2014 Academy Awards Nominees and Predictions

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The 2014 Academy Awards were announced this morning and MAN do I have work to do!  I've only seen ONE of the top nominated films (Gravity) and I didn't even like it that much!  As an overall impression I'm not too surprised by the nominations, though I do think there were some snubs, mostly in the best actor category.  So, who got nominated, who got left out, and who do I think will win?  Let's discuss!
Best Picture
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street

2014 follows the trend of 9 nominations for best picture.  These really aren't surprising.  Some people may be surprised that Saving Mr. Banks and Lee Daniel's The Butler aren't on the list (The Butler got zero nominations actually, but based on reviews and such I'm not all that surprised). 

Last fall it seemed like it was going to be a Gravity vs. 12 Years a Slave show down, but then American Hustle reared it's head gathering 10 nominations.  Gravity also has 10, but they are largely behind the scenes awards for sound and visual effects while American Hustle has turned out to be this years Silver Linings Playbook with nominees in all 4 acting categories.  But don't count 12 Years a Slave out just yet, it's right behind them with 9 nominations.  In the middle of the pack is Dallas Buyers Club, Captain Phillips, and surprisingly Nebraska with 6 nominations each. 

Who Will Win?  Based on the Academy's history (the past 3 winners have all been historical dramas) I will predict 12 Years a Slave.  I don't think Gravity's writing was strong enough to take the award and I think American Hustle is a little too "main stream".

Who Should Win?  This is tough because I haven't seen most of these, but I would love to see the academy break away from the historical drama trend.  Maybe  Dallas Buyers Club or Her if they really wanted to be bold.  It will never happen, but it would be cool.

 

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 Best Actor

Christian Bale - American Hustle

Bruce Dern - Nebraska

Leonardo DiCaprio - The Wolf of Wall Street

Chiwetel Ejiofor - 12 Years a Slave

Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club

 

Bruce Dern was a pleasant surprise, and Christian Bale was a rather annoying one.  There were a lot of strong performances, but I am really surprised Tom Hanks didn't make the cut.  Tom Hanks was an awards show staple in the 90s and it would have been nice to see him nominated again.

 

Who Will Win?  It's a very tight race and I'm not really sure, but I think the top contenders are Chiwetel Ejiofor  and Matthew McConaughey.  I think McConaughey will come out on top, but it is a tough category.  He did lose 45 lbs for the role, and hollywood loves that kind of commitment.

 

Who Should Win?  My vote will be with Leonardo DiCaprio until he actually takes home the award.  He is probably the most snubbed actor in all of hollywood and damn it he is overdue!

 

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 Best Actress

Amy Adams - American Hustle

Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine

Sandra Bullock - Gravity

Judi Dench - Philomena

Meryl Streep - August: Osage County

 

Some really surprising nominations here, in particular Meryl Streep, not because of her performance but for the lackluster reviews of August: Osage County in general.  I'm also pretty surprised to not see Emma Thompson there for Saving Mr. Banks.  I do love how this category represents older actresses, the youngest being Amy Adams at 39. 

 

Who Will Win?  I think Cate Blanchett  has had this in the bag since Blue Jasmine's summer release.  At the end of the day all of the other ladies are vying for second place.

 

Who Should Win?  I would love to see Amy Adams win an oscar, she has had a great career so far and is the only woman nominated who has yet to win an oscar but Blanchett is going to take this one, no doubt. 

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 Best Supporting Actor

Barkhad Abdi - Captain Phillips

Bradley Cooper - American Hustle

Michael Fassbender - 12 Years a Slave

Jonah Hill - The Wolf of Wall Street

Jared Leto - Dallas Buyers Club

 

I'm not surprised by this at all.  Let's just cut to the chase.

 

Who Will Win?  Jared Leto has this on lock.  Of all the categories this is the only one I'm 100% certain.

 

Who Should Win?  Jared Leto, duh.

