mahershala Ali, Michelle Forbes. (NOTE: Based on Suzanne Collins’ novel)
Another YA fiction adaptation comes to a close begging the question, what will be the next series? The Divergent series starring Shailene Woodley has not been able to compete at the box office with Hunger Games or Harry Potter or Twilight so it’s safe to say we are still looking for what’s next. However, regardless The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 wraps up this series nicely and provides the action packed punch the final installment needed.
Part 2 picks up from the previous film that ended with the rescuing of Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) from the capitol where he had been conditioned to kill Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence). Emotionally this sets up Katniss’ additional drive to infiltrate the capitol and kill President Snow (Donald Sutherland). Although asked to wait by her superiors and remain just the symbol of the rebellion, Katniss does what she does best and sneaks out anyway. Eventually Katniss will join forces with a special skilled group and enter into the capitol which is covered in pods that make it essentially another hunger games. This stretch of the film is the best as it’s action roots are what make the series its own. Katniss must act and react to what lies ahead of her, with fabulous bow and arrow use to boot.
This final film was shot in tandem with the previous one so the creative team stayed the same between the two. Director Francis Lawrence and cinematographer Jo Willems keep up the good work from Part 1, but excel at the action sequences. The emotionality of the love triangle cannot be sustained by the series, but this is not from lack of trying by Lawrence. Her teenager is all woman now, which arguably she always was, but still does not connect convincingly with Hutcherson. Their chemistry does not build impact and at this point in the story no one should have to be convinced of their connection.
Thankfully they are surrounded by new faces and action to help move the film along as death continues to be part of these games. The ending of the film provides twists and turns but if you have read the book these lack some resonance. That could also be because Katniss’ denial of any political position makes all her decisions emotional rather than tactical. Great when read by a YA audience, but maybe not the best ending for a cinema offering. Julianne Moore still suffers through a severe wig as President Coin and Philip Seymour Hoffman’s final scenes shimmer with their own kind of sadness.
The Hunger Games world keeps expanding throughout the series, but there is still not a clear sense of space defined visually. The size of Pan Am is hard to conceive and with the repetition of game-like narratives the films themselves are cyclical and non distinctive, except for the previous one. Seeing them as a set now their explorations of trauma and death as sport is a fascinating exploration of modern warfare. Despite its YA context Hunger Games does ask its teens to think and think beyond themselves. A great feat for any teenage set content. We shall see who steps up to the plate next.
Giving Meryl an Edge
September 18, 2015
Ricki and The Flash (2015).
D: Jonathan Demme. DP: Declan Quinn. W: Diablo Cody. Starring: Meryl Streep/Kevin Kline/Mamie Gummer/Audra McDonald/Rick Springfield/Sebastian Stan/Nick Westrate/Hailey Gates/Ben Platt.
Steve Nicks has routinely denied any chatter about an impending musical biopic on her illustrious solo career and time with the band Fleetwood Mac. Ricki and the Flash immediately conjures her image to mind, but explores the failed star narrative over the successful one. A mixed bag of sorts, Ricki and the Flash ultimately proves Meryl Streep is fabulous to watch in just about everything. But didn’t we already know that?
The film finds Ricki (Streep), formerly named Linda, playing weekly gigs in the outskirts of Los Angeles. She gets a call from her ex husband Pete (Kevin Kline) who suggest she fly back to the Midwest to deal with her daughter, Julie (Mamie Gummer). Down and dumped, Julie’s situation forces Ricki to face the family she left behind and the impending wedding of her son. The real life mother/daughter duo of Streep and Gummer is fun to watch here with more vivaciousness now as Gummer is more seasoned. Their last pairing in the 2007 poor adaptation of Evening was more eerie as Gummer was hardly known. The chemistry all around is what saves the film from conventionality. Kline is great and such an underused actor right now and I just wanted more of Tony empress Audra McDonald. As the second wife and acting mother of Ricki’s kids, McDonald is a force. Where’s her primetime television show?
Director Jonathan Demme’s last feature was 2008’s Rachel Getting Married, another family impending wedding film. Demme is also active in the music world, directing music videos as well as concert films. He handles the live music portions with skill and cinematographer Declan Quinn balances close ups of performers with audience shots while establishing the onstage report between her band. The connection between Ricki and her music is palpable, but her dive bar Tarzana audience is never left out. Ricki’s story is one of star failure rather than success and her moments of rapture onstage confirm the film’s interpretation of musical performance as expression of true feeling. Ricki both expresses her love for boyfriend Greg (Rick Springfield) and for her son through song.
