The Hunger Games: A Fan Vs. Non-Fan Chat

The Hunger Games is a dystopian story about a yearly contest where children are forced to murder each other for the entertainment of others, which is not your typical Hollywood affair. Adapted from the hit novel by Suzanne Collins (the first of three), the film is directed by Gary Ross and stars Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, a girl who volunteers to participate in order to save her sister from the brutal tradition. Since I approached the material cold, I thought I’d invite my close friend Mira John on to discuss it with me. Mira isn’t a film critic, but knows her stuff when it comes to these types of film adaptations. She loves the books for The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and now The Hunger Games. Since she was well versed in the universe of the novels, I did a chat with her after to get a sense of how those who love the books are viewing the next big Hollywood franchise. Please note that we discuss spoilers for both the film and the novel. This talk is intended for those who have seen the film or don't care to have the ending ruined.

Peter: Hey Mira. So we saw The Hunger Games today, adding our $20 to the $155 million it made this weekend, making it the highest grossing non-sequel opening of all time. Now I've never read the novel by Suzanne Collins, while you've read all three. So my first question is how did you enjoy the movie?

Mira: I enjoyed it, though I haven’t decided if it was worth all the hype. But it was fun. I'll probably watch the next movies whenever they come out.

Peter: Yes, I feel we both walked out satisfied but a bit ambivalent

Mira: Yes, but probably for different reasons.

Peter: Now here's a question that's been bothering me: are the books as serious as the film made it seem?

Mira: I would say that the books are more serious.

Peter: I'm thinking about when we first get to the Capital, which is this certainly epic moment, but never really awe in the same sense you get with say, the Harry Potter series. I guess for me the Capital is supposed to be this wondrous place, and I was kind of dumbstruck by the visual style. I'm still trying to figure out a world in which that type of fashion would be considered beautiful, and the buildings itself seem like a mishmash of typical dystopian films from the last decade.

Mira: I think that's the idea—in The Hunger Games universe, the 12 outlying districts are slums or backwater areas, whereas the Capital is supposed to be this highly modernized, opulent, and decadent city. Since this story supposedly takes place in the future after some unknown disaster wipes out North America/ the US/ the world as we know it, it makes sense that the filmmakers would try to give off a dystopia vibe.

Peter: Right. Though the radiation has had some serious effects on Wes Bently's moustache.

Margin Call: The Calm Before the Financial Storm

Margin Call

Written and Directed By: J.C. Chandor

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Zachary Quinto, Penn Badgley, Simon Baker, Demi Moore, Stanley Tucci, and Mary McDonnell

Director of Photography: Frank G. DeMarco, Editor: Pete Beaudreau, Production Designer: John Paino, Original Music: Nathan Larson

Rated: R for usual office language

            Margin Call, a new drama about moments before the financial crisis from newcomer J.C. Chandor, has timed its release either perfectly or terribly, depending on how you consider your political affiliations. In the atmosphere of Occupy Wall Street, Mr. Chandor has crafted a film specifically about the 1%, the men (and one woman) responsible for leading our financial situation into a tailspin in the fall of 2008. “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they are doing,” need not apply to these guys—they knew exactly what they were doing as they tried to save the company and their livelihoods. 

            Modeled similar to Dante’s Inferno (we head up instead of down in the corporate world), and loosely based on the collapse of Lehman Brothers, Margin Call brings us inside a fateful 48-hour period in a major financial film where bad news is already on its way. As the film starts, two young associates (Zachary Quinto and Penn Badgley) look on as HR storms its way into the office, eliminating over half of their floor, most notably their boss, Eric (Stanley Tucci). As Eric leaves the office, he hands a flash drive to Peter (Mr. Quinto) and warns him, “be careful.” A superstar rocket scientist turned financier (for the money—why else?), Peter quickly analyzes the data and discovers the horror in the data: their entire assets are worthless, and the loss they hold is greater than the company’s entire worth.