“Beer Wars” Review

Where do you stand in this David and Goliath battle of the beer world?

“Beer Wars” is an independent film released in 2009 by first time filmmaker, Anat Baron, who ironically is allergic to alcohol. However, that allergy did not stop her from successfully running Mike’s Hard Lemonade, a beer company founded in 1999 by Anthony von Mandl. Baron boasts that her motivation to work in the beer industry was not about drinking the beer itself. It was about taking on the big corporations that want to demolish the little brewers. As she says, “It is about much more than beer. At stake is the American Dream.” The big picture focus of this film is to raise awareness of the power that big corporations have in this country. From mass marketing, lobbying power in congress, payoffs/incentives to distributors/retailers to selfishly crushing the small start up companies that pose as miniscule threats to their massive company profits. It’s all part of the corporate game in America and other countries for that matter. This film exposes the ins and outs of the beer industry in America and pinpoints specific marketing strategies used by the top beer companies such as Anheuser Busch, Coors and Miller to forcefully push their products into every store and home in America and to push out craft brewers. This film evokes a lot of emotion, especially anger and resentment, for the consumer as you start to realize just how much power these major beer players have over your daily choices. After watching this film, you will most likely pause and think before you place your next order in your local bar or before you buy your next 6 pack at your local grocery store.

The film reveals that the top 3 beer companies in this country as of 2009 were Anheuser Busch, Coors and Miller. Those 3 companies made up a staggering 78% of the US beer market. Baron points out how alike these beers look, smell and taste. She stages a blind tasting for beer drinkers to see if they can easily pick out their favorites. Not one person shown in the film accurately picked the beer that they stated that they drank most frequently. Each participant in the blind tasting seemed surprised how similarly the beers tasted. The film also stated that 85% of beer in this country is classified as a light lager. Those lagers are mild and by many standards would be considered weak and plain, lacking any distinctive flavor. One beer connoisseur went so far as to say that most Americans had never really tasted true beer yet, as those light lagers were not a true representation of real beer. The top three beer companies spent a staggering $1.5 billion marketing to sell those light beers to Americans. That is a massive amount of money considering that their products are so similar to each other that no one could tell them apart in blind tastings. It makes you wonder what really drives the consumer’s choice. Why would you choose one light beer over the other if taste is so similar? One beer drinker stated that it was out of habit. Humans tend to stick to what they know and what is familiar.

Every psychologist knows how much social psychology is involved in marketing and advertising. Most of us have taken a course in social psyc and studied the old bait and switch tactics, good cop versus bad cop, and the old car dealership trick where they leave the room “talk” to their boss into lowering the price when they are actually going out to get a cup of coffee then come back and pretend the boss said it was a no go. We have all fallen prey to many of these tactics in our life. But they are easy to see through once you study the many methods of persuasion they rely on. Just watch an episode of Mad Men and you can see just how manipulative the ad game can be. Most of these companies don’t have the consumer’s best interest in mind. It’s all about the money. Often times advertising is not about focusing on the actual merits of the product or service, but instead is focused on what they believe would win the consumer over or win their trust. Unfortunately, these corporations don’t let the product speak for itself. Instead, they may gloss over the actual details of their newest product and focus on selling an idea of what they think the American dream is as they link their product with pictures of sports cars, mansions, and most often scantily clad men or women. How many times have you watched a commercial and been confused as to what the commercial was about and then realized that they never showed a specific product? They may flash the company name once or twice as models bounce around your tv set, but did you really learn anything about what they are selling or what you should expect from their product?

I think that many viewers will be shocked when the film uncovers the specifics of beer wars including how the big corporations monopolize the market and shelf space in stores; the 37,000 beer laws that exist on the books in most US states; and brand recognition which is of course bought with the millions and millions of dollars that these big beer companies have at their disposal and not from respect gained by the effectiveness or quality of the product. Have you ever noticed which beers are displayed at eye level in your neighborhood stores? Beer companies fight over the prime space in the major grocery stores, liquor stores and convenient stores.

