Courtesy of Variety
Suzanne Collins’ fourth e book within the Hunger Games franchise, titled “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” lastly made it to theaters Friday, Nov. 17. Being an enormous fan of the sequence, I used to be excited to see if the brand new movie lived as much as the extremely excessive expectations set by the earlier 4 films.
The film is a prequel of the unique Hunger Games trilogy, telling the villain origin story of the notorious President Snow.
The opening of the film brings the viewers again to a reminiscence of Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) from the Dark Days, the primary rise up towards the Capitol. Coriolanus and his cousin Tigris Snow (Hunter Schafer) are seen as young kids operating round seeking meals amidst the specter of close by bombs once they witness a person succumbing to cannibalism with a view to survive.
The film then fasts ahead to 18-year-old Coriolanus, who’s making his greatest effort to maintain up appearances as a scholar within the prestigious Capitol Academy, regardless of secretly dwelling on scraps because the Snow household misplaced all of their riches within the warfare.
Coriolanus and his fellow high classmates are challenged with mentoring a tribute within the tenth annual Hunger Games. Coriolanus is lower than thrilled when he discovers he’s paired with the runt of the litter: the lady from District 12. However, when the tribute, Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler) is revealed on the reaping, she establishes herself as a charming performer, utilizing a snake and a music to placed on a present that causes fairly the stir.
Lucy is so intriguing to the viewer as a result of she contrasts Katniss in so some ways, but haunts Coriolanus in a similar way. She is made out to be mysterious and a pure born performer, not like Katniss who calls herself “an open book” and has to power herself to learn to carry out for the video games within the first movie. However, each women from District 12 problem Coriolanus as one thing he can not management.
One of many nice ballads from the film is “Nothing You Can Take From Me,” which Lucy first sings on the reaping when her identify is chosen indicating her imminent demise. The lyrics, “Thinking you’ll change me / Maybe rearrange me / Think again, if that’s your goal,” work to depict Lucy and Coriolanus’ dynamic relationship: Coriolanus being taught all his life that chaos must be managed and Lucy being the chaos that rebels towards these attempting to regulate her.
There couldn’t have been a greater casting of songbird Lucy, as Zegler’s singing to people tunes was simply as enchanting as her character’s voice is made out to be within the books. Collins proved herself to be a unbelievable lyricist when the e book first got here out and it was satisfying to see the songs lastly come to life onscreen. Zegler’s singing pulled on viewers heartstrings, making them really feel simply as related to her because the viewers of the video games had been related to Lucy within the e book. Zegler revealed on her Instagram that she determined to sing stay all through each take of filming, which makes the expertise much more intimate between performer and listener.
Despite your entire fanbase understanding the place Coriolanus ultimately finally ends up, Blyth’s unimaginable efficiency of Collin’s writing manages to maintain readers rooting for Coriolanus to make the correct choices and find yourself fortunately ever after with Lucy. One query the film leaves watchers questioning is that if Lucy and Coriolanus actually did love one another or if it was all a facade. In an interview with Fandago, Zegler states that the best way she approached Lucy’s romantic emotions in direction of Coriolanus was by asking, “What percentage of her doubts what he’s saying to her on this given day?” however finally Lucy’s mystique leaves the viewer on the fence about her true emotions.
A spotlight that was loved by each viewer within the theater is the comedic reduction offered by weatherman, Hunger Games host and novice magician Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman (Jason Schwartzman). A film centered round kids compelled to struggle to the demise actually might use a comical break each on occasion, and Schwartzman proved himself to be the proper person for the job. Some of the extra devoted Hunger Games followers have appreciated the tributes to the earlier films, such because the inclusion of primrose flowers on Lucy’s corset and distinct bow after her efficiency that mimics that of Katniss’ from the abilities evaluation scene within the first Hunger Games film.
One side that the film appears missing in, nonetheless, is adequate transition from harmless Coriolanus to the unhinged villain he finally turns into. At the start of the film, the viewer is ready to see that Coriolanus nonetheless has love in his coronary heart by the connection to his household, most particularly with Tigris. However, there appears to be much less proof capturing how Coriolanus finally develops right into a snake, shedding this sense of humanity. Reading the e book could assist to know Coriolanus’ ideas that aren’t very simply depicted on display screen, particularly since his character is understood for his charisma and sustaining an unbothered demeanor regardless of how nerve-racking a state of affairs. However, even within the e book it appears doubtless that Collins’ intent was to depart some gaps in info that the reader or viewer should fill in themselves.
As the next occasions of “The Hunger Games” sequence tells us, Coriolanus ultimately lands on high as President of Panem … however after all the story isn’t over till the mockingjay sings. When you do go to see how the film unfolds, make sure that to “enjoy the show!”
Rating: 8.5/10
