The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1: Yes, The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1 is essentially just a two-hour tease for the second part that comes next year, but that doesn't mean its not a compelling film. The film does exactly what its supposed to do: advance the narrative of the series and generate excitement for the climax of the franchise. Mockingjay Part 1 is pretty light on action, which allows the stellar acting ensemble to really drive the film. Jennifer Lawrence is excellent as usual, Liam Hemsworth does a fine job in an expanded role and series newcomer Julianne Moore is a welcome addition to this already talented-loaded cast. About the only problem I had with the film was a severe lack of screen time for Woody Harrelson. While Lawrence's Katniss Everdeen may be the hero of the story, Harrelson's Haymitch Abernathy makes every scene that much more interesting. It may not be as strong of film as Catching Fire, but this still a beyond respectable entry in this excellent series.
4/5 Stars
St. Vincent: All hail Bill Murray. The role of miserable, drunk war veteran Vincent MacKenna, who reluctantly agrees to babysit the 12-year old son (newcomer Jaeden Lieberhearer) of his new neighbor (Melissa McCarthy) was a role he was born to play. Watching Murray take a 12-year old to objectionable establishments such as bars and strip clubs and give him questionable life lessons is pure movie magic. Few people are able to play an irritable, sarcastic prick as well as Murray and with his recent string of lackluster films, this is exactly the role Murray needed to be revitalized. The narrative of St. Vincent is conventional and ends in predictably schmaltzy fashion, but this cast, who aside from Murray is going out of their comfort zones, is able to elevate this out of familiar dramedy territory. McCarthy and Naomi Watts both turn in good performances going way off-type as the mother of Oliver and a pregnant stripper/prostitute that Vincent sleeps with respectively. The typically off-the walls McCarthy is refreshingly restrained and shows off an emotional, dramatic side of her acting that she hasn't shown in the past while Watts fares much better with the breezy comedy of this film than she did with the pitch-black comedy in Birdman. St. Vincent is an entertaining, feel-good romp that is a welcome albeit relatively generic reprieve from the bleak films that have been ruling the cinemas of late.
3.5/5 Stare
The Purge: Anarchy: The Purge: Anarchy is every bit the film the first installment should've been. Anarchy expands upon the mythology of The Purge and gives a much greater sense of what this evening of chaos where all crime is legal means to this fictional society of New America. The sequences involving how the wealthy purge and an anti-purge group who are hellbent on killing the people in power and putting an end to this night of senseless mass murders amongst the lower social classes are especially gripping and give the film engaging subplots that the original sorely lacked. The Purge: Anarchy also benefits from having a much stronger cast than its predecessor. While the performances aren't exactly noteworthy, none of the lead actors veer into ridiculous overacting at any point of the film, which is more than you can say for about half of the cast of the first installment. The social commentary about violence in America still isn't very sharp and there are a couple of dumb scenes that strip away some of the entertainment value, but this is still a major improvement over the original in every possible way. If the filmmakers keep developing this world and focus more on the origins of the Purge and the impact the violence has on this society, I would love to see a third installment.
3.5/5 Stars
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