GAMES OVER
Deliciously dark Mockingjay finale packs a political punch
There was much grumbling when the makers of the wildly popular Hunger Games decided to turn the literary trilogy into a fourpart film series. “Cash grab!” some declared. Even the most generous could only mutter: “May the box office be ever in your favour.” (And it was.)
But it turned out to be a wise choice from a storytelling perspective. For while the first part of Mockingjay was perhaps the weakest of the series, this final chapter comes roaring down the home stretch in a way that only half a book turned into two-plus hours of film can.
It opens in the immediate aftermath of the previous film, with Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) newly rescued from the clutches of the dystopian dictatorship that is Panem and rebel forces massing to deliver a victory blow against the evil (but always well coiffed) President Snow, played with relish and more than a little pepper by Donald Sutherland.
Fighting the good fight, as always, is Katniss Everdeen. Jennifer Lawrence continues to be the best thing about the Hunger Games movies and it’s heartening to see this fine young actress hasn’t been handicapped by appearing in a young-adult adaptation.
During her three-plus in The Hunger Games, Lawrence has also managed to win an Oscar (Silver Linings Playbook), be nominated for another (American Hustle), knock off an X-Men movie, sign up for a Darren Aronofsky project and star in a genuine dud (Serena). That’s a career-and-a-half right there. She also stars in Joy, her third with director David O. Russell, opening in December.
She’ll be missed as the plucky Katniss, who always had her priorities straight — survival first, defeat Snow if possible, and fall in love if there was any time left over. Which there generally wasn’t. Mockingjay pays lip service to the Katniss/Peeta/ Gale triangle (Liam Hemsworth plays the hypotenuse) but it’s far more interested in political and military manoeuvring.
That certainly comes through in an early scene in which the good guys discuss terrorist tactics and what constitutes acceptable civilian casualties in an assault on Panem’s Capitol. Katniss is understandably shocked by this talk, but even Gale believes some loss of innocent life is necessary. And rebel president Coin (Julianne Moore) seems to be practically counting on it.
Katniss has resigned herself to being the mouthpiece of the rebellion, though she doesn’t always say or do what her leaders want. (Coin counters by deciding that whatever Katniss decides to do is de facto what she’s been ordered to do.)
Deciding to cut off the head of the snake, Katniss joins a frontline squadron with the aim of assassinating Snow. But first they’ve got to make their way through a booby-trapped Capitol, peppered with inventive death traps that Snow promises will “turn their advance into a celebration of suffering.” (Bad guys get all the best lines. They also get to kill underlings during board meetings. See Darth Vader, Blofeld, etc.)
The final Hunger Games isn’t quite as honed as it could be. A wedding adds little to the plot, though it should please fans of the book. And a key scene between Katniss and Coin’s aide-de-camp Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) couldn’t take place because the actor died before filming it. Instead, another character now reads a letter from Plutarch.
There’s no fault for this latter omission, of course. Francis Lawrence, who has directed all but the first Hunger Games film, says he had no desire to “fake” the scene with digital effects, and this was clearly the best, most respectful choice. More problematic is Hutcherson as Peeta, who never quite grew into his role as some of the other actors did, and struggles to portray his character’s post-traumatic stress consistently and realistically.
Still, the overall tone of the film is deliciously dark. And the pacing — especially the trek through the Capitol, which Finnick (Sam Claflin) ruefully refers to as “the 76th Hunger Games” — makes this a fitting conclusion. Meanwhile, if you’ve merely been waiting to see whom Katniss chooses: Yes, it answers that question, too.
Jennifer Lawrence takes stock as The Hunger Games film finale signals an end. The inventory’s impressive.
The 25-year-old has become rich and famous thanks to the young adult sci-fi series that kicked off in 2012.
In between filming the four franchise flicks, she earned an Academy Award (Silver Linings Playbook) plus another Oscar nod (American Hustle) to go with her previous nomination for 2010s Winter’s Bone. Through it all, the Kentuckian continues to keep her down home sense of humour about the negative side of everybody knowing her off-camera business. During those tough times, it helped to have her buddies Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth by her side.
“We’ve all helped each other get a handle on everything,” says Lawrence, promoting The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2. “Going off and not doing movies with them was like losing training wheels.”
The “everything ” in question includes attention from the massive Hunger Games fan base. Worldwide, the Suzanne Collins trilogy sold more than one million copies while the four films are expected to pull in more than $3 billion at the box office.
In the conclusion, Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen leads a squad of rebels to eliminate the manipulative Panem President Snow (Donald Sutherland). She is joined by the loyal Gale (Hemsworth) and Peeta (Hutcherson), still suffering from brainwashing side effects.
Even in potential victory, a determined Katniss may lose more than she believed possible, yet Lawrence’s Katniss counts as the emotional centre of the narrative.
“She’s sort of our eyes into this world and we’re following her,” says director Francis Lawrence of the actress.
“She’s the anchor in every sequence and every scene.”
The pivotal nature of Katniss’ empowerment is not lost on the actress.
“Audiences are growing up with this character,” she says. “I hope everybody is going to take away something different from each film as they get older.”
Still, saying goodbye to Katniss is an emotional work in progress that hasn’t quite hit her in full force. So far, Lawrence admits she’s been distracted by the global publicity tour for the film
“I don’t really feel like I’ve said goodbye to her,” she says. “I think it will be pretty bizarre when the movie’s finally out and finished, and every thing’s officially done. I think that will be a pretty weird feeling on a personal level because this movie’s been my life for so many years.”
With that came the glare from the fame spotlight, but she adjusts as best she can.
“Your entire world changes,” Lawrence says.
“I have a new normal now, so I feel very stable and normal and happy. It took a few years to get used to being looked at differently because it’s a very alienating feeling. You don’t feel different, but everyone reacts to you differently.”
She does have a few professional distractions to assist her with the transition. She reunited with her Silver Linings Playbook and American Hustle director David O. Russell for the comedy-drama Joy, which will hit theatres in December.
She returns as Mystique in X-Men: Apocalypse, set for theatres in May, and she stars opposite Chris Pratt in the sci-fi epic Passengers, already positioned for a high-profile release for Christmas 2016.
Meanwhile, speculation has Lawrence linked to the role of Captain Marvel, which she would neither confirm nor deny, but assessed in a positive way.
“I would love to play in the sandbox with them,” she says of Marvel Studios, which has a string of movie hits to its credit.
“This character is so overwhelmingly supportive of women and is iconic.”
Lawrence thought that’s exactly what she was being with her recently published piece on gender pay inequity in Hollywood. She said in the story she that received less money for her role in American Hustle than co-stars Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Renner because she didn’t negotiate hard enough. In some circles, she’s been criticized for the article.
“Even after writing it, it’s been called Jennifer Lawrence’s bratty display,” she says.
“Thank you for completely making my point that when a woman speaks up and is assertive and has a voice, she’s called a brat. I just don’t see a man (being) called a brat.”
Maybe she needs a quiet place to get away from it all.
“If I went to some place quiet,” Lawrence says, “I’d just lose my mind.”