Because I’m a fan of Suzanne Collin’s young adult trilogy, I eagerly anticipated seeing “The Hunger Games” and I wasn’t disappointed. Set in an unspecified, post-apocalyptic future, “The Hunger Games” takes place in Panem, a nation constructed out of the ruins of North America and consisting of mostly impoverished districts and the prosperous Capitol. As punishment for an earlier uprising, and as a reminder of its complete control over its citizens, the Capitol demands that one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district be selected via annual lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Now in its 74th edition, this televised pageant of nonstop violence documents the 24 randomly selected teenagers killing each other until only one victor remains. This year’s female ‘tribute’ from District 12, a coal-mining center located in the former Appalachia, is Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), a 16-year-old who volunteers so that her beloved younger sister, whose name has just been called, will be spared. The male ‘tribute,’ Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) has had a crush on Katniss since childhood, unless, as Katniss suspects, that’s just a ruse designed to win favor from spectators of the Games. Katniss and Peeta are whisked off to the luxurious, sinister Capitol, where a candy-colored fashionista-type world hides the Fascist structure of the government. As Katniss and Peeta wend their way through the Capitol and prepare for the Games, they are assisted by Games chaperone Effie Trinkett (Elizabeth Banks), a blithering pink-wigged hypocrite whose job it is to shepherd them to their probable inevitable slaughter and their District 12 mentor, Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson), a former Games champion and a bitter alcoholic.
Two years ago, Lawrence played a similar character set in present-day Ozarks in Winter’s Bone. This association enhances Lawrence’s role here and she is believable as a young woman forced by circumstance to assume wisdom beyond her years. As Katniss, a tough loner who is strong but sympathetic, Lawrence shines and the movie is a success largely because of her skill. Director Gary Ross effectively walks a fine line between bringing The Games to the screen while avoiding much of the voyeuristic spectacle the story is supposed to be condemning. And the contrast between the wealth of the wildly privileged people living in the Capitol with the poor, Depression-like conditions of District 12 is a visual hit. And kudos to a strong supporting cast: Stanley Tucci is excellent as Caesar Flickerman, the lead announcer and MC of The Hunger Games. He’s both helpful to the tributes (making them sympathetic in their murderous quest) while still standing as a symbol for everything that’s wrong with Panem. Josh Hutcherson, last seen in The Kids are All Right, does a terrific job of playing the lovelorn Peeta. Lenny Kravitz is also effective as Cinna, Katniss’ stylist, a man who clearly understands the politics of the Games and uses this knowledge to benefit Katniss and Peeta. Liam Hemsworth appears briefly as Katniss’s best friend Gale, but you’ll see more of him in the next two installments. “The Hunger Games” tells a compelling story with a strong central character. You should read the books first, but you’ll certainly enjoy the movie if you haven’t. 4/23/12
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