The Hunger Games

First Hit:  A tad long but a satisfying storyline, some great acting and visually enticing.

This is an age old story about the have and have-nots.

The haves living their life of opulence and self-aggrandizing while they abuse the have-nots by making their young kill each other for their pleasure and television amusement. Remind you of history? 

If this is a picture of how we could end up, it is very sad. Oppression of another human being is not the way out of our inability to see each and every human being as our equal.

In this version of this old story, Katniss (played by Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers to step in for her younger sister who was selected, in her first year of eligibility, to be one of two warriors from the depressed area called District 12. From age 12 to age 18, once a year each district (there are 12) must submit two warriors to compete to the death as homage to their society and/or religious beliefs.

Her partner from District 12 is Peeta (played by Josh Hutcherson) a quiet unassuming boy who has had a difficult history. Together they are take a modern train to a very modern opulent city where they are groomed and trained to kill each other and the other 22 participants.

They are coached by a heavily drinking guide named Haymitch (played by Woody Harrelson) and kind stylist named Cinna (played by Lenny Kravitz). The behind the scenes producer for the television program which everyone watches is Seneca Crane (played by Wes Bentley). He is under the guidance of President Snow (played by Donald Sutherland).

The MC for the television program where they are interviewed before being set out to kill each other is Caesar Flickerman (played by Stanley Tucci). One character which stood out for me besides the main characters was Rue (Amandla Stenberg) who was one of the 24 selected to be part of the killing. Her soft kindness and presence was one of the hopes of a better generation.

The visual shots, at times, were stunning the utopian city was well crafted to reflect both future and totalitarian Nazi like symbols. However, some of the hand-held stuff was just jerky stupid. One does not see the world in this jerky way and makes me wonder about the overuse and intentional camera movement.

Lawrence was, as she was in “Winter’s Bone” driven, clear and with feeling and kindness. She has an ability to emote strength and heartfelt empathy in one look. Hutcherson was solid as the guy who knew he was going to die, was self-effacing and yet let it be known he was in love. Harrelson was, again, superb. Kravitz was very strong as someone who cared about the participants. Tucci was on the edge of being over the top as the MC – wonderful job. Bentley was good but I was very distracted by his beard. Stenberg was sublime. Sutherland was very good as the President who controlled the games uncaringly. Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray created a strong script from the book of the same name. Gary Ross allowed this film to unfold well but some of his choices of camera shots – especially the jerky ones were ill advised and take away from being engaged with the film.

Overall:  This was enjoyable if a bit long and made me wonder why this film and the books are aimed at and popular with teens.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

First Hit:  This was a very delightful film to watch.

Sheikh Mohammed (played by Amr Waked) believes that by introducing Salmon fishing in Yemen, his countrymen will learn patience while creating a new food resource, (with the fish and using the water to make the desert green) and an appreciation for life itself.

Harriet (played by Emily Blunt) works for a British investment company that manages much of the Sheikh’s money. There is a skirmish in the Middle East and the British and 10 Downing Street want to deflect the negative press by creating a feel good story.

They pick this idea of introducing Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. The guy charged with this from the fisheries department is Dr. Alfred Jones (played by Ewan McGregor). He scoffs at this idea and turns them down.

But the Prime Minister guided by his press secretary Patricia Maxwell (played by Kristin Scott Thomas) orders Alfred to take the project on. At home Dr. Jones’ married life is very sterile and the defining moment is a scene where he and his wife make love. Harriet is involved in the project because she is the lead for the Sheikh.

One of the themes in this film is “faith”. The Sheikh poses the discussion of faith at various moments and he does this effectively. The humor between the uptight Dr. Jones and the open Harriet was perfect.

Although this film is formulaic, it executes in its own unique way.

Waked was beautiful in his execution of the Sheikh’s role. The “1,000 apologies” statement when he has an argument with a fellow countryman was perfect as was his fishing in his robes. Blunt is amazing in her performance. She can be vulnerable, strong, and beautiful all in the same moment. Here she does this perfectly and her voice – simply intoxicating. McGregor was sublime as an uptight intellectual who prefers talking with fish versus humans. As he unfolds his life in-front of the Sheikh and Harriet, he unfolds his life in front of himself. McGregor was extremely effective doing this. Scott Thomas was funny and in full bloom in this characterization of an overzealous PR person for a head of government. Simon Beaufoy and Paul Torday wrote a fun and poignant script. Lasse Hallstrom directed this film with a wonderfully perceptive hand while paying attention to the subtle details that make films good.

Overall: This is a joyous and enjoyable film – worth watching.

A Thousand Words

First Hit:  An uneven film but the point regarding forgiveness is spot on.

Jack McCall (played by Eddie Murphy) is a fast talking, truth stretching literary agent.

He prides himself in being able to talk anyone into anything. He bullshits people left and right and by doing so has become one of the top literary agents in LA. To land what he thinks will be the book of the century by guru and new age teacher Dr. Sinja (played by Cliff Curtis) he visits his ashram and slyly convinces him to handle his book.