 

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 Best Supporting Actress

Sally Hawkins - Blue Jasmine

Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle

Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave

Julia Roberts - August: Osage County

June Squibb - Nebraska

 

This is a very interesting category.  I was not expecting Julia Roberts at all, and I know a lot of people were really surprised Oprah Winfrey didn't get nominated for Lee Daniel's The Butler.  I personally would have loved to see Scarlett Johannson get nominated for Her, just because I would have really enjoyed seeing a voice only actor be nominated.

 

Who Will Win?  This is TOUGH, but I really think the 2 leaders are Jennifer Lawrence and Lupita Nyong'o and given Lawrence just won last year, I think Nyong'o will take it home.

 

Who Should Win?  A lot of people were surprised to see Lawrence take home the golden globe, and while I love me some J-Law, I think Lupita Nyong'o deserves this one.

 

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Best Director

David O. Russell - American Hustle

Alfonso Curon - Gravity

Alexander Payne - Nebraska

Steve McQueen - 12 Years a Slave

Martin Scorsese - The Wolf of Wall Street

 

 I'm really surprised Paul Greengrass and Spike Jonze did not get nominated for Captain Phillips and Her, respectively.  I did not expect Scorsese to sneak into this category.

 

Who Will Win?  I think Alfonso Curon will win.  Even though I didn't really like Gravity, I have to admit it was a technical achievement.  It may have had a clunky story, but DAMN it looked good!

 

Who Should Win?  I kind of think Steve McQueen could/should win, but Curon is an ok winner too in my book.

 

So those are all of the major categories and their nominees.  Which of these movies have you seen and who do you think should win?  Let me know in the comments below and we'll all find out Sunday, March 2nd!



The Conjuring Movie Review

Released July 19, 2013
Rated R
Directed by James Wan
Starring Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston

There were a lot of factors that made me really excited to see The Conjuring.  James Wan also directed Insidious (2010) and the original Saw (2004), two amazing horror films, Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson are two of my absolute favorite actors, and literally every person who had seen The Conjuring raved about how awesome it was.  And after finally seeing The Conjuring for myself, I have to say that it definitely lived up to my expectations.

The basic (no spoilers!) plot of The Conjuring is like many other haunted house horror movies out there.  A family unknowingly moves into a haunted house that steadily becomes more and more frightening until the family breaks down and calls a paranormal investigator, psychic, or priest to exorcise the house.  Yes I know how cliche that sounds, but where The Conjuring excels is in creating suspense and tension and breathes new life in the traditional haunted house story.

The casting for The Conjuring was fantastic.  I especially enjoyed Patrick Wilson (Insidious, Hard Candy) and Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air).  They had great chemistry and I got a good sense that the Warrens were in it for the right reasons.  They weren't thrill seekers who got in over their heads or con-artists looking to scam unsuspecting victims, they were people with certain skills and knowledge that allowed them to help people in danger.  I also really enjoyed Lili Taylor (Six Feet Under) and Ron Livingston (Office Space) who play the wife and husband who move into the haunted house.  They don't spend a lot of time arguing about the scary stuff that is happening, they move from confused to scared to believing they are haunted rather quickly which really helps the plot move along.

Like I said earlier, The Conjuring may have a very formulaic plot, but the use of creative camera work and some very excellent actors produce some very suspenseful scenes.  Vera Farmiga in particular did a great job.  Her character is a lot more sensitive to the supernatural and her reactions to seeing something that no one else can were spine chilling.  Simply looking in a mirror was enough to have me white knuckling my seat. 

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That ultimately is what makes The Conjuring so great.  This movie is rated R, not because there's gore, sex, graphic violence, nudity, language, drugs, or any other factor.  No, it's rated R simply because it will scare the piss out of you.  Little things like a game of hide and seek, a door slowly creaking open, or a shadowy figure seen out of the corner of your eye will terrify you for more than any amount of blood and guts.

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion Book and Movie Review

Published November 1, 2011 by Atria/Emily Bestler Books

#1 in the Warm Bodies series
4 stars

Goodreads Review
R is a young man with an existential crisis--he is a zombie. He shuffles through an America destroyed by war, social collapse, and the mindless hunger of his undead comrades, but he craves something more than blood and brains. He can speak just a few grunted syllables, but his inner life is deep, full of wonder and longing. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams.After experiencing a teenage boy's memories while consuming his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins a tense, awkward, and strangely sweet relationship with the victim's human girlfriend. Julie is a blast of color in the otherwise dreary and gray landscape that surrounds R. His decision to protect her will transform not only R, but his fellow Dead, and perhaps their whole lifeless world.