Essentially the big guys control the shelf space; therefore, they are silently manipulating your choices from the get go. Budweiser may take up 3 or 4 full shelves in the middle of the display at eye level while Dogfish Head or New Belgium has only enough space for a few 6 packs on the bottom right of the cooler display, which could very likely go unnoticed especially if you are in a hurry and don’t have time to peruse the entire cooler. Think about how many beer commercials you see a day – how many of those are from the big 3 beer companies (Budweiser, Coors or Miller)? As Sam Calagione, the owner of Dogfish Head, bluntly puts it, “Don’t listen to the stupid ads on the television. The ads don’t know what you like, you know what you like.” This is so true. They may think they understand you and know what you like, but that is not necessarily true. Do you even really know what you like? Have you truthfully given yourself the chance to try a large sampling of all the beers that exist on the market? You won’t know what you really like until you try something different and can compare each of those beers to each other. Only then can you start to explore the complex flavors that some of these craft beers offer.

There is so much diversity in beer these days. It can be quite exciting to sample new beers because you never know when you are going to come across a completely new style of beer that rocks your world. The mass produced beer companies are banking on the fact that people are very habitual creatures who stick to daily routines without much variation or experimentation. It’s as if they are encouraging their customers to not evolve and to not step out of their comfort zone. While most humans do find comfort in familiarity and are resistant to change, humans are not robots! Humans need variety to keep things interesting and to spice up their life. That is the main reason that craft brewers are challenging themselves to come up with new and exciting flavors and styles on a daily basis. Believe me it’s not for the money! Dogfish Head (shown below) only makes up 0.0002% of the market share for beer. The owner revealed that he is 9 million dollars in debt and is constantly taking risks with his family’s savings and had to put up their family home as collateral on a bank loan just so he can follow his dream. And his small brewery is one of the success stories. They do it because they love making good beer and it’s their life’s passion. Essentially, they believe in what they do.

These days companies have gone beyond commercial ads, and they are sponsoring sporting events such as the Olympics, the super bowl and even political debates. They also get around the fact that most Americans fast forward through commercials on their DVRs by product placement. Products are now featured within tv shows and films as if your favorite characters are endorsing those specific products. Who wouldn’t want to eat the exact same cereal as Michael Phelps or drive the same car as Tom Cruise in a movie like Mission Impossible?

Beer Wars makes you think. It causes you to analyze what is really driving your impulses in the checkout line. Baron stated, “I made this film because I wanted to get it out to as many people as possible. I want people to think about the everyday choices that they make. And to let them know that they do have power — it’s called the almighty dollar. I never expected to lure Bud, Miller or Coors drinkers away from their favorite cold one but I did hope that craft beer drinkers would help spread the bigger message of the film. And I still believe that will happen if we focus on the big picture.”

Luckily, craft brewers and home brewing are growing, despite the efforts of Big Beer to demolish the little guys. It may be a slow gradual increase, but it all depends on what the consumers find valuable and how the consumers choose to show their support. If consumers choose to drink locally and support those small businesses then there is a chance to make a lasting impact in this industry.

Baron’s film follows her as she visits smaller breweries such as Yuengling and Dogfish Head who have found a way to be successful and that have challenged the big 3 for part of the market share. As she follows each of these small brewers you get a sense of their soul and their life’s passion. It’s stories like these that are heart warming and inspirational and that create loyal fans that are willing to throw their support behind a product that they really believe in. Baron even follows Rhonda Kallman who first had the idea for a caffeinated beer before Anheuser Busch stole her idea and marketed their own version of a caffeinated beer. This film chronicles her struggles to break into the beer market and land accounts for Moonshot, the first caffeinated beer.

I encourage every individual to watch this independent film as it is a very enlightening and eye opening feature. You will never look at beer the same way again. I used to be an avid Bud Light drinker for many, many years starting in college as a poor struggling student; so I, myself, have given who knows how much of my own money to Anheuser Busch without ever questioning why I chose that beer. It was cheap and accessible, which are the main draws when you are on a very low budget. However, a year ago my husband and I started frequently tasting and sampling beers at local establishments and through a bar called the Flying Saucer. This has opened up a whole new world for us. We have sampled at least 100 new beers in that time if not more. Once you begin to explore new flavors through beer you just can’t go back to the light, plain lagers. I just can’t stomach Bud Light now that my palate has started to evolve. It’s as if I had never really tasted true beer before I decided to branch out and explore new and diverse flavors.

