The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (2014) Review

 

Director - Francis Lawrence

When Katniss destroys the games, she goes to District 13 after District 12 is destroyed. She meets President Coin who convinces her to be the symbol of rebellion, while trying to save Peeta from the Capitol. - IMDB

As you may or may not know I am a massive Hunger Games fan and having read the books I'm always excited for the films. Although I couldn't remember exactly what happened in Mockingjay

as I read all of the books before The Hunger Games was released, I thought that they had changed the plot in the film, but aarently they hadn't!

Anyway I enjoyed the film, as I always do, and I couldn't wait to see it, as I always do. I did feel like it was a bit slow though and there wasn't really much of a climax, but I guess that's what you get when you split a story in half, and to be honest I found that the books could be a bit slow in the beginning anyway.

I've had a lot of people say that not a lot happened though, which I agree with but Mockingjay Part 1 is just a build up Part 2, just hold on to your hats!

Jennifer Lawrence was fab, as usual, and what a beautiful singer! If you haven't heard it check out The Hanging Tree!

I thought that Peeta's 'destruction' was done really well; without spoiling anything, he gets captured by The Capitol where they brainwash him and he goes a bit md. They added make up to his face which made him look ill and miserable. It was a nice effect!

So I'll make a confession... I went and saw this a few days after it came out back in November and this post has been sat unfinished in my drafts for a while now and I can't 100% remember what I thought #SoUnprofessional.

Hope you enjoyed reading anyway!

Music Review: Damien Rice - My Favourite Faded Fanatsy (2014)

Wow, it's been a while! I guess I've just been super busy and haven't had the inspiration for anything but I feel like I'm making a comeback now. I've picked up my guitar tonight (which I haven't done in months) and I feel ready to write! Why it's at 23.30 on a Thursday night I will never know but whatever works for you ay!

So just to spice things up a bit I thought I'd review Mr Damien Rice's brand spanking new album because I'm a little bit obsessed with it lately!

I've been a big fan of his since I had my guitar lessons back when I was 15/16 and my teacher taught me The Animals Were Gone and when I started listening to the rest of his stuff I was transfixed. How a man can write and perform such beautiful music is beyond me. If you've never listened to him before, just go and watch some live performance and you will see what I'm talking about! The guy is pure talent! Every time I watch a performance of his I fall in love even more. I think if I don't get to see him live in the near future I might combust.

Anyway, back to the point... *Fangirl mode switching off*

After a long awaited eight years for new material I wasn't disappointed! I was really excited to go out and buy this after seeing some previews on his YouTube channel, and my obvious love for him. I bought it on the day it came out and put it on my phone almost straight away and listened to it the next day on my way to uni and I had goosebumps walking through Leeds City Centre. You know you're listening to good music when you just forget everything around you.

I will admit though, I don't love everything on there. I think a few of the songs are a tad slow, especially at the beginning of the album and towards the end and ones that I would probably skip past (mainly because I listen to music on my walk to uni and I don't need chilled out tunes). I'm not saying it makes it a bad album though, not at all. Obviously you're not going to love every single second of the album, no one does, everyone has different tastes. I think he should have maybe reconsidered the order of things on it as it definitely picks up a few songs in.

I will mention my favourites though because they are bloomin incredible! And probably some of my favourite songs of his (if I dare say that!) and probably some of my favourite songs of the year (and even all time.). Like I said before go and listen to them live because they are a million times better!

1. The Greatest Bastard (listen to it acoustically here), which I have been playing for the best part of the night.

2. I Don't Want to Change You

3. Colour Me In

So now I'm just here waiting for him to announce some UK dates I can actually go to while falling in love with him more and more and dying a little bit inside every time I watch a video of his live performances because I can't be there.

Mr Rice, if you're reading this (which I highly doubt but you never know), I'm not crazy.

Review: The Other Woman (2014)

Directed by Nick Cassavetes

"After discovering her boyfriend is married, Carly soon meets the wife he's been cheating on. And when yet another affair is discovered, all three women team up to plot mutual revenge on the three-timing SOB." - IMDB 

 The other woman, you think, is your stereotypical chick flick. I didn't think it was at all! It definitely has that 'girl power' feel to it, after all it is about three woman being the heroes, but it's more of a comedy than a chick flick. I went to see it with the boyfriend and he was laughing it too - more so why it isn't just for women!

It was so funny! I the combination of the three women together is the maddest idea but it works so well! The story was pretty good too, it didn't drag too much or go too quick.The ending was a bit odd though, I won't spoilt it but it didn't seem to fit in with the rest of the film. It was a bit too 'Hollywood'.