Scary, funny, and surprisingly poignant, Warm Bodies is about being alive, being dead, and the blurry line in between.

Review:  Warm Bodies is a really fun mashup of Shakespeare and zombies, two of my favorite things.  I really liked the re-imagining of zombies and how Warm Bodies examines what makes a person human and if you have nothing to live for are you really living?  I didn't expect a zombie novel to make me think as much as Warm Bodies did. 

R was a really great character, and one I could really relate to.  He's a great narrator and reading his inner monologue is hilarious and touching.  I really loved how he had all of these eloquent thoughts and ideas but due to his zombie self he can't actually express these ideas to other people.  There's a quote from the book where R says “In my mind I am eloquent; I can climb intricate scaffolds of words to reach the highest cathedral ceilings and paint my thoughts. But when I open my mouth, everything collapses.”  I love that.

I really liked the theme of living your life to the fullest and how it applies to not only the zombies but also the surviving humans.  As R and Julie begin to get to know each other they help each other heal.  They both help each other find their humanity, because both of them have been wandering and not really living (R literally). 

There were a few things that I didn't really like about Warm Bodies.  I didn't like how heavy handed the Romeo and Juliet stuff got at some parts.  In particular the balcony scene was just too obvious and I found myself rolling my eyes.  I also didn't like how Perry's death was glossed over.  Julie and Perry had been having problems, but I still think I would have been a lot more upset if my boyfriend had been eaten by a zombie.  Just saying.  It's not even that Julie's reason for not being that upset was bad (I can understand in an apocalyptic situation preparing for everyone you love to be killed at any moment) but I wish R had tried to talk to her more about it.  I wish there had been more of an ethical conflict.

Overall I enjoyed Warm Bodies quite a bit, but due to the sometimes obvious re-telling elements and some disappointing author behavior Warm Bodies fell just short of the 5 star rating.  It's still a really adorable and fun read that will also make you think!

 

Warm Bodies Movie Review

Released February 1, 2013
Rated PG-13
Directed by Jonathan Levine
Starring Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Rob Corddry
I absolutely LOVED the Warm Bodies movie adaptation.  I thought it was very faithful to the novel but really worked on screen as well.  I thought the movie was a little more light hearted than the novel and cut out some of the darker aspects of the characters, but I think it very successfully kept the core feeling of the novel.  I really loved the use of voice over to help express some of the themes from the novel. 

 

What makes this movie so charming is the fantastic performance of Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: First Class) who plays R.  He is able to convey so much emotion through his facial expressions and body language that he really makes R come to life....well, sort of.  I also loved his interaction with Teresa Palmer (I am Number Four) who plays Julie.  They interact really well together and I really believed their relationship's growth; from fear, to wonder, to hope.

 

Both the novel and movie adaptation of Warm Bodies are fantastic.  This story goes a lot deeper than most zombie fare and I think it will appeal to a wide audience.  It has romance, humor, action, and a touching story of hope and redemption.



Les Miserables Movie Review

Released December 25, 2012
Rated PG-13
Directed by Tom Hooper
Starring Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe
Won 3 Academy Awards including Best Supporting Actress (Anne Hathaway)
Nominated for 8 Academy Awards

I want to preface this review by saying that I am a massive theater geek and have been so for my entire life, and Les Miserables is my FAVORITE.  So when I heard that Tom Hooper was making a movie version of the stage musical I was equal parts chihuahua-quivering excited and nervous.  I was worried that this movie wouldn't live up to my expectations.  This worry was further expanded when the cast was announced (you can watch my reaction here). 

 Well, after seeing the film I will freely admit that I was terribly wrong.

First, for those of you who are unfamiliar with Les Miserables, let me give you a quick overview of the plot and characters.  Jump down to the review section if you don't want spoilers.

