There's no movie review here, just a Christmas message:
“Lord, with the angels we too would rejoice.” So begins the third verse of John Menzies Macfarlane’s Christmas hymn “Far, Far Away on Judea’s Plains.” Have you ever wondered why he chose “would rejoice”? He could have penned “can rejoice” or “shall rejoice” or even “will rejoice.” Instead he chose “would.” Could it be because even in 1869, Macfarlane recognized that it isn’t always easy to rejoice?
Christmas is a busy time of year. We would rejoice, but first we need to finish trimming the tree and hanging the lights. We’ll rejoice once the shopping is done and the presents are wrapped. Or maybe once the driveway is shoveled and the cookies are baked and the cards are sent and the parties are planned and the dinner is cooked and the chestnuts are roasted and the stockings are hung and the fruitcake’s re-gifted and Tiny Tim is all better and there’s Christmas in Whoville and the partridge is in the pear tree ... and ... and ... [insert a much needed cup of hot cocoa].
Or maybe we are hindered by a different kind of “would.” We would rejoice, but we can’t sing like Celine Dion or Michael Bublé. We can’t perform music like The Piano Guys or compose like Handel. We can’t write stories like Dickens or Dr. Seuss. We can’t decorate like Martha Stewart. And all our best efforts look nothing like the perfect crafts and goodies on Pinterest.
As Christmas nears, do we find ourselves lost in the “woulds” of busyness or inadequacy? It is easy to do. Perhaps that is why the very next line in the hymn is the plea, “Help us to sing with the heart and voice.” Christ, Who gave us the reason for the season, also stands waiting to empower us with the hope and joy of the season. Then, with rejoicing in our hearts, the To Do list becomes a Get To Do list and none of our best efforts—however feeble—will ever fall flat.
May we all rejoice with the angels in the “message of mercy,” even “Glory to God in the highest!”
ISFS
06 December 2014
Mockingjay - Part 1
Credible Credits
Year: 2014
Director: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Donald Sutherland, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Julianne Moore
Tagline: Fire burns brighter in the darkness.
Synopsis: Having destroyed the Hunger Games, Katniss finds herself in District 13 where a rebellion is fomenting and she is sought for as the symbol of their cause: the Mockingjay.
Tagline: Fire burns brighter in the darkness.
Synopsis: Having destroyed the Hunger Games, Katniss finds herself in District 13 where a rebellion is fomenting and she is sought for as the symbol of their cause: the Mockingjay.
Review
Nope, I still haven't read the books. Nor do I intend to. But I do know the gist of how everything will end up, so I didn't go into Mockingjay - Part 1 completely unprepared.
I still have a hard time liking Katniss as a character. She's just so myopic and prickly. And in this go round she spends more time being a pawn or Mockingjay puppet than active agent within the story. There's nothing wrong with that, and Jennifer Lawrence does an excellent job (again) portraying a conflicted young woman caught up in a firestorm. But she isn't as appealing a character to me, so I have a hard time getting very excited about these films.
Unlike its predecessors, Mockingjay - Part 1 is low on action. Katniss fires one arrow during the entire film. This is the (relative) calm before the storm and is more along the lines of a political thriller than anything else. "Moves and counter-moves" as President Snow dryly observes. At this point it is a war of propaganda. What action there is is well paced and you never get bored. At the same time, it can feel a bit slow, as it painstakingly lays the foundation for Part 2 next year.
Where the film shines is in the emotions. The song, "The Hanging Tree" is beautiful and perfect for the story. And even though she apparently hated having to sing it, Jennifer Lawrence does a spot-on job. Her voice has just the right unpolished depth that the song and the moment need.
Although Katniss is the Mockingjay and the center of the propaganda, also impressive were the times when she was not the center of attention. Gale's regret-filled narrative of the destruction of District 12 is powerful. And it was terrific to see Finnick rise above his shell-shocked depression to recount the life he was forced to live and the secrets he subsequently learned. All of this lays the foundation that Part 2 will build upon.
Apparently, Effie Trinket doesn't play any role in Mockingjay the book. I'm quite glad they decided to bring her into the film. It works to have her in District 13. And it especially works to have her help prep Katniss for her role as Mockingjay. I can't imagine anyone other than Effie filling that role.
Pretty much if you saw the first two Hunger Games movies, you're going to see this one. It is what it is: a sort of transition from Hunger Games to open rebellion and war. And if the film does nothing else, it gets you all ready for next year's (hopefully) epic conclusion.
*** Spoiler Section ***
When President Snow warns Katniss that it is the things we love that destroy us, I didn't know he intended it quite so literally. That was both clever and devious. And harsh. It did make for a pretty powerful cliffhanger ending.
I still have a hard time liking Katniss as a character. She's just so myopic and prickly. And in this go round she spends more time being a pawn or Mockingjay puppet than active agent within the story. There's nothing wrong with that, and Jennifer Lawrence does an excellent job (again) portraying a conflicted young woman caught up in a firestorm. But she isn't as appealing a character to me, so I have a hard time getting very excited about these films.
Unlike its predecessors, Mockingjay - Part 1 is low on action. Katniss fires one arrow during the entire film. This is the (relative) calm before the storm and is more along the lines of a political thriller than anything else. "Moves and counter-moves" as President Snow dryly observes. At this point it is a war of propaganda. What action there is is well paced and you never get bored. At the same time, it can feel a bit slow, as it painstakingly lays the foundation for Part 2 next year.
Where the film shines is in the emotions. The song, "The Hanging Tree" is beautiful and perfect for the story. And even though she apparently hated having to sing it, Jennifer Lawrence does a spot-on job. Her voice has just the right unpolished depth that the song and the moment need.
Although Katniss is the Mockingjay and the center of the propaganda, also impressive were the times when she was not the center of attention. Gale's regret-filled narrative of the destruction of District 12 is powerful. And it was terrific to see Finnick rise above his shell-shocked depression to recount the life he was forced to live and the secrets he subsequently learned. All of this lays the foundation that Part 2 will build upon.
Apparently, Effie Trinket doesn't play any role in Mockingjay the book. I'm quite glad they decided to bring her into the film. It works to have her in District 13. And it especially works to have her help prep Katniss for her role as Mockingjay. I can't imagine anyone other than Effie filling that role.
Pretty much if you saw the first two Hunger Games movies, you're going to see this one. It is what it is: a sort of transition from Hunger Games to open rebellion and war. And if the film does nothing else, it gets you all ready for next year's (hopefully) epic conclusion.
*** Spoiler Section ***
When President Snow warns Katniss that it is the things we love that destroy us, I didn't know he intended it quite so literally. That was both clever and devious. And harsh. It did make for a pretty powerful cliffhanger ending.
Quotable Quotes
- "Any other conditions?" "My sister gets to keep her cat." -- President Coin and Katniss
- "They'll either want to kill you, kiss you, or be you." -- Effie to Katniss
- "And what if you're killed?" "Make sure to get it on camera." -- President Coin and Katniss
- "Miss Everdeen, it is the things we love most that destroy us." -- President Snow
ISFS
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