Of course, the next step for a serious beer lover is to start brewing your own beer, and that is an endeavor that my husband and I have embarked upon just recently. It’s the ultimate way to gain control over the beer you drink. With home brewing, there are no ads to dictate what you should drink; no distribution laws to limit access; certainly no restrictions on what flavors and spices you choose to include in your own unique brew; and no restrictions regarding the percent of alcohol that you brew since it’s for home use only. Home brewing seems to be the new revolution in beer. Home brewers are even forming their own home brewer associations to share their recipes, their unique brews and their personal brewing experiences with other brewers.

It’s obvious that individuals are in search of more flavor in many aspects of their life and beer is no exception. Beer Wars highlights that sales in the beer industry are revealing that domestic, mass produced beer is on the decline and craft beer is on the rise. This is a very gradual change, but there is a definite shift occurring in the industry. Microbreweries are opening up every month and that is something that could really change the beer industry one brew and one customer at a time.

Baron’s film chronicles how big corporations like Anheuser Busch stoop to stealing ideas from small brewers in order to take over every niche in the beer world. For them it seems to not be about making good beer, it seems to be about how to squash all threats to their profit margins. They use money to cutoff avenues for small brewers to grow as a business, to distribute their product and to market and advertise. Luckily, social media is an avenue that can’t be controlled by power or money. Baron highlights the fact that everyone has a voice on the internet. This is enabling small brewers the opportunity to reach new customers without the interference from the big beer conglomerates. The smaller breweries are masters at establishing close relationships with their customers and creating very loyal fan bases. This is something that does not occur with the mass produced beers. For small brewers, their drive is based on a labor of love more than money. Sam Calagione points out that the big companies “can talk at the consumer but not with the consumer.” In one scene of the film, Calagione is being interviewed on site at Dogfish Head Brewery, and he spontaneously takes a call in the middle of the interview from a consumer who just decided to call the toll free number on the 6 pack to say how much she loved the beer. He took the time to talk to this consumer and even gave out his email for her to communicate further with him. He remarks that every day they come in to the office to find 7 or 8 messages from customers just calling to commend them on their unique brews. It’s the little gestures like these that really distinguish the small breweries from the giants.

It’s disturbing to see how many smaller beer companies that Anheuser Busch has taken over in the past few years increasing from 26 brands to 80 brands by the date of the film in 2009. It’s becoming harder and harder to spot the obvious Anheuser Busch products as they have taken over brands like Bass, Hoegaarden, Rolling Rock, etc. A sampling of their products are shown above. And as Baron shows in the film Anheuser Busch creates company names like Green Valley Brewing to promote organic brews to appeal to the environmentalists and to appear to be a grass roots small business when in fact the product is made at the Anheuser Busch plant in California. It’s actions like these that should raise red flags with consumers as to what are the real intentions of this company. The film also shows outrageous moves by AB to sue fellow competitors like Dogfish Head for the use of the words “punkin” and “chickory” in their brew names. Sam Calagione, owner of Dogfish Head, remarks that the lawsuits are geared towards the terms being too generic on Dogfish Head’s part as he points out the absurdity of this coming from a company that sells a beer called Natural Light. Could it get more generic than that? Calagione finds the suits ridiculous and power driven. He knows these lawsuits are for the sole purpose of causing the smaller companies to pay out majorly through lawyer fees. It’s a real low blow and is not what healthy competition is supposed to be about. If you have spent any time around any craft brewers you know how much they all support the growth of other craft breweries, as this promotes more diversity for all consumers and pushes each brewer to continue to challenge themselves to create more creative concoctions. There is a real comradery among craft brewers and that seems to fuel the creative process as well. In that scenario everyone wins.

