Quick Reviews of The Last Five Years & Mockingjay

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR TO THOSE WHO CELEBRATE!

But I myself don't celebrate Chinese New Year and only had one day-off in the middle of the week, so I had nothing to do yesterday. I didn't want to get bored to death, so I decided to start reading the e-book that my friend gave me (Me Before You by Jojo Moyes) and watch movies (The Last Five Years and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1). It will take time for me to finish the book and write a review of it, but I've finished watching the movies. So here are my thoughts about them.

THE LAST FIVE YEARS

This movie is included in my anticipated movies list for 2015 (See it here). I was very, very excited to see this movie, but after finally seeing it, I must admit that it is not as good as I expected. The story is actually very interesting. I think it's an honest portrayal of a failed relationship because it shows how the failure is not anyone's fault. It shows that, like I once said in one of my posts, people have different paths. People might cross paths but there will always be one point where they have to go to different directions. The separation might be painful but it's no one's fault; it's just how it is. I also like the concept of the storytelling (The female character, Cathy, tells it from her point of view backwards while the male character, Jamie, shows us the way he sees it chronologically). I think it's unique. And the two main actors, Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan, are awesome. I really love their chemistry and their singing voices! 

But I find the movie as a whole quite... strange. Hmm it's hard to explain why I think it's strange. For people who are not familiar with the musical (This movie is based on a musical where all the dialogues are sung, like Les Miserables) and the way the story is told, I think this movie would be very confusing. There is no clear explanation or clue about how the story is told (the backwards and forwards thing) and about what Cathy and Jamie are actually doing. The two characters just take turns in singing all the time. It's more like a compilation of their music videos than a movie, actually. Maybe this movie would be better if they make some adjustments with the storytelling, so that it would be easier for audience to follow the plot.

Rating : 3/5

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1

I know it's a bit late, but I just saw this movie yesterday. When the movie came out in cinemas last year, many people said that this movie disappointed them. Well, I still like Catching Fire more than this one, but I don't think this movie is disappointing at all. It's just a little different from the previous films, and from people's expectations. Unlike the previous two films, this one is not an action-packed movie. It shows more of the characters' emotions, especially Katniss's.

I love how they show more of Katniss's emotions here. In this movie, and in the previous ones too, she keeps saying that she doesn't want to be involved in the war against President Snow and the Capitol; that all she wants is to keep the ones that she loves safe. I used to think it was selfish. But then I realized how sickening it must be for a teenage girl like her, to get dragged into a war where there is nothing but pain and violence. It's just too... crazy. Wanting to run away from that kind of thing is something very... human, I think. And then, as the movie goes on, she learns that she also cares about other people. She can't stand seeing other people get hurt by the Capitol, even though she doesn't know those people. Katniss grows in this movie, and I can relate to that because I've been there. Well, not there in the middle of a war, but there where you grow up and realize that you want to make yourself useful for other people. Again, this reminds me that I'm not a teenager anymore haha.

Since I love getting my feelings twisted (hahaha), I also "enjoy" Josh Hutcherson's and Sam Claflin's heartbreaking performances as Peeta and Finnick. That scene where Peeta sees a footage of Katniss during an interview and talks directly to her really breaks my heart. And the heroic, charming Finnick is replaced by the Finnick who looks miserable and lost here. I have a crush on him and it's just so heartbreaking to see him miserable hahahaha.

Rating : 4/5

Movies to Watch in the Last Months of 2014

Hi! I've been kind of busy these days because I have a side job now, so I haven't been writing much. I don't know if I can do the recaps again because it takes a lot of time. But so far The Flash  has stolen my heart and I've crowned it as my most favorite new series. I still enjoy HTGAWM but have started having doubts on Gotham due to its poor writing (I still love the characters, though). And I haven't been catching up on Reign. 

But now I don't want to talk abou tv shows. I want to talk about moviessss. We only have about 2 months left this year, but there are still some great movies to watch. Here are my most anticipated movies that are going to be released in the last months of the year.

1. INTERSTELLAR

To be released in : November

Director : Christopher Nolan

Cast : Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Mackenzie Foy.

To be honest, I don't really know what this movie is about. They keep the story a secret, just like they did with Nolan's previous project, Inception. The synopsis of the movie in IMDB describes it as a story of "a group of explorers make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage." Based on the synopsis, I assume that it involves science, space travel and the end of the world. What actually makes me interested in this movie is the fact that Mr Christopher Nolan is the director. I really enjoy Inception and, of course, his Batman movies, so I expect this one to be as good as those films. The cast also seems solid. Here's the latest trailer of Interstellar.

2. THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

To be released in : November

Director : James Marsh

Cast : Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones, David Thewlis, Emily Watson.

This is a biopic of the famous physicist Stephen Hawking. It lets us see how the highly intelligent man struggles to fight the illness that paralyzes his body and how his relationship with the woman he loves affects the way he deals with the situation. This movie seems to be a very emotional one. I think I have to bring a pack of tissues when I see this movie because just watching the trailer makes my eyes water. The main factor that makes me so eager to see this movie is Eddie Redmayne (Les Miserables, My Week with Marilyn). He's a fantastic actor, one of my favorites, and it's been a while since the last time I watched his movie, so I'm excited to see him again. And they say Eddie's and Felicity Jones's performances are amazing here. They even say Eddie deserves an Oscar! Here's the trailer of The Theory of Everything. Watch and try not to cry!

3. THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1
To be released in : November
Director : Francis Lawrence
Cast : Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Jullianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Sam Claflin.

Well, I think this movie needs no introduction. This third film in The Hunger Games saga follows its heroine, Katniss Everdeen, as she leads the revolt against the Capitol. I really enjoy the first two films of the saga, especially the second one, Catching Fire, and am really curious about the ending.I know we all can find out how this movie ends from the book, but I haven't read the book and have decided to stay blind about the ending; I don't want to ruin the fun. My friend who has read the book says that Mockingjay is the hardest one to read and, man, that is my favorite kind of stories (haha). Here's the main trailer of Mockingjay (which is surprisingly short for a main trailer, but pretty intense).

Besides these three films, I'm also curious about some other films like Into the Woods, Big Hero 6 and The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies. But these three films above are on the top of my list.

Hope my list can help you decide which movie to watch before the year ends!