Book Review: Catching Fire

This is probably my least favorite of the three Hunger Games novels, but even so it weaves a pretty good tale.  Catching Fire picks up a few weeks after the first book left off, on the brink of Katniss and Peeta's victory tour.  They must go into all 12 districts and play the hero and heroine, while also continuing to pretend they are in love, while also walking a fine line between caution and defiance.  After all, they wouldn't want to start a revolution, would they?

My problem with this book, and it's really only an issue for the first third or so of the narrative, is that Suzanne Collins spends way too much time reminding us exactly what happened in the previous book.  Katniss' reminiscing doesn't feel organic to the plot, it feels forced, with the information dropped in awkwardly, telling us about events that, so long as we actually read the first book, I don't think any of us have forgotten during the intervening time.  She also re-outlines the supposed love triangle with Peeta, Gale, and Katniss, clearly intending to beat it into our skulls as a significant plot point.  However, I just don't feel that Gale was ever present enough (physically or emotionally for Katniss) in the first novel to really feel like a contender when Catching Fire begins.  And yes, Katniss continues to insist that she doesn't really love Peeta, that it's all for show, but I think it's clear to the reader that parts of it are real, even if it isn't clear to the characters yet.  I think this book (and the series as a whole) could have easily done without the love triangle plot, because for me I never considered it a triangle at all.  Katniss loves Gale, certainly, but not in the way she thinks, the way she maybe thinks she should, given that they've known each other so long and have always had each other's backs.  Even in her most torn moments, her supposed desire for Gale feels like something she's forcing herself to believe in, rather than something she actually, ultimately feels.  And I think this book could have been every bit as intriguing and impactful if this plot line simply consisted of Katniss trying to sift through her feelings toward Peeta, with Gale firmly cemented as the friend and compatriot that he is.

Just in case you've gotten lost in perhaps too much analysis of a love story between teenagers, there is an actual plot taking place amid all the feelings, and a complex one at that.  President Snow, the current ruler of Panem, believes that Katniss' actions at the end of the Hunger Games tournament were intended as a rebellion, intended to spark a revolution.  And indeed murmurings of revolution follow Katniss and company wherever they go, almost regardless of what she does to try and suppress them.  What's more is the rebels are using Katniss as a representative, a symbol of their building revolution.  The government struggles to keep Katniss from fueling the flames, and eventually come up with a solution:  another Hunger Games, this one consisting solely of previous competitors.  Given that Katniss and Peeta are 2 of the 3 victors from District 12, they face the inevitable horror of reliving their experience all over again.

Katniss has one objective in the arena this time around, and it isn't her survival, it's Peeta's.  She knows that she will be killed, that she is not the right person to give a voice to the growing rebellion in the districts, but Peeta has a quality about him, a sense of what to do and say, that will make him an impressive leader.  The second tournament is deliberately more terrifying than the first, and the stakes are steeply increased by Katniss' need to preserve Peeta's life.  In the midst of peril coming literally from all sides, thing are turned upside down by a series of unexpected twists that result in Peeta's capture by the government and the beginnings of all-out revolution in the districts.

This book, especially compared with its predecessor and successor, definitely takes time to find its bearings, but when it does, really gives the reader a sense of the urgency and the danger of what is and what might be happening.  There are few characters who can be trusted beyond the shadow of a doubt, and neither Katniss nor the reader can discern which ones they might be, if there are any at all.  If the first Hunger Games book wasn't enough to persuade you that this is story is hardly kids' stuff, Catching Fire surely will.  With all the lives at stake and all the potential for disaster at every turn, it can be nearly impossible at times to believe that the outcome rests almost entirely on the shoulders of a few teenagers.  The second installment in the series provides a strong hinge between the build of the first novel and the impending conclusion of the third, leaving you ready to see how it all will end.

TV Review: Parks and Recreation 4.11-- The Comeback Kid

I probably could have written this review on Thursday evening, but I was too busy watching this episode multiple times in order to appreciate all the hilarity.  This episode marks a very promising return for Parks, setting us up for the rest of this season's arc and of course supplying us with countless laughs.