I liked how the three women all had different characters. You had Kate King (Leslie Mann), a quirky, and a little bit crazy, enthusiast who is a little bit clueless at times. Carly Whitten (Cameron Diaz), the woman who lives the 'flash' lifestyle in a swanky apartment who has never had a serious relationship. And Amber (Kate Upton), the ditsy blonde with a perfect figure and big boobs.

The only character which was a bit odd was Amber. It was almost as if the filmmakers had just put her in there for the sake of it. She could have done with more back story and more character development, rather than 'the looks'.

I don't really have much negativity about the film, I did really enjoy it! It was something a bit different to the usual and it's a film for men and women.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Directed by Martin Scorsese

"Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stockbroker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government." - IMDB

So the boyfriend and I decided to sit down and watch The Wolf of Wall Street. Little did we know that 3 hours later we would be still sat there watching it. Wow it was a long film! It's like an actual commitment to watch it. I feel like I should have signed something before! Don't get me wrong, I've seen 3 hour films before, like King Kong and Les Mis, but wow. Just wow.

It wouldn't have been as bad but the story was really slow. In fact, there wasn't a great deal of a story there. It was literally from one thing to another, not really any other story lines other than the main one. There were a few scenes in the film where I sat and thought "this should have ended by now", which slowed the film down a lot.

I get why it was done though; it helped to show how Jordan Belfort's (Leonardo DiCaprio) life was slowly deteriorating and you felt like you were living it along with him.

It's not like I was wishing the film to end, but I did get a little fidgety and fed up towards the end. Kind of spoils your enjoyment too.

The best thing about the film was definitely the acting. Dicaprio and Jonah Hill (Donnie Azoff) definitely deserve their Oscar nominations! I didn't even know it was Jonah Hill at first! I've seen DiCaprio in a few things and he never fails to disappoint, but he really was amazing. He played a different character to what we usually see him play (I'm referring to things like Inception and Shutter Island) which is what made his role stand out so much I think, and keep you watching the film. You kind of fall for Jordan Belfort a little bit, even if he is a man with more money than sense.

 

It is definitely a film worth watching though, if you're prepared to sit there for 3 hours!

I did enjoy it, I just found it very long!

Catching Fire (2013)

Directed by Francis Lawrence

"Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark become targets of the Capitol after their victory in the 74th Hunger Games sparks a rebellion in the Districts of Panem." - IMDB

PLEASE BE WARNED, CONTAINS SLIGHT SPOILERS

After waiting like a year and a half for the second installment of The Hunger Games (2012) I could not wait for Catching Fire! I had my tickets book and was counting down the days.

I have to say that I was not disappointed! I loved it! I loved it more than the first film and I just want to go and watch it over and over again!

I know that when novels are adapted into films, the book it always better. And in The Hunger Games, this was definitely true. I was really annoyed that they left so much out of the film as it was all important little bits that you needed for the tension to follow. I heard people who hadn't read the books say it was confusing, and I can understand why.

With Catching Fire, I didn't feel like this was the case at all. I don't know whether or not it was because I read the books ages ago, or because there wasn't as much needed in this as the first, but it really didn't disappoint me at all!

I thought that the casting for the other tributes was fab! I thought that Sam Claflin (Finnick), Jeffrey Wright (Beetee) and Jena Melone (Johanna) (to name a few) played the existing victors amazingly!

The only character I wasn't too impressed with was Mags (Lynn Cohen). They made her character not speak and I'm sure in the book she does, correct me if I'm wrong! I was actually looking forward to meeting Mags, and I think that the casting was done well, but the way they portrayed her character was not.

The arena of the games was done really well too. Not what I imagined it, but it worked. I don't think I had a clear image of what the arena was like from the book anyway, but they adapted it well and it worked as a film.

I was really happy with the games as a whole. It was really thrilling and interesting, which I found in the book anyway. I love the idea of the arena being a clock with different threats every hour and it was interesting to watch on screen.

The film isn't particularly slow either. I remember the book taking forever to get into the games and then the actual 75th Hunger Games didn't last very long at all. They paced it really well in the film. They showed what they needed to, although I would like to have seen more from the victory tour, and Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peter's (Josh Hutcherson) visits to the other districts.

So now I can't wait to see Mockingjay Part 1 which is going to be released in November 2014, so that's another year to wait! (Tooooo long!) Will just have to watch The Hunger Games and Catching Fire over and over until then!