The Hunger Games, The movie: Yay or Nay?

I am not a reader, I didn't read the Hunger Games and I didn't plan to see the movie last Tuesday. To tell you the truth, I thought  the Hunger Games was initially about a diet game. But there had been so much hype {twitter hype that is} around the books and the  movie, that, like it was the case for the Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland movie, that I had to see the film and make my own opinion.  I really didn't know to expect. Everybody I had asked about the book compared the film to some other films I hadn't seen. There's  nothing worse than seeing a boring film so I gave myself 30 minutes to form an opinion but things didn't go quite to plan...





So what's the Hunger Games about? What *are* the Hunger Games, if it’s not a diet thing?
In my eyes, it's a sci-fi/adventure film futuristic movie, about a world/society based in the future but with a 'backward' mentality  very reminiscent to Roman times. Let me explain. The world featured in the Hunger Games is divided into districts, like London is  divided into boroughs and all these districts are kept very poor and are at the mercy of the rich  governing borough (called the Capitol).

Rich people being rich people, they can get bored at times and need entertainment. Like the  emperor in roman times, who needs entertainment, the Hunger Games were set up, where chosen people from the various districts compete  against each other. You lose at the games, you're not literally thrown to lions like in legendary ancient times, but you lose your  life. So the Hunger Games is about a story of survival, purely set up for the entertainment of the rich society, who watch the poor  trying to fight for their dear life. It's a bit like the Truman Show (starring Jim Carrey meet the reality TV Big Brother show but with more devastating consequences.


A story about survival did you say? Is it brutal, gruesome, gore and violent?
Yes, the film is brutal but it's very well done and apart from a very brief moment at the beginning, I found that the brutality and  total horror of it all is more suggested than anything. I am very sensitive to blood, I am a total wimp and I only survived the first 10 minutes of Saving Private Ryan. This is nothing like Saving Private Ryan.


So what's the film like? Is it worth seeing?
The first hour was tedious and excruciatingly lengthy. I spent my time sighing and focusing about the uncomfortable chair at the cinema and about the  fact that I ate too much beforehand. It had been so long that I hadn't been to the cinema, most of that first hour was spent trying to  get used to the screen and the sheer volume of it all. To add to the frustration, it felt to me that they spent too long 'setting the  scene' and annoyingly hyping and teasing us about the Hunger Games, rather than actually telling us what it is. It felt like it was  twitter all over again, where suggestions about the Hunger Games are dropped here and there and you want to scream 'But what the hell is it, godamm it!?’


The second hour was captivating, moving, gripping, heart wrenching and got me stuck to my chair. Was it ever uncomfortable? I usually give myself 30 minutes to form an  opinion about a film and it really hasn't impressed me by then, I've been known to stop the dvd or even walk out of the cinema. So what  kept going for a full hour when I usually last that long? One single moment, about 40 minutes in, where the main protagonist gave a  glimpse on how feisty she is, at a certain 'interview'. If it hadn't been for that moment, I don't think I would have survived much  longer in the cinema.






And what about the makeup in the film?
I do love my makeup. Heck, I spend my spare time blogging about it but I didn't see much of the makeup. Well there was the woman with the paperself lashes but beyond that, I don't remember. There wasn't enough for me to remember it and represents about 1% of my memories of the film. If you want to see the film for the makeup, you'll be sorely disappointed. As for all the makeup inspired by the film and such and such look inspired by the district of agriculture, and what not? I really don't see where they get that from, perhaps from reading the books. I am only aware of the district where the main female protagonist is from and that's it. I am now wondering if there was a district which the speciality was baking...


First impressions from coming back from the film were mixed, remembering more the first tedious half rather than anything, and vowing  myself never to see the film again. Nearly a week on and I can't stop myself from thinking about the film. My number one criteria for  liking a film is how much it can move me, whether it be a drama, sci-fi, comedy or anything really and how much I keep on thinking  about it afterwards. Well, it has moved me to the core, and I keep on thinking about it everyday. Do I want to see the film again? The  question I ask myself is more 'When will I see it again?'...






Like a male protagonist asked at the very beginning of the film 'What if the world didn't watch the games? Maybe there wouldn't be  games at all, let's just not watch it'. It is not as easy at that. You are just drawn to watch it, just like I was before the film,  just like I was during the first agonising hour, just like you will be after reading this review. Resistance is futile.