We find our campaign team (aka the Parks Department goofballs) struggling to decide how best to re-launch Leslie's campaign for City Council.  Leslie hires Ann as her campaign manager, despite the fact that Ann has no experience or inclination to do the job.  Together they plan a rally for Leslie's supporters at the local sports arena.  There's no way this won't end in disaster, right?

For the B plot, we pay a visit to Ben, who is on something of a downward spiral.  He's lounging and cooking and (in one of my favorite recent subplots) teaching himself to make claymation videos.  It seems that losing his job has unhinged him just a little bit, and Chris naturally becomes concerned that his friend has fallen into something of a depression, although he might just be jealous that he didn't dream up the "Low-Cal Calzone Zone" first.

I should probably mention at this point that April and Andy have adopted a dog.  Named Champion.  Who has three legs.  And who apparently must attend all campaign-related events with his new owners. 

But back to the brewing catastrophe.  Ron, Tom, and the Dwyers get sidetracked on their way to the rally by the police, and need Leslie to come to their rescue.  She manages to get them to the arena, where a sufficient crowd has gathered for the rally. 

And then we are treated to one of the most hilarious physical comedy sequences in recent television history (and there is no way I'm overstating here).  Leslie and company enter the arena triumphantly for about ten steps before the red carpet (supplied by Tom to increase the event's class factor), and then slip and slide across the ice to the tiny stage Ron has managed to erect.  Oh yeah, and Gloria Estefan's "Get On Your Feet" is playing on an awkwardly repeating loop.  There's really just no way my describing this scene is going to do it justice, you just have to see it for yourself.

The team gathers back and Casa Ludgate-Dwyer-Wyatt once the rally is over, and Leslie finally makes the logical decision of hiring Ben as her campaign manager.  He accepts, naturally, and while part of me is very excited to see where this new thread takes them, a bigger part of me is disappointed that this means Ben will most likely never complete production on "Requiem for a Tuesday".

Judging by some of the other shows that have made returns this week, I think there has been kind of a trend of laziness, assuming viewers will be excited for anything new, even if it isn't particularly good or interesting.  Not so with Parks-- "The Comeback Kid" is yet another flawless episode in a fantastic season of the best show currently on TV.

Golden Globes 2012: Predictions

 The Golden Globe Awards are almost upon us, and this year's field is a pretty competitive one.  I've seen about half of the major contenders, and so feel I have the authority to pass judgment on who ought to win.  I've marked the person or film I think WILL win with a single asterisk, and the one that SHOULD (in my opinion) win with two asterisks.  I've also omitted the categories I don't care about.  


Enjoy!

Best Picture (Drama):
The Descendants
The Ides of March**
The Help*
Hugo
Moneyball
War Horse

I can't say I really understand the hype around The Help, but it's undeniable that it's been on a roll this awards season.  It will probably take the trophy on Sunday, but I am still keeping my fingers crossed for an Ides of March victory, because even after seeing several of the contenders, I'm counting it as my favorite film of the year.

Best Picture (Comedy):
The Artist*
My Week with Marilyn
50/50**
Bridesmaids
Midnight in Paris

Another clear winner here with The Artist, which has been picking up awards left and right.  I'd even be happy with a long shot victory from Marilyn (sidenote: how is this film in the 'Comedy' category?) or Bridesmaids, but I adored 50/50, and I would love to see it pull off a surprise win.

Best Actress (Drama):
Meryl Streep
Glenn Close
Viola Davis*
Rooney Mara
Tilda Swinton

The only performance I've seen yet of these five is Mara's and I know she won't beat Viola Davis.

Best Actor (Drama):
Ryan Gosling**
George Clooney*
Leonardo DiCaprio
Michael Fassbender
Brad Pitt

Not only did Ryan Gosling absolutely blow my mind in Ides of March, him getting a serious award for his ever-growing talent is long overdue.  George Clooney will probably emerge as the victor, but a girl can still hope.