Ricki and the Flash is generically structured and Diablo Cody’s script adheres to a typical build up with the wedding. Cody’s last film, 2012’s Young Adult, was crispier and funnier but its protagonist was distinctly unlikable. Here Streep is continually humanized so the audience ultimately roots for her. You cannot help yourself and with musician Springfield, famous for the song ‘Jessie’s Girl,’ at her side you just might believe Streep’s gravely pipes could have made it. Not a bad film Ricki and the Flash ultimately is a vehicle for Streep to act a little bit bad, but still come out on top.
The Final Stretch
June 10, 2015
The final installment of The Hunger Games adaptations is here in trailer form before it hits theaters in November.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2
Second Portion Disappointment
March 26, 2015
Insurgent (2015).
D: Robert Schwentke. DP: Florian Ballhaus. W: Brian Duffield, Akiva Goldsman & Mark Bomback. Starring: Shailene Woodley/Theo James/Miles Teller/Ansel Elgort/Kate Winslet/Naomi Watts/Jai Courtney/Mekhi Phifer/Zoe Kravitz/Octavia Spencer/Ashley Judd/Maggie Q/Daniel Dae Kim. (Based on Veronica Roth’s novel of the same name)
In a market saturated with young adult adaptations, it is difficult to standout and stand alone within your series of films. The Divergent Series, written by 20-something Veronica Roth, chronicles Beatrice/Tris Pryor (Shailene Woodley) as she lives in a city built around factions defined by personality traits. Last year’s Divergent covered Tris leaving Abnegation (selflessness) to join the Dauntless (fearless) when she came of age. This year’s adaption of the second novel, Insurgent, picks the story up again with Tris on the run as the Erudite faction leader Joanna (Kate Winslet) continues to seek out and destroy anyone classified as divergent. Yes, that’s a lot of names. And no they aren’t all necessary.
Insurgent is the weaker of the two films, but for a variety of reasons that also have to do with the strength of Roth’s series to begin with. Now out of the faction training world, Insurgent must cover massive amounts of ground as Tris and her group of Dauntless go into hiding and then on the run. A beautiful overhead tracking shot opens the film, but is sadly used again and again. Joseph Trapanese’s score pulsates way too frequently, actually detracting from the drama and action onscreen. This simply is the more difficult book to tackle well.
What is probably the saving grace of the series is Woodley. Sporting her cropped hair needed for last year’s The Fault In Our Stars, Woodley does provide some realism and access to the heaviness of the choices Tris must make. However, unlike the previous film the audience gets so sense about the progression of her personal life. Not to gripe, but the decision to have sex with her boyfriend Four (Theo James) is a weighty and complex one. Here it is brushed past like it’s just plausibly acceptable, like the three male screenwriters simply did not know how to handle writing that scene. James is still all beef cake thunder as Four and the couple do have chemistry even if the age discrepancy from what Roth wrote gives me the giggles.
Insurgent certainly moves at a clip as it spatially must cover lots of ground and no one is given many chances to breathe. Sadly this means that certain characters are removed and plot beats changed. If the film were better this wouldn’t be a bother. What surprisingly doesn’t elevate the series is Winslet as the baddie, despite her best efforts. Her cold is just not cold enough. But she’s better off that Naomi Watts who appears as the factionless leader who doesn’t look powerful enough to have ever been in Dauntless, no matter how much metallic eye shadow is slathered on her face. I think it’s a diservice to audience by Summit to have us try to believe this dystopian reality is crumbling, but the potential new leader has time for a full face of make up? While they live in a warehouse…
Ultimately, Insurgent is able to handle its violence realistically with the tole, like in the novels, weighing heavy on its characters. Yet the end seems surprisingly upbeat, which makes me wonder what else might be changed down the road. The special effects during the simulations are also beautiful, but did not warrant a 3D release. Lastly, what can be taken away from the film is the humor and charm of Miles Teller. An actor not to miss from last year’s Whiplash, watch out for him and go back to see his film The Spectacular Now with Woodley, just might change your viewing of this series.
Second Helping of Another YA World
March 1, 2015
Where is the Courage to Make One Film not Two?
