The Hunger Games - just misses the mark

Ok, so totes in dange of (sorry, sorry) - and again...! I'm in danger of sounding like a broken record when it comes to novel to film adaptations (and slightly aghast that peeps in the biz aren't reading my reviews as wonderful analyses of how adaptations could work and applying them to their own work - it's free consultancy, yo!)

Anyhow, getting back to the necessary task at hand - The Hunger Games viewing for moi et Arctic Bunny was last night. I had pegged this as a 'must see of 2012' as most others did and I refrained from reading reviews, though I cracked when Incredible Suit posted this week (gah!).

*SPOILERS ALERT* Dare I say it, but it was an all around decent film but exceptionally and lazily adapted from the book. It took too long to 'get to the good stuff' and there were some other obvious flaws that have nothing to do with flaws from the book itself - it's all down to the film-makers.

I kind of guessed at this the moment the film opened and we see Game-Maker, Seneca Crane talking to blue haired presenter (played solidly well by Stanley Tucci) - and it became a continual problem - removing us out of Katniss's POV and the games and into the 'behind-the-scenes' world of the Capitol. UGH. It completely leached the strength of menace that an antagonist has - seeing Presi Snow chatting to Crane on various occasions, I sat there trying to fathom why this was in the narrative at all. It's like seeing the most bad ass robot and then they take you to see it nuts and bolts - or find it works on water. Lame.  Another classic example is when Katniss is in that ante-room before entering the pod-lift into the arena. It's suspenseful stuff and then [cut], we're in that control room with some lady telling us 'Ok, they're in.' Geez - talk about removing oneself from the suspenseful moment of Katniss entering the arena in one seamless sequence. That warrants a hit to the head, editor. 

Another issues were Peeta and Katniss - it wasn't good chemistry between Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, but Josh came across stronger in his performance as the 'boy with the bread'. Which also brings me to the 'bread' scene - why is it raining and why wasn't it made clear that Katniss was literally starving to death with nothing to take to her family? The flashbacks were lazy and confusing. There could have one sequence of 'father's death - starving - bread via Peeta - daffodil' but no, that would have been too simple. If we knew she was at the end of her tether, that moment would have been more significant and so to, their relationship. Instead, when it's time for Katniss to turn on the 'charm', it's not even obvious that she has turned on anything. And then we kept cutting to see Gale in District 12, *shakes head*. And if they'd done the bread scene properly, we'd have known that Katniss does whatever it takes to survive - she's survived near death before - this is her trait, her winning element - not the bow and arrow.

The Hunger Games

So, I've been in what I can only say is something of a reading 'depression' and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it's been going on for some time - perhaps years really, when I try and think about any book that has ignited me - I mean, really and truly to the point where I'm immersed in it my head it still in the narrative long before I put the book down. I was momentarily lifted by 'Revolution' by Jennifer Donnelly but that is a stand alone book and the momentum didn't carry me on to further great reads.

So I stumbled upon 'The Hunger Games' by Susanne Collins - thanks to my sis, who sent me a link to the trailer of the upcoming movie. I watched it, read the general premise for the original books and was like 'OM%G, why haven't I heard of these?' Apparently, it was the series that Hogwarts graduates fell into after the void Potter left us in (Hogwarts graduates meaning the age group of people who are Harry Potter's year - i.e. when the first book came in 1997, we were the kids starting Year 7. So if JK had stayed true to the book a year thing, we would have been graduating high school the same year as Harry - what? Don't give me that look!) I must have missed the memo about these books though because I only came to know of it the Friday two weeks ago, harassed my sister into buying the series on Monday and was reading it Monday evening. I've read the second but am putting a breather between tackling the third.

It really is riveting - the premise is strong, clear (and though I know The Hunger Games fans will hate me for it, it has shades of the ORIGINAL Battle Royale books by Koshun Takami) which makes me a wee bit envious because I sometimes forget the whole premise/purpose of my own book because it's such a huge story. Writing one person POV must be nice too. I let various characters sidetrack me totally.

I love that the Minotaur-Cretan-Athenian-conflict legend inspired the whole 'send the kids to their death' - of course I would love that!