 Best Actress (Comedy):
Michelle Williams**, *
Jodie Foster
Kate Winslet
Charlize Theron
Kristen Wiig

Michelle Williams is another actress who is long overdue for a prestigious award, and lumped strangely into this category, it seems this is her chance.  She was genuinely compelling in My Week with Marilyn, and I'm fully rooting for her.  The only acceptable substitute would be a Kristen Wiig victory, because I'd love to live in a world where Kristen Wiig has a Golden Globe award.


Best Actor (Comedy):
Jean Dujardin*
Brendan Gleeson
Joseph Gordon-Levitt**
Ryan Gosling**
Owen Wilson

Again, rooting for 50/50 even though I'm well aware it won't steal this award from The Artist.  Although, if we're not going to give Ryan Gosling the award for drama, I'd love to see him sneak in and win this category instead.


Best Supporting Actress:
Bernice Bejo
Janet McTeer
Jessica Chastain
Octavia Spencer*
Shailene Woodley**

Shailene Woodley is amazing in The Descendants, and for all I know, she might actually have a chance here.  But in terms of who I think will actually win, The Help has a whole lot of buzz on its side, so I'm guessing one of its two nominees will get this one.


Best Supporting Actor:
Kenneth Branagh*
Albert Brooks 
Jonah Hill**
Viggo Mortenson
Christopher Plummer

I'm 100% guessing that Branagh will get this one, and I'll be happy if he does.  He is great in My week with Marilyn.  But in a similar way to my rooting for Kristen Wiig, I'd also love to live in a world where Jonah Hill has a Golden Globe award.


Best Director
George Clooney**
Woody Allen
Alexander Payne
Martin Scorcese
Michel Hazanavicius*

Another no-brainer:  The Artist will get it, Ides of March deserves to.


Best Screenplay
Ides of March**
Moneyball*
The Descendants
The Artist
Midnight in Paris

I think the HFPA will go with safe bet Aaron Sorkin (Moneyball) on this one, but again, I'd love to see an Ides of March win, because the writing was perhaps its very best feature.


Best TV Comedy:
Glee
Modern Family**, *
New Girl
Episodes
Enlightened

I'll be genuinely surprised if I'm not right about this one.


Best Actress (TV Comedy):
Zooey Deschanel
Amy Poehler**
Tina Fey*
Laura Dern
Laura Linney

I hate seeing two of my lady heroes up against each other in this category, but what I hate even more is the fact that Amy Poehler does not yet have a major award for her portrayal of Leslie Knope. 


Best Actor (TV Comedy):
Alec Baldwin**, *
David Duchovny
Johnny Galecki
Thomas Jane
Matt LeBlanc

Again, very surprised if I'm wrong.

Book Review: The Hunger Games

Yes, I'm late to jump on the bandwagon.  I concede that much.  In my defense, however, I've been burned in the past when it comes to YA book recommendations.  Back in 2008, several once-reliable sources directed me to a book series by one Ms. Stephanie Meyer, insisting that these books were "the next Harry Potter."  I shouldn't have believed them, but I was young and naive and, in due course, sorely disappointed by the trite and often misogynistic prose of the Twilight books.  I promised myself it wouldn't happen again; I wouldn't take it on faith that any adventure/fantasy series could even begin to compete with the likes of HP and LOTR.  So when many of the same sources began crowing about how fantastic the Hunger Games series was, I was reluctant.  I protested and ignored it for as long as I could, even after seeing a pretty epic trailer for the first film adaptation.  But alas, I was in need of books to fill my 2012 reading list (I'm currently 6 books deep on my quest to finish 100 before year's end), and these three novels seemed like they'd make for a pretty quick read.  I was hardly expecting to be impressed by their depth and excitement, or to have my heartstrings tugged the way they ultimately were.  I am happy to say I was proven wrong.