Beer Wars also describes distribution laws such as the three tiered system which is making it much harder for the small players to break into the beer market. These laws restrict brewers from distributing their own beer to retailers in most states. It requires a third party distributor to be involved which is easily controlled by the money of the heavy hitters (Anheuser Busch, Coors and Miller) in the beer world. It is very easy for these companies to shut out the smaller brewers by controlling the distributors. This also is a challenge for the beer consumers as their access to their preferred beer is restricted; so the consumers and small brewers are missing out due to this archaic and unfair system. This calls for a necessary change in this distribution system to make it a more even and fair playing field. It seems to make more sense to just let the beer speak for itself instead of money and power influencing the consumer’s decisions and opinions about what they drink or choose to drink. If the beer is good enough it will sell itself. One consumer in the film stated, “They (Anheuser Busch) have to shell out major bucks to sell beer that tastes that bad.”

If this topic is one that interests you or motivates you, please help spread the word about this small independent film. Educating others about the internal workings of the beer industry could in fact produce more change in the industry itself as each consumer becomes more informed about how their choices are being influenced on a daily basis on a subconscious level that they may not ever think about. More informed choices can lead to a better quality of life as each individual takes personal control of each decision they make. Put the power back in the hands of the consumer!

Ways you could help – if you have a local brewery in your area, try out their unique brews. If you have a local bar that offers a wide variety of craft beers, try a sampler or flight of beers you have never tried before. If you like what you taste, spread the word about that positive experience with friends or on social networking sites. The key is to throw your support behind what you value! For instance, as I am writing this film review about beer, I am drinking Copperhead Red Ale from my local brewery in Memphis TN called Ghost River. So far today I have tweeted and included this beer selection in my facebook status to show my support of this fantastic brewery. Yesterday, I toured Ghost River after being on a waiting list of 4 months, and we sampled 3 of their most famous beers, learned about their history and brewing process and bought growlers to go. Afterwards, we chose to eat and drink at the owner’s brewpub in Memphis called Boscos where we got samplers of all 8 unique beers brewed all on site and continued to drink our favorites there all night. It made for a wonderful outing, and we felt good about supporting a local business. It’s that easy and simple.

Now, if you are true fans of any of the top beer companies, that is fine too. Just make sure to take a minute and ask yourself why you like that brand, why you chose that brand in the first place and maybe even challenge yourself to do some sampling to compare your favorite beers to some of the lesser known, more experimental brands to see how they stack up. You might be surprised at what you find. Worst case scenario is that maybe you try some beers that you decide you don’t really like and you are out a few bucks for the night. Best case scenario could be that you find a new favorite that blows your mind. Bottom line is to start to question what really drives your choices when choosing a brew and to put yourself in the driver’s seat when making a purchase instead of falling prey to some of the world’s best marketing schemes.

“Life’s too short to drink light beer” ~ Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head

If you want to view this film here are several ways to order or view Beer Wars:

In the U.S., Beer Wars is available to rent On Demand through Digital Cable and Satellite providers Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Cablevision, Charter, Insight, Bresnan, Verizon FiOS, AT & T U-Verse, Dish Network and DirecTV. It is also available for download on iTunes, Amazon Video On Demand, Xbox 360 and PS3.

In Canada, the film is available to rent On Demand through Digital Cable and Satellite providers Rogers Cable, Cogeco, Videotron, Sasktel and Shaw.

The film will also be available through Netflix either through streaming or DVD. And you’ll be able to buy the DVD from Amazon.

If you live outside the US, you can buy the DVD on this link below
http://beerwarsmovie.com/shop/

All of this information on ways to order Beer Wars was taken from the website
http://beerwarsmovie.com/tag/dvd/

Anat Baron shown below, filmaker

4 stars - Eyeopening, enlightening and infuriating at the same time. You will never look at beer the same way again. 

Hunger Games Review

The Hunger Games Left Me Hungry For More

Review by: Heather Hardison, Ph.D.

The Movie Psychoanalyst

I’ve been awaiting this movie release for a year ever since they started filming last spring. I’ve read the first book 3 times this year alone. So I was expecting to be wowed and bowled over by this film. Overall, it was an outstanding and intense movie. It definitely deserves the success it achieved on opening weekend, but I have to admit that I was underwhelmed by a few aspects of this film being that I am such a fan of the books. 

The major flaw with this film is the pacing. At first glance, the running time of 2 hours and 22 minutes seems lengthy, but the entire film feels rushed. The first 30 minutes were dizzying from the break neck pace that they