We start with a quick recap of the story so far, as heroine Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence, as if it needed to be said) cowers in a dark corner, telling herself the story of her life. Since she improbably survived the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss’s world has fallen apart. Now, she’s living in the underground remains of a place she’d been told no longer existed, a figurehead in a war she never meant to start, with most of her allies either dead, kidnapped, or as broken by their ordeal as she is. All she wants to do, really, is curl up and cry. But she can’t do that. Katniss is the Mockingjay, and now the revolution has started, it needs her to keep it going. The plan, as decided by PR man Plutarch Heavensbee (the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman), is to create a series of propaganda videos starring Katniss. These ‘propos’ will be broadcast across Panem, inspiring the rebels and scaring the Capitol. The problem? Katniss isn’t up to it. She’s so unconvincing in front of a green screen that the rebels decide to put her back in the field, followed by a camera crew, to try to get some footage of her being genuinely inspiring. Naturally, things don’t go according to plan, and there’s death and destruction all around. It’s bleak stuff, and that makes for a pretty bleak movie. There are a few snatches of humour, but if Mockingjay Part 1 makes you laugh, it’s bitterly. Everything hurts so much in this movie; all of the characters are so thoroughly beaten down. While The Hunger Games and Catching Fire both spent some time in the colourful glittering world of the Capitol, Mockingjay Part 1 sticks mostly to the dreary grey District 13, and while the contrast is both deliberate and effective, it’s hard not to feel a little battered by it. But while most of the changes are smart, nothing can really make up for the fact that this is a film of half a book. At 123 minutes, this is the shortest of the three Hunger Games films to date, but its meandering back-and-forth structure means it feels pretty long. What does work about the movie? Well, the set pieces are pretty thrilling. District 13 is well realised, a seemingly endless underground fortress filled with grim-faced survivors. The casting choices seem especially good this time round, with new characters feeling immediately familiar and existing ones developing in front of our eyes. Liam Hemsworth gets to be part of the action at last, Sam Claflin is convincingly vulnerable, and Josh Hutcherson is heartbreaking. Elizabeth Banks is a little underused, but she makes the most of her few short scenes, and it’s always a pleasure to see her. There’s no answer to that question, though. By chopping Mockingjay in half, there’s no real sense of resolution, and one particular staging decision robs the story of even a brief moment of triumph. Threads are woven into place and characters are nudged towards the positions they’ll need to be in for the finale, but since the last film is still another year away, it’s all a bit unsatisfying. Part 1 ends on a dramatic note, but it’s not a hopeful one. This is a movie saturated with despair and grief, and there’s very little comfort available. Yes, that’s exactly what you’d expect if you’ve read the book, but it’s hard to defend that decision from a cinematic point of view. Mockingjay Part 1 will probably play better once you can marathon Part 2 straight afterwards, but by itself, it’s a two-hour long emotional bludgeoning. Pack some tissues, fellow Hunger Games fans – you’re going to need them. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 is out on 20 November. Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