The Hunger Games, as most people probably realize, is the first novel of the series.  I went in with low expectations:  all this book needed to do was hook me, and maintain a pace that allowed me to forget that it was written for a target audience much younger than myself.  Fortunately, it does this and more, introducing us to Katniss Everdeen and a cast of the critical people in her life without feeling too introduction-y.  We meet her family as well as her best friend Gale, who from their first exchange exudes a kind of rebellious spirit that Katniss admires.  As we follow Katniss through her day we are given snapshots of Panem, the futuristic incarnation of America, which is war-torn and extremely oppressive.  We also learn that perhaps the state's cruelest tradition, the annual Hunger Games, is about to take place.  Two representatives, a boy and a girl, from each of the 12 districts, will be selected to fight to the death in a tournament designed solely for the entertainment of the prosperous masses.  We are told that the odds of someone getting picked for the games increase with age and several other factors, and thus it is a complete surprise when Katniss' sister, Prim, is selected for the games, despite supposedly having the lowest odds of selection.  It is, of course, no surprise, that Katniss immediately volunteers to replace her.

As the preparations for the Games revs up, we meet Peeta, Katniss' fellow representative.  He comes across as clean-cut and kind, if a little wimpy.  Oh, and by the way, he's apparently got a thing for Katniss.  That might complicate the whole "having to kill one another" thing just a little bit.

I won't give away the details of how the tournament goes, mostly because a secondhand narration of them couldn't possibly compete with the urgency and pacing of watching it unfold on the page.  Katniss definitely carves out a firm place as a kick-ass heroine, as well as furthering a streak of self-sacrifice and courage that will remain a crucial thread throughout all three books. 

I think this book could have easily succeeded solely as a character piece, investing us the way it does in the lives of Katniss and the various other citizens of Panem.  It would be enough to want to know how the tournament will end, how Katniss' psyche will be affected, and indeed, where her romantic entanglements will lead her.  What Suzanne Collins has managed to accomplish, however, is painting a fully-realized, three-dimensional world that is almost a character of its own.  It is a testament to her skill that it is not tedious to read about the districts of Panem or the way their politics have evolved since the "Dark Days", but both intriguing and necessary to raise the already high stakes.

The Hunger Games could easily stand on its own, as the story wraps up tidily enough, but so much detail and emotional investment has been poured into this installment that it is impossible to not want the remaining loose threads tied up.  Fortunately, we have two more books to see the fallout of an unexpected victory in the tournament, and its inevitable impact on the future of both the characters and the horror-state in which they live.

I recommend this book not only as a satisfying quick read, but as an intriguing concept that gives the reader a lot to think about, long after the last pages have been read.  I'm also intrigued to see how it translates to film this coming March-- it certainly reads with a certain cinematic feel that makes an adaptation for the screen seem like a very natural step. 

Movie Review: The Descendants

If the Oscars (or moviegoers) are looking to take the family tearjerker route this season, The Descendants is an obvious choice.  Not only does it star George Clooney who, let's face it, is wonderful in just about everything, but it tells a genuinely compelling and heartfelt story, tragic without veering into melodrama. 

The story centers on George Clooney's character Matt, whose wife has slipped into an irreversible coma after an accident, and who must also make a huge decision which will have a life-changing impact on both his career and his family.  This of course, is made no easier by his rebellious teenage daughter (played by the surprisingly fabulous Shailene Woodley, who I'll get to in a minute), his rebellious younger daughter, and the small revelation that his wife has been carrying on an affair behind his back.  Cue a family journey (both literal and metaphorical) that is at times wacky and a times truly heartbreaking, as Matt and his daughters set out to try and locate his wife's paramour while simultaneously trying to navigate the arrangements surrounding her impending death.

Cynical as it may sound to say, I find that many films or television shows involving someone in a coma (and most especially anything featuring scenes of characters talking to the person in a coma), has about a 95% chance of coming off completely cliche and ridiculous.  This film somehow manages to subvert that, and in spectacular fashion.  By the time Matt actually makes it to his wife's bedside,  there is a tension that has accumulated which can't be relieved in any other manner.  The film's final scenes provide an extremely powerful catharsis, which is all the more affecting thanks to a cast of characters who demand a genuine empathy from the very first minutes of the film.

