Curtains Up’s Movie Weekend Recap

by Joseph Rossi

One heck of a big movie weekend. One massive blockbuster that’ll make millions and one little film that could that will hopefully find it’s way.

The sequel to The Hunger Games is fantastic entertainment. Catching Fire is a big, bold set up to what I hope is a bombastic, thrilling finale.  I didn’t care for the first movie. Over hyped, overdone, the satire stripped away, the Gary Ross directed first film was a handheld bore. This film, directed by Francis Lawrence, makes its predecessor look like a relative twice removed.  Jennifer Lawrence pulls out an award worthy performance as Katniss Everdeen, the 74^th winner of the hunger games. This time, her and her supposed paramour Peeta (Josh Hutchinson) has to compete in another set of games arranged by the corrupt president of Panem (Donald Sutherland). He intends to kill Katniss and strip her of what she has become to the suffering people of the land — promise and hope. This is a smart, action movie. It can be likened to middle chapters like The Empire Strikes Back and The Two Towers. No real beginning and no real ending. But that doesn’t matter.  Its one step in the right direction. I can’t wait for next year.

The Book Thief is a thoughtful little film about the power of words, love and humanity. It takes place in a little German town just as WW2 is getting underway. The Nazi party is rising in status and is starting to implement their power on the local Jewish population. During this, an orphan girl, Liesel (played by Quebecois actress Sophie Nelisse) is sent to live with Hans and Rosa (an excellent Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson).  Hans, an out of work painter, takes a real interest in teaching his new ward how to read.  She makes a friend in a local boy named Rudy and assimilates into the Nazi culture that surrounds her. That is until a Jewish boy arrives one night and asks a favor of Hans, who long ago, made a pact with the lad’s father. He is to be hidden from the Nazi’s in their basement. Liesel takes a liking to the boy and reads to him in order to keep his spirits up. By doing this she ends up eventually hating the political party that she belongs to. The film’s one flaw is the narration. The film’s narrator is death himself. I haven’t read the book but I’m guessing it works better on the page then on film. But it’s a minor gripe on this lovely film that does teeter on the verge of candy corn. But it’s a family film so I guess it needs to be kid friendly. But a good film it is. It’s the holidays. Sugar is important.