December 23, 2014
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (2014).
D: Francis Lawrence. DP: Jo Willems. W: Peter Craig & Danny Strong. Starring: Jennifer Lawrence/Josh Hutcherson/Liam Hemsworth/Philip Seymour Hoffman/Woody Harrelson/Julianne Moore/Donald Sutherland/Elizabeth Banks/Stanley Tucci/Sam Claflin/Jena Malone/Natalie Dormer/Jeffrey Wright/Willow Shields/Mahershala Ali. (Based on Suzanne Collins’ novel of the same name)
This holiday season began with the much awaited third installment in Suzanne Collins’ young adult The Hunger Games series. Picking up where Catching Fire left off, the film finds Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) awakening from the all-star games to the world of District 13, thought to be completely destroyed. She is quickly asked to become to symbol of the resistance, the mockingjay, and must decide where her loyalties fit in this new terrain.
Francis Lawrence, a primarily television and music video direct whose last feature film was 2011’s Water for Elephants, picks up the series seamlessly. There is a nice visual continuity between the film and its previous two, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and The Hunger Games. This is difficult, but possibly an expression of his work with cinematographer Jo Willems. This team has the harder task of creating an atmosphere even bleaker than the previous films and much more transitional as one novel has been stretched into two films.
Peter Craig and Danny Strong’s script is adequate, but just simply cannot pack the same punch as the story ultimately feels thin. The emotionality of the cut off point for this film falls flat and unfortunately emphasizes the romance rather than the action and choices of Lawrence’s Katniss. This is the harder text to adapt as it lacks a games, but it should have been split into two films.
However, the saving grace in Mockingjay – Part 1 is Lawrence as Katniss. Shouldering the emotional weight of the film, her determination through trauma is felt through the camera and she is able to take the audience on a journey through understanding her own pain. Her chemistry with Hemsworth’s Gale is finally given service here, which Lawrence is able to give considerable depth too. It is nice relief to the rest of the film as one almost forgets that Katniss is only a teenager. Philip Seymour Hoffman is rather great here as Plutarch, giving extra sparkle to his lasting memory. Julianne Moore steps well into President Coin, but her severe gray wig actually distracts from her controlled performance.
Ultimately, the film serves its series well but cannot eclipse the extremely well handled Catching Fire. I would argue that Mockingjay is the least engaging of the novels and actually the most sad. As young adult fiction goes, it rounds out the series very well, a rare fete as this novel is so distinct from the first two. Therefore, I am inclined to forgive aspects of the film as the source material is just not the same. But we will all just have to wait and see how part two plays out.
A Spirited Summer Weepie
July 6, 2014
The Fault In Our Stars (2014).
D: Josh Boone. DP: Ben Richardson. W: Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber (based on John Green’s 2012 novel of the same name). Starring: Shailene Woodley/Ansel Elgort/Nat Wolff/Laura Dern/Sam Trammell/Willem Dafoe/Lotte Verbeek.
At this point no one can deny the box office potential of a young adult fiction film adaptation. However, in a post Twilight and Hunger Games landscape the competition is fierce. With disasters like last year’s Mortal Instruments the turn away from large franchises might find some success with a film like The Fault in Our Stars.
Based on John Green’s new novel, the film harkens back to the basic chemistry of teenage existence. Two youngsters who find a connection and try to navigate their new love. And in this case the leads happen to have cancer, meeting in a cancer support group. Yes tears are inevitable, tears that for me, came in the cinematic experience rather than when reading the book. In a rare occurrence I actually prefer the film to the book, mostly for its visceral quality.
The pitfall of this genre is the hidden borderline between teenage drama and melodrama. Luckily, The Fault In Our Stars never crosses into that territory. Written by the screenwriting team behind The Spectacular Now (2013) and 500 Days of Summer (2009), the script’s ability to handle the subtle and the overt in Green’s plot is admirable. (Both of those films are superior to this one thought.) The film is driven by the chemistry of its leads, Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort. Playing siblings in this year’s Divergent, the pair have an ease about them that shines through the painful context of their courtship. Woodley chopped her hair off to play Hazel, which gives her wiry frame a prepubescent look. Hazel has been through a lot of grown up pain, but has not experienced the emotional life to match it.
