Girl on Fire

Friday, March 23 was the day. Yes friends I witnessed the Hunger Games. 

To prepare for the Reaping, I decided to don something District 12 tribute-inspired...black to silver sequence shorts, my thrifted denim top and the always sturdy combat boots. 

And to add a little flame - my brand new Marni for H&M earrings. 

 

Enough about me - let's get to the film. 

For anyone who's enjoyed Suzanne Collins' incredible trilogy, I hope you are as thrilled with Gary Ross' adaptation as I am. 

 

Set in a dystopian North America known as Panam, what sets this story apart from its Twilight and Potter counterparts is its human element. Real people, living, fighting, surviving in districts haunted by poverty and under the oppressive political rule of President Snow, juxtaposed against the flagrant glutony and want-for-nothing ignorance of the decadent Capital. 

Every year, each of the 12 districts must send 2 children (one boy and one girl) to fight in the televised Games - aka Gladiator-style child slaughter - with only one victor being crowned. 

As the district 12 tribute, Jennifer Lawrence stars as Katniss Everdeen.

Lawrence - who has proven her ability to play a physical role, as young Mystique in X-Men: First Class, puts in work in the Games.

Lawrence captures Katniss to a T - the hunger in her eyes, on the verge of desperation, yet deeply compassionate. I may have developed a sinus infection from her heartbreaking scene with Rue.

Speaking of - Amandla Stenberg was adorably accurate as Rue. Despite my apprehension Josh Hutcherson played a perfect Pita and Liam Hemsworth was a noteworthy Gale. Elizabeth Banks and Woody Harrelson also added flame to the film and Stanley Tucci in a blue wig can never be a bad thing.

Besides Lawrence, for me the film belonged to Snow. And who better to capture the poisonous President than Donald Sutherland. It's that VOICE. He was wicked (literally and figuratively) and in my opinion had some of the most powerful lines:

"There are a lot of underdogs - and I think if you saw them, you wouldn't like them either." 

As with many adaptations, the only trouble I have with the Hunger Games is it sometimes became a check list of covering off the novel instead of building on the relationships and showcasing the emotion the book exudes. 

I'm waiting for Catching Fire to see if Cinna (Lenny Kravits) and Lawrence's relationship will blossom to all it was in the novel.

That said - The Hunger Games will definitely be on the favourite shelf, nestled next to all of my Potters.

Side Reel:

 

On my way out I ran into a mother/daughter duo who were working their own movie-inspired ensembles. (R-L) Janet and Thée appliqued their Mockinjays (Thée has her own sewing machine too - an old one, she says).