PLOT

The main character is a man named Jean Valjean (which I always found kind of odd, like naming your kid William Carlos Williams) who is played by Hugh Jackman.  At the start Valjean has been in prison for 20 years for thievery and attempted escape.   We meet Inspector Javert, played by Russell Crowe, who tells Valjean he's being released on parole but has to carry papers identifying him as a criminal for the rest of his life.  While looking for work Valjean meets an unusually generous Bishop (played by Colm Wilkinson, the OG Valjean!) and experiences a life changing epiphany, causing Valjean to tear up his papers and take on a new identity, vowing to change his life and be a better man.

Fast forward a few years and Valjean is living as a very successful business man who owns a factory where a woman named Fantine (Anne Hathaway) is working.  It's revealed that Fantine has an illegitimate child, Cosette, who lives with an innkeeper in another town.  Fantine is fired for her moral impropriety and is forced to work as a prostitute in order to support her child.  Valjean finds out about this and takes Fantine to the hospital and tells her he's going to get Cossette.  However before he can leave Javert, who doesn't recognize him as the escaped convict, tells him that he's arrested a man who has been mistakenly identified as Valjean.  Unable to live with another man going to prison in his place, Valjean reveals himself to Javert and escapes to find Cossette.  Cossette has been living with the Thenardiers (Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham-Carter)  and their daughter Eponine (Samantha Barks), a rather unsavory family that runs an inn and steals from their patrons.  Valjean is having none of that and takes Cossette, narrowly evading Javert and escaping into a convent in Paris.

Fast forward a few more years, and Cossette has grown into beautiful young woman (played by Amanda Seyfried) and Paris is once again in turmoil.  Note, this is not the French Revolution, which ended about 30 years prior, but the much smaller June Rebellion brought on by the monarchy that was set up after the revolution (and it was just as inefficient as the first one).  One of the revolutionists, a student named Marius (played by Eddie Redmayne), meets Cossette on the street and the two fall instantly in love.  They plan to run away together but before they can the revolution begins and riots break out in the street.

Javert tries to infiltrate the barricades but he is identified and taken prisoner.  Valjean, realizing that Cossette is in love with Marius, goes to the barricade to protect him and is given the option to execute Javert but chooses to let him go.  The students were hoping that all of Paris would rise up to fight like in the previous revolutions, but no such luck.  They are mowed down but Valjean escapes with a wounded Marius into the sewers.  Javert discovers them but chooses to let Valjean go, and has a bit of a mid-life crisis. 

Valjean reveals himself to Marius but asks him not to tell Cossette because having a convict for a father would ruin her reputation.  He tells her he's going on a trip and goes into hiding.  At their wedding Marius realizes (through a botched attempt at blackmail from the Thierdiners) that it was Valjean who rescued him from the barricades and he and Cossette hurry to Valjean's death bed.  Valjean gives Cossette a letter telling her about Fantine and his true identity, then peacefully passes on with Fantine and Eponine/the bishop (depending on if you're watching the stage musical or the movie). 

The whole thing ends with a rousing rendition of "Do You Hear the People Sing" and it's all very heart warming and emotional.  Expect to cry a lot.

Review

OK you've either skipped down or made it to the review!  HOLLA!  I'm going to be reviewing the movie only, and I won't be talking about the plot, so for those who don't want spoilers, you're good.  Also note, this is a movie musical, so there will be singing!  (you won't believe how many people I've heard complaining that there was too much singing!  Are you serious!?)

First thing first.  I have to admit that I was sososososo wrong about Anne Hathaway.  She was AMAZING as Fantine.  I Dreamed a Dream is probably the most famous song from the musical and I think a lot of people expected a Susan Boyle rendition.  What we got was so much more.  I loved how they put I Dreamed a Dream after Lovely Ladies.  That adds so much despair to the song.  I always imagined that Fantine was pissed off because she had just gotten fired, but after Lovely Ladies that song becomes completely discouraged and hopeless.  Bottom line:  She was great and homegirl better win the oscar or immabe MAD.