Let's get to the acting, though, because that's what people are really buzzing about when it comes to this film.  Clooney is wonderful, multi-faceted and surprisingly convincing as a family man in emotional turmoil.  I still think Ryan Gosling gives a better performance in The Ides of March, but having to settle for Clooney as a close second really doesn't feel much like settling at all.  Shailene Woodley is the film's biggest surprise, though, not least because her biggest claim to fame prior to this was a starring role in ABCFamily's nonsensical Secret Life of the American Teenager.  It is easy to see where she could have defaulted to playing the stereotypical caricature of the wayward daughter, but instead she brings something deeper to the role, something that evokes sympathy and indeed (at least, in my opinion), paints her as the heroine of the film. 

On the whole,  this film tells a great story of one family, while also exploring the larger theme of what it means to be a descendant, to carry on a legacy and what that means.  I think for this reason it is not only likely to earn awards for its stellar individual performances, but for the story itself.  The combination of these elements makes it a top contender, in my opinion, for an award for screenwriting as well as a strong candidate for Best Picture of the Year.

Movie Review: My Week with Marilyn

So I might be disgracing lots of ladies my age (and older) by saying this, but I've never really seen Marilyn Monroe as a personal icon, as someone to emulate or even someone all that fantastic, really.  My interest in this movie was initially sparked out of a need to see Michelle Williams (whom I consider to be a much more fitting aspirational figure for myself) in her much raved about performance.  And I have to say that while Ms. Williams was indeed fantastic, the film did something I wasn't expecting, which was making a woman I've long considered overrated come across as both intriguing and sympathetic.

The thing that really jumps out at me about this movie is the phenomenal cast, full of British icons as well as new faces, all of whom absolutely excel in telling this story, and providing a snapshot of not only Marilyn's life, but the lives of those around her, and exposing the profound impact this one woman was capable of having on them.  Michelle Williams certainly adds new dimensions to Marilyn, including a strong awareness of the role playing demanded of her as a celebrity, but her admirer Colin (played by the charming and relative newcomer Eddie Redmayne) stands out as equally, if not more compelling.  Yes, his is a typical journey through the marshes of naivete and ensuing heartbreak, but he captures the spirit of it in a very honest, fresh way.  Of course, there are many supporting players who fill out the rest of the film, from Dominic Cooper and Emma Watson, whose respective presences are minimal but impactful, to Dame Judy Dench and Kenneth Branagh, who bring their usual level of skill and command of the screen.  Overall, this film needs its actors to carry the story, which covers only a brief portion of the tumultuous story of a very complicated woman, and the performers tasked with this have risen to the occasion.

My Week with Marilyn is not the film to watch if you're interested in Ms. Monroe's life story or an expose of the many scandals associated with her.  It isn't even, I would suggest, a film to watch if you don't have at least a minimal insight into the sort of person Marilyn Monroe was (or might have been).  The infamous instability of the woman at the center of this story is what drives it, and its nuances can be much more appreciated if you approach the film with this condition in mind.  And as far as awards season goes, I think this one is a contender, but a bit of a long shot.  Sure, I can easily see Michelle Williams winning the Golden Globe for this turn, especially separated as she is from some of the other heavily favored contenders, because this movie somehow got pushed into the 'Musical or Comedy' category.  However, I think there might be other better performances out there, and I certainly feel that Williams' performance in last year's Blue Valentine trumped this one by a hundred miles.  That said, there is every possibility she might earn a surprise "one year too late" Oscar nod (it's happened before: see Denzel Washington, among others), but for now it's anyone's guess.  And the film is not a likely favorite for Best Picture-- a nomination, maybe, even probably, but not a win.

TV Review: How I Met Your Mother-- Tailgate

Aaand we're back!  First episode of 2012, and it was... well, not the greatest.  But while it didn't drive plots forward in the same way as the last few installments, this episode was a goldmine of HIMYM call backs and minutiae for the longtime fans. 

I had a lot of mediocre thoughts on the mediocre developments of this episode, but then this was pointed out to me:
Puzzles the Bar Official Web Site

That's all we really need to take away from this episode.