While there he touches a Bodhi tree and cuts himself. The tree feels/senses him and decides to pop-up in his backyard. As soon as he speaks leaves start dropping off the tree. Congruently, as leaves fall he doesn't feel well. Dr. Sinja tells him that when the last leaf falls he may die.

There only about 1,000 leaves left. The set-up is OK because we all know Murphy can talk. But is at this point the film loses its way.

There are funny moments, like at Starbucks when he is trying to pantomime his coffee order, but I thought the blind man crossing the street bit was too made up, wasn’t funny nor did it add to the film.

This is how the film unfolded, up and down and not holding together. What did work for me, because it is one of my principles of freedom, is that he figures out that living is about forgiveness. When he does, his life turns around.

Murphy was very uneven in this film. When he shines, it is bright, but otherwise it wasn't that funny or interesting. I think this was more of an issue of writing and direction than Murphy’s acting. Curtis is mediocre as a new age guru. Kerry Washington (playing Murphy’s wife) was OK, but not very compassionate as a wife and her character came off as selfish. Clark Duke played Murphy’s assistant and again this performance was very uneven but I don’t know how much of it was poor writing. Jack McBrayer was very good as the Beatle loving Starbucks Barista. Steve Koren wrote a very uneven script. Brian Robbins directed this and it was all over the map. Some wonderful scenes and some dreadful scenes, like the blind man scene.

Overall: This is, at best, a video film to watch on a Sunday evening.

Gone

First Hit:  Despite a thin plot line, Amanda Seyfried brought intensity to this role which was worth watching.

There isn’t quite enough backdrop and history to give a good historical framework and picture of Jill (Seyfried) but the film tries to fill in the blanks by giving storylines and flashbacks to give the audience some sense of why she is the way she is.

We see her at the beginning being very cautious which is supposed to identify that she’s been down this road before and will do anything to keep it from happening again. What we learn is that she was dumped in a dirt hole in a vast national park near Portland and was able to escape but not before finding out that there were others before her who were in and died in this hole. She thinks he’s after her and her sister.

The police however, don’t believe a word of what she says so they don’t help her when her sister goes missing. The police, in this film, are portrayed as nincompoops and I hope aren’t reflective of detectives at the Portland Police Department. They even added a new detective to this case, Peter Hood (played by Wes Bentley), who was weird enough to make the audience think he is the killer.

There was no reason for this and the film would have been fine without this character. The woman police officer (Officer Ash – played by Erin Carufel), who was supposed to be a voice of reason was portrayed stupidly.

The lead detective Powers (played by Daniel Sunjata) was so un-police like that I truly wondered why he was there at all.

Despite the very thin way this film was written, Seyfried made it work watching and was the only reason to watch this film.

Seyfried is very good at holding this character’s traits of fear, strength, drive, and resolve to finding and eliminating the man who once captured her throughout this film. Carufel was mostly useless. Sunjata looked good but from a police officer’s ability to deduce and be inquisitive he lacked everything that would make him a detective. Bentley had no reason to be in the film. Allison Burnett wrote a very weak script. Heitor Dhalia didn’t get anything much from the characters except Seyfried which tells me she did this on her own.

Overall: Maybe worth a rainy boring Sunday afternoon view.

A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader as Simin)

First Hit:  Extremely well-acted Iranian film about choices, Iranian law, divorce and the religious aspects of relationships and actions.

Nader (played by Peyman Moadi) and Simin (played by Leila Hatami) are sitting in front of a judge.

They rarely look at each other as she makes a case for granting a divorce. It is clear, Nader wants to stay in their current home to take care of his ailing father, she wants them to leave the country together or divorce so that she can leave the country with their daughter.

Simin looks and feels more modern and ready to deal with the modern world outside their country. They both twist their stories to make it seem that each of them is right and on the right side of Islam.

The judge, never seen on camera, asks questions, tolerates the convoluted arguments each makes and puts religious beliefs into context of the law. In the end, no divorce is granted.

Their daughter Termeh (played by Sarina Farhadi) is caught between the parents but there is a sense that she is angry with her mother for wanting to split up the family, and she also fills in as the woman in the house when Simin moves out to live with her parents.

There is also a feeling that their religion also plays a hand in who goes where. Nadar hires Razieh (played by Sareh Bayat) to take care of his father while he is at work.

The story develops from here which expose lies and the spinning of the truth, a death, religious context, and Termeh having to make a life choice.

The film is long in places, but for foreign audiences this allows deeper explanations for actions and consequences. I felt as if I was given a unique window into Iranian life, two families, and how religion plays a role in their lives.

Moadi is excellent as a contained man struggling to do “what is right” for his father, wife and daughter. Hatami is sublime as a woman who wants and is willing to get more out of her life. She depicts strength and clarity. Bayat is reflective of a woman caught by so many influences while hiding what she really wants and needs. Shahab Hosseini as Hodjat is powerful and scary as Razieh’s husband who has been out of work, has a temper, and is in debt to other elders. Farhadi is fabulous as the daughter who wants to keep it all together and peaceful but also knows she will have to make an extremely difficult choice. Asghar Farhadi (Sarina’s father) wrote and directed this deeply moving and articulate film.

Overall:  This film deserved Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards – it is insightful and well thought out.