The other actor that deserves all the praise is Hugh Jackman.  He was AMAZING.  I already knew he could sing thanks to a DVD of Oklahoma, but he knocked this one out of the part.  In particular I want to highlight his performance during the soliloquy.  That had me BAWLING.  But not only that scene is notable, because he carried this musical.  I heard in one interview that he did the belted "begin" at the end of the soliloquy 24 times in one day.  24!!!  Now that's what I call devotion.

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The rest of the cast I thought was strong with the exception of two actors (well more like 1.5).  I wasn't a huge fan of Amanda Seyfried, largely due to my opinion that her voice sounded unsupported and often out of range.  However I thought she looked the part and I thought her acting was really good, so I can let a weaker voice slide. 

The one actor that I really didn't like (and I'm not alone in this opinion) is Russell Crowe as Inspector Javert.  Good lord that was a bad choice (Mandy Patinkin anyone?  Am I alone in this wish?).  Everything about Russell Crowe was bland at best.  And am I the only one who thought the ledge walking during Stars was just weird and uncomfortable?  What was up with that?  Poor Javert, he's such an interesting and compelling character and he really got the shaft, not just in terms of actor but story telling in general.  I thought a lot of his character was just glossed over. 

Aside from the sadness that is Russell Crowe, the rest of the movie was great.  I loved the costumes and makeup, as well as the sets.  I especially loved the book additions that would be difficult to replicate onstage, such as the galley prison in Toulon, climbing the walls to get into Paris, and The Elephant of the Bastille statue during the funeral parade.  There were some times when parts of the musical were rearranged or cut down, but overall I thought it was tactfully done, with a lot of effort made to keep the movie as genuine to the source material as possible.

I also wanted to mention the directorial choice to sing live during filming as opposed to pre-recording.  I thought that was a brilliant choice and gave the actors the opportunity to really get into character and gave them some stylistic freedom that a recording doesn't allow. 

Overall I thought Les Miserables was a fantastic and faithful adaptation of my favorite musical.  This was an adaptation that was created with a lot of care and respect for an iconic piece of literature and Broadway classic. 

2013 Academy Awards Nominees and Predictions

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The 2013 Oscar nominations were announced last week and I was very excited by the diversity of this years group of films.  I think there is a great mix of indie and blockbuster as well as movies with action, romance, comedy, drama, historical, and contemporary.  There were some great surprise nominations as well as some pretty shocking snubs.  So who got nominated and what do I think?  Let's discuss!

Side note, when you see an * that indicates a movie I have seen.

Best Picture

Argo*
Amour
Beasts of the Southern Wild*
Django Unchained
Les Miserables*
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Silver Linings Playbook*
Zero Dark Thirty*


This year there are nine nominees out of a possible ten and I think they are all great candidates.  I love how diverse these movies are; there is a foreign film, two fantasies (both indie and blockbuster), romance, two political thrillers (one modern and one historical), a historical drama, a western, and even a musical.  Lincoln is leading the pack with twelve nominations but Life of Pi is right behind with eleven.  Rounding out the top is Les Miserables and Silver Linings Playbook with eight nominations each.

Who will win?  I thought Lincoln would have this one in the bag, but after Argo's surprise Golden Globe win for Best Picture-Drama I'm not as sure.  I still think Lincoln will win, but it's not quite as slam dunk as I thought. 

Who should win?  Of the five movies I have seen my vote would be for Argo.  I thought it was brilliant, well acted, and just well put together.   I really loved the costumes and makeup, I thought it was perfectly 1979 and told an important story in American and Canadian history.

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Best Actor

Bradley Cooper - Silver Linings Playbook*
Daniel Day-Lewis - Lincoln
Hugh Jackman - Les Miserables*
Joaquin Phoenix - The Master
Denzel Washington - Flight*

For best actor there are pretty surprising nominations.  Joaquin Phoenix is a surprise, not because he didn't do an amazing job (he did), but because  he is so anti awards shows he might not even show up.  I am also surprised to see Denzel Washington here.  I wasn't that impressed with flight and I didn't think his performance was anything that spectacular.  There's also a pretty big snub for John Hawkes in The Sessions. 

Who will win?  This is a great category with some really fantastic performances, but it's pretty obvious that Daniel Day-Lewis is going to snag another win.
 
