The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Francis Lawrence, 2013)

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Rating: Q=7, P=6 / Can't Get Enough

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3

Post-Apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Coming of Age, Survival, Corruption

The second installment of this distopian series was really stellar. Yes, it was very depressing. Yes, it was tense. Some of the moments felt forced but it never bothered me. I was drawn into the conflicts and the games. I especially enjoyed the parallel of individual character development and growth AND the slow uprising of the world. Beautiful visuals, music, and art direction. Can't wait for the next part this year.

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Gravity

Gravity (Alfonso Cuaron, 2013)

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Rating: Q=6, P=3 / Thanks But No Thanks

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=2, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=1

Philosophical, Beating the Odds, Survival, Space, Visually-stunning

Gravity is a stunning visual film. It is also eerie, disturbing, and tense. Almost the entire film is difficult to watch because it is so realistic and frightening. Drifting above the earth with almost no oxygen is certainly a nightmare. Having the emotional, mental, and physical strength to persevere and survive is inspiring to contemplate. But I feel I would have been more convinced if the character's story was a different one. Dr. Stone is a mother who lost her child and feels she has no reason to live. On earth, she only worked and drove aimlessly. What made her want to become part of a mission in space? And how was she initially able to push herself to stay alive with this mentality? Then lose it and regain it again--in terrifying circumstances with absolutely no human support? It begins to feel symbolic but it's still vague...

The last fifteen minutes of the film are by far the most interesting and then the film is over, which worked in the plot and philosophically but it still disappointed me. I wanted the human survivor to be more relate-able so that her descent from space through the atmosphere into the ocean and onto land was more symbolically meaningful.

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From Up On Poppy Hill

From Up On Poppy Hill (Goro Miyazaki, 2011)

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Rating: Q=7, P=7 / Obsession

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=4, Scale 4=3

Animation, 1960s, Grief, Coming of Age, Romance, Complex Relationships

What a beautiful story and film. I love pretty much everything that Studio Ghibli has produced (personal favorite is Hayao Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro) and this is definitely true of From Up On Poppy Hill. The characters are realistic, the artwork is enchanting and intricate, the story is part fantasy, part fairy tale. This story is about living with change, adapting, and growing up. But it is also a wonderful tale of nostalgia. Umi and Shun show us the importance of remembering the past through creativity, restoration, memory, and quiet gestures.

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Inside Llewyn Davis

Inside Llewyn Davis (Joel & Ethan Coen, 2013)

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Rating: Q=7, P=7 / Obsession

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=4, Scale 4=3
 

Music, 1960s, Bleak, Philosophical, Folktale
 

My soul crumbled a little after watching the latest Coen Brothers film. Inside Llewyn Davis made me painfully aware of how undervalued the arts (and artists) are in our society--it is an age old story. Llewyn is a true artist--his heart full of passion and love for the music he plays. But he gets no money from his recordings or gigs. He has no bed to rest in, only other people's couches or floors. He doesn't even have a coat or boots to keep him warm in the bitter New York winter. Even when he journeys hundreds of miles and sings from the very depths of his soul, he is denied. Because, he is told...there isn't any money in his art. And he sees the acts, hears the silly songs, and learns about the deeds that do bring comfort and cash and it disgusts him. This is 1961. Sadly, little has changed.

Oscar Isaac amazed me (why have I never heard this guy until now?) in being the character I know so well. I think all true artists have a little bit of Llewyn inside, trying desperately to find a place that is not hostile or false feeling. And company that appreciates real talent...like I said, my soul crumbled a little.

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