Haute Capitol Couture!

Thursday night Jordan and I went with our friends Amber and Ryan to the midnight release of "The Hunger Games" at The District [perfect selection of theaters, right!?] I was the only one in our party who had not read the books, as I refused because the books and upcoming movie were becoming such a "thing," so naturally I resisted. I figured that since the movie was already in production, at the point in time that the novel was being pushed on me, that I would rather not subject myself to a giant let down, which movie adaptations of books almost always are. [I am, however, a fan of The Secret Life of Bees & "The Secret Life of Bees"] I wanted to view the movie as a movie, letting the whole experience be a totally new to me. In hindsight, I think the plot of the books were not properly explained to me when both Jordan and Amber attempted to lure me into reading them. I only understood that it was a bunch of people forced to kill one another to provide food for their families and communities, I don't even think anyone told me it was about young children or the political weight the novel carries. I am so glad I was able to see the movie, not having read any one of the three books because I lived the movie for the first time, while others in the audience were re-living what they had already played out in their heads. And let me tell you I -LOVED- IT! And I was not an easy sell-- I did not want to love it, I thought it was all the same hype as Harry Potter or Twilight and would turn out to be just a decent fill of time for a Thursday night date with the hubs. I really cannot rave enough about this movie. I have been telling everyone I come in contact with how amazing it is. I have not left a movie in so long, feeling so attached to the characters, so in love with the plot and dying to know more about the lives of these characters. The reviews I've read online have been so polar. Understandably some people are going to hate the movie because it is not an exact representation of the details they were allowed to create in their own heads whilst reading the book. Which is why I was glad to go into it with such an open mind of where it could take me. Call me a cheater for allowing Hollywood to put the pieces together for me, but I think all actors were cast near perfection. I may not know the physical descriptions laid out by Suzanne Collins, but each actor in the movie played his part so well. I am in love with the friendship created between Cinna and Katniss. Others may not have liked the movie because certain details which stood out to them from the book were not portrayed in such debt or even at all in the movie version. However, those people have to understand that every minute detail of a 200+ page book cannot properly be contributed to a well produced theatrical version.
The importance here is: Did the movie speak justice to the plot and main theme of the story the books told? OMG, yess! Right? I haven't read the books, so I guess I can't really answer, but... this movie spoke to my heart. I thought I was definitely too old to see a midnight movie and make it through without nodding off for at least a minute or two, but I was hooked from the first scene to ending credits. I loved to love Katniss! When she steps into the tube to begin the games, I was sitting in the theater near tears; feeling such anxiety for her. I felt a rush of all the emotions she must have been feeling seconds before being released into the wild as nothing more than 'game' to be hunted for the sport of the the wealthy members of The Capitol.
This movie made me feel happy and proud. Proud that people in our society still root for Katniss, the strong and caring and Peeta, the simple underdog. I was amazed at the beauty of the story and am so excited to read the books!


Oh.... and of course we dressed up.
                [...you know me!]

 I was really rather hoping to be "boo-ed" as we entered the theater... I wanted all those who dressed as Katniss, who loved and adored her to really be into the night at the movies and "boo" The Capitol! 

...but I had to settle for this girls rebellion against The Capitol. 

DOWN WITH THE CAPITOL. 

Listen, it was a great movie, I don't care what those critics say about it! I am a paying customer and they just get paid to complain, so who you gonna believe? Even Ryan Gosling loves The Hunger Games, go see it and testify for yourself! 

A little Hunger Games fun with Hunger Names!