Who should win?  Like I said I haven't seen Lincoln yet, but I would really like to see Hugh Jackman take home the award.  His dedication to the role was admirable plus he can SANG.  He did win the Golden Globe for best actor in a comedy or musical, but then Day-Lewis won for best actor in a drama, so that doesn't carry much weight.

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 Best Actress

Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty*
Jennifer Lawrence - Silver Linings Playbook*
Emmanuelle Riva - Amour
Quvenzhane Wallis - Beasts of the Southern Wild*
Naomi Watts - The Impossible

Best actress is an awesome category this year.  I love that it has both the oldest nominee (Emmanuelle Riva will turn 86 on Oscar night) and the youngest nominee (Quvenzhane Wallis is 9 years old and was only 6 when Beasts of the Southern Wild was filmed!). 

Who will win?  I really think this will be a show down between Jessica Chastian (who took the golden globe for best actress in a drama) and Jennifer Lawrence (who got the golden globe for best actress in a comedy or musical). 

Who should win?  I've seen both Zero Dark Thirty and Silver Linings Playbook and in my opinion Jennifer Lawrence gave the much stronger performance.  However, some voters may see her as more of a supporting character given the film is really about Bradley Cooper's character so I think more voters will go for Jessica Chastian.

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Best Supporting Actor
Alan Arkin - Argo*
Robert De Niro - Silver Linings Playbook*
Phillip Seymour Hoffman - The Master
Tommy Lee Jones - Lincoln
Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained

What a tough category to predict!  These are five amazing actors who all have fantastic careers, gave phenomenal performances, and all have won Oscars before.  This really is anyone's race.

Who will win?  I predict Tommy Lee Jones will win, even though Waltz took home the golden globe.

Who should win?  Leonardo DiCaprio?  What a snub!  I just want Leo to win an Oscar, he has made such amazing films and just never can seem to squeak out a win.  I was shocked he wasn't nominated and I wish I could have a write in vote.

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Adams - The Master
Sally Field - Lincoln
Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables*
Helen Hunt - The Sessions
Jacki Weaver - Silver Linings Playbook*

Overall this is a great category, but I am really surprised to see Jacki Weaver on this list.  I didn't think her character was stand out in the film at all and there are other actresses that deserve a nomination more in my opinion (Nicole Kidman for one).

Who will win?  Of course, all the other nominees are really fighting for second place because Anne Hathaway is going to take this one home.  This is the one category that I feel 100% confident in and I will be DUMBFOUNDED if someone else one.

Best Director
Michael Haneke - Amour
Benh Zeitlin - Beasts of the Southern Wild*
Ang Lee - Life of Pi 
Steven Spielberg - Lincoln
David O. Russell - Silver Linings Playbook*

This is the most surprising category with Michael Haneke and Benh Zeitlin and major snubs to Ben Affleck for Argo, Kathryn Bigelow for Zero Dark Thirty, Tom Hooper for Les Miserables, and Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained.

Who will win - I think the voters will be safe and choose Steven Spielberg but based on such surprising nominations we might see an underdog come out on top.

Who should win - Ben Affleck.  Homeboy should have been nominated. At least he took home the golden globe.

So those are the major categories!  What are your predictions?  Do you think any movies were left out?  Post in the comments below and be sure to tune in  Sunday February 24th to see who will win!

The Hunger Games Movie Review

 

Released March 23, 2012

Rated PG-13

Directed by Gary Ross

Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson

So this weekend I, and the rest of America, when and saw The Hunger Games.  I went into it like OMG!OMG!OMG!OMG! but I came out with mixed feelings.  I thought the movie was an very good interpretation of the book, but there were some aspects that didn't quite live up to my expectations.

Ok let's go over what I LOVED first, namely the costuming.  Yes the capitol was everything I wanted it to be (like Marie Antoinette had a baby with Lady Gaga), but I specifically wanted to give a shout out to the reaping scene in District 12.  I freaking loved the 1930s depression era style.  It was all just so West Virginia coal mining town a la October Sky.  The muted color palette made Effie really stand out and showed just how different the lives of the people in District 12 were from those in the Capitol.  My only complaint about the costumes is I wish I could have seen more of the other district's chariot costumes!  They were all awesome and the fish ones were hilarious, I just wish I could have seen more.