Why am I blabbering about this, you wonder? Well because these series are about to movies very soon and I wonder whether they will capture the nature of the books because I loved how well the film adaptation of Battle Royale went down. And I'm wondering whether the USAns can do the same, because often, I'm left pretty darn miffed with their adaptations - I even got into a Twitter back and forth with Philip Bloom, much respected camera-man and my reference to all things Canon 7D (thank you) - but we had a difference of opinion regarding 'IMMORTALS' - I put an end to the discussion when I saw that Bloom had written 'You won't see a better looking film.' *I grits my teeth* Oh, Philip, you don't know me AT all! (he wouldn't, naturally...but yeh) It is so typical of a DoP to put the aesthetics over all other elements - flashbacks of university when we watched fellow students work and when left to give feedback, people would always talk about 'how pretty' it was, while I was dying to blurt out 'Did anyone get it?' or 'The story was rather weak, dude - sorry. While you're all admiring the lighting and framing and everything, I'm sitting there thinking 'why do I care about this character or whatever is happening for 5 mins'...' *sigh* Sorry, got diverted there - the discussion of story, truthful adaptation and 'good looking' film is to be left to another blog post soon.

Anyhow, I will look forward to this film coming it is all.

Entering a new chapter

This is a week late somewhat and what's more, this kind of post is usually reserved for my other journal where I gush about 'feelings' and 'life's journey' etc etc.

Yet, allow me some space to do this here. I entered a new 'phase' of life, now that I have been a quarter century on this earth. This year is going to be full of intention and then those intentions actually coming into being - or whatever. 

Last week we celebrated this occasion by going to see the Cirque du Soleil (Totem) at The Royal Albert Hall. It was splendid and wonderful, I loved every minute of it. And that was the first time I had been to the Royal Albert Hall. Stunning really. I was determined to dress up and forgo practical attire which meant my feet froze as we walked from the car park to the venue. Then we finished the evening off at a lovely restaurant in Knightsbridge and the manager heard it was our birthday, so brought out a plate of yummy chocolate desserts, all wheat free. I told him I loved him for that :) Then back home to cut the cake at some insane hour but it had to be done. 


This post does actually have something of interest to read about, namely this article I read on Kazuo Ishiguro which was enlightening, even though I haven't read his work really. I tried to get through 'Remains of the Day' when I was preparing for my interview at Oxford but I couldn't get into it. Needless to say (for I hear you asking, where is the relevance here?), he's being interviewed to talk about 'Never Let Me Go' being made into a film yada yada. 

"When I see films made from books, I make a huge effort not to remember the book," he says. "It's important to see the film as a film. Of course, it's easier with an old book. If it's Wuthering Heights or something, it's like going to the theatre and seeing another version; it might as well be Chekhov. This book came out in 2006, so it's harder to do that. But it's a movie. Every discussion shouldn't be dominated by a comparison with the novel."

Cool, what do you think - do you agree? It's a fair point and in all honesty, quite right, though I couldn't wholeheartedly agree, for that would render this blog's primary aim rather useless. I haven't read the book or seen the film, so cannot make a comparison either way. 

Yet there is something to be said about the film adaptation standing on its own two feet. Do you agree? I'm still thinking that there is a ineffable thread, as it were, that will always bind the film to it's original adaptation - can you ever really separate the two?

Furthermore, what's your favourite book to film adaptation and why did it work for you?

When a book is bad, the film adaptation will suck, seriously!

So for some god awful reason I was persuaded by an individual (who to avoid embarrassment I will not name as co conspirator) I sat down and watched some of 'Eragon'. Remember that? Firstly a bestselling kids book and then a movie. No, don't recall? Yeah, well that was because it was abysmally awful. Like vomiting is a better alternative to watching or reading that story. (I feel similarly about Twilight - more on that later!)


So I know that Eragon was written by some kid - it shows if the film is anything to go by. There is no real setting of context of the world and its rules, instead there is some rubbish overview of bad forces vs good forces and that's about it. It lacked even a hint at depth and well, when anyone writes or delves into a fantasy story, it should contain *some* measure of depth. Even the world of Harry Potter is rich and feels like it exists long before we enter the story. No, Eragon is not in the same ball game, its playing by itself in some corner, ignored by the kids who have creativity and know how to tell a story.

It boggles the mind to think that this story was published (and went on to make the writer millions) when it contains every cliche in the book - random farm boy is propelled into a destiny he ain't ready for; grouchy mentor who once saw glory is now trying to relive that said valour through pushing it on useless, aimless kid; damsel in distress calling out to hero; 'baddies' who appear to have no reason to be bad other than they can-  the list goes on.