The Fault In Our Stars is also loyal to its source material, removing excess story lines and characters that helps keep the film focused on the leads. The stylistic choice of using test bubbles to show the teens texting each other also helps the flow of the story and counteract Hazel’s voice-over. Yet the leads’ charms cannot distract from the obvious use of musical ques to jar the audience. The poppy soundtrack actually distracts at some beautiful moments, especially on the couple’s trip to Amsterdam to meet Hazel’s favorite writer. Played by Willem Dafoe who wasn’t nearly as grotesque as one would imagine from the book, but thankfully didn’t gimmick it up. Ultimately the film doesn’t bring much that is new to the teen landscape, but at least puts down the weapons and creatures in favor of some feelings.
I’m Just a Teenage Dystopian Story, Baby
March 29, 2014
Divergent (2014).
D: Neil Burger. W: Evan Daugherty & Vanessa Taylor. DP: Alwin H. Kuchler. Starring: Shailene Woodley/Theo James/Kate Winslet/Jai Courtney/Ashley Judd/Tony Goldwyn/Miles Teller/Zoe Kravitz/Ansel Elgort/Maggie Q/Ray Stevenson/Mekhi Phifer/Ben Lloyd-Hughes/Christian Madsen. (Based on Veronica Roth’s YA novel.)
Another addition to the YA film adaptation catalog, Divergent joins fellow Liongsate/Summit owned Twilight and The Hunger Games as the surge to bring profitable YA book series to the screen continues. Concluded in three books, Veronica Roth’s series has had the chance to sit back and scope out its franchise predecessors (and natural box office comparisons). Director Neil Burger did just that and was able to create a look that feels independent of previous franchises.
Lacking the sappiness of spineless Bella in Twilight and gaining the active strength of Katniss in The Hunger Games, Divergent centers on Tris Prior whose grown up in a post-apocalyptic/post-epic big battle world where citizens are categorized around basic human personality traits and values. Honesty (Candor), selflessness (Abnegation), bravery (Dauntless), harmony (Amnity) and intelligence (Erudite) groups attempt to coexist with each faction taking on certain community responsibilities. At the age of sixteen members of each faction take a test to guide them into picking their adult faction. And of course this is where the heroine is to be found. Discovering she might not fit in any one faction, Shailene Woodley’s Tris makes a choice. And despite it’s derivative nature the basic fact that author Veronica Roth has our female protagonist make choices allows the series to be compelling to read and to watch. Tris is not a reactor like Bella, she is not a victim of circumstance, rather she forges her own future. Much like The Hunger Games‘ Katniss, Tris is a female character not defined by trite romance, but her convictions and choices she makes.
On critics and audiences’ radar since 2011’s Oscar winning film The Descendants, Shailene Woodley adds this film to her canon of young adult themed work. Last summer’s The Spectacular Now was a festival darling that put Woodley back on the map and will be joined by this summer’s adaption of John Green’s novel, The Fault in Our Stars. Woodley is all limbs, hair and eyes here, lending a softness to Tris that nicely expresses her selfless upbringing. Her chemistry with Four (Theo James) works and is paced well against the accelerating backdrop of the film’s main plot (intelligence is power to overcome human nature? snooze). Although neither performance are deeply complex or genre breaking, James and Woodley build enough layers with what’s given to them. It is still young adult fair, right?
Striding in and out of Tris’ way is Kate Winslet as Jeanine Matthews, emphasizing the boring bits of the script and clear breeze for the Oscar winner, she’ll at least have more to do in the next film. Ashley Judd is remarkably resurrected as Tris’ mother although both her and Woodley wear far too much movie makeup to be living in a selfless and no mirrors allowed community. Menacing and the most memorable though is Jai Courtney as Eric, the dauntless leader and James’ Four’s rival. Pierced and tattooed, Courtney exudes the true nature of his faction and adds weight to the impending darkness and death in the plot. Both Judd and Courtney will remind audiences that ultimately this is more an action movie than anything else.
Although not tackling the sequel, Insurgent, director Neil Burger creates a rustic world that visually blends the new with the decrepit. However, at certain points music cues provide silly breaks in the flow of the film and as quickly as Woodley’s bruises seem to disappear the trappings of the genre seem to reappear (cue the concluding voiceover). Yet, Divergent is engrossing and evokes less eye rolling than is normally expected. Remaining mostly faithful to its source novel, a few less people die and certain events and characters are condensed, it surely is a decent addition to the YA canon.