Another aspect that I loved was the acting in general, but Jennifer Lawrence in particular.  She was just fantastic.  I think she hit all of the right notes and really brought a lot to her character.  In particular I just loved her "dumb bitch be lighting a fire!" face.  That made me lol for real.  Other actors that I thought did a great job were Willow Shields as Prim (when she screams no at the reaping it just broke my heart), Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman, Woody Harrelson as Haymich, Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, and Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket.  I thought the entire cast was more or less well done, but those were the stand out performances for me. 

There were a couple characters I didn't connect to very well.  I was not a big fan of Peeta or Gale.  Even though he didn't have a big part I don't think Liam Hemsworth is right for the role nor is he that great of an actor.  I saw him in The Last Song (he was bad in that too) but I tried to give him another chance, and he still let me down.  Peeta also didn't do much for me, but I think this was more of how the movie editors decided to portray him and not anything on Josh Hutcherson's acting.  I also didn't get a good emotional connection to Rue, but like with Peeta, I blame the choices made in telling her story, not Amandla's acting abilities.  I would have liked more time with Rue so I could have connected to her more and really felt the devastation Katniss feels when she is killed.  (And as a side note I'd just like to say that people who complained about the black actors in the movie need to 1) Learn to effing read and 2) STFU you racist a-holes.  kthanks.)

Now there were some major things that really bothered me about the movie.  The biggest complaint I have was on the shaky camera work.  I HATED it during the non-violence scenes, such as introducing district 12 and during the reaping.  I've heard arguments that the camera work made the action more realistic, but I disagree.  I think the reason this camera work was used in the fighting scenes was to mask the violence to help get a PG-13 rating.  I wish the MPAA didn't exist, because this story is a violent story and I wanted more violence and I wanted to feel that visceral reaction to seeing it and realizing just how terrible the games were.  The MPAA stunts artistic expression by forcing movie makers to fit into their "age appropriate" box.  It should be up to the parents to be aware and know what they're taking their children to and if The Hunger Games is appropriate for their 2nd grader.  Let the movie makers tell the story, and let the parents parent.  *end soapbox*

Ok whew, rant over, on to other aspects I didn't like.  There were some story telling aspects I would have done differently.  One major one is how they showed Peeta giving Katniss the bread.  That flashback didn't work because they never showed how Katniss was literally starving to death, she was just sitting in the rain like some depressed emo kid.  I would have shown the story before, how Katniss is digging through the trash looking for food.  I also would have made it more clear that Peeta burned the bread on purpose so he could give it to Katniss.  I think it wouldn't have taken much extra work and would have reinforced the idea that Katniss feels a debt to Peeta for saving her life.  She's not in love with him in this book, she feels like she owes him. 

That would have also helped show how Katniss is playing the game in the cave scene, which also fell really flat to me.  They almost had it, but I didn't think there was enough manipulation being shown. I would have liked to have seen more manipulation from the control room to make good tv, not just make it more difficult for the tributes.  I think if they had show the capitol citizens reacting to watching the games it would have not only shown how Katniss is manipulating the crowd, but it would have also shown how desensitized the capitol people are to the games and made them more of an antagonist.

Now I just want to address one thing they changed from the book that I feel was a super smart choice.  At the end of the movie when Cato is about to kill Peeta he says that it doesn't matter what happens to him, that he has to bring honor to his district and it's what he's been trained to do and it's all he knows.  I thought this was brilliant.  In my youtube video comparing The Hunger Games and Battle Royale I mentioned how in The Hunger Games we never get to see any of the other tributes as anything other than mindless, evil, killing machines.  I loved how we got to know Cato a little bit more and got to see why he is the way he is.  It made him human and much more sympathetic of a character. 

Overall I think the movie was an good adaptation of the book, but missed some opportunities to create a more compelling story.  The acting, costumes, and sets were fantastic, but with shaky camera work and some poor editing choices the movie didn't impact me as much as I had hoped.  However it was still thoroughly entertaining and I'll probably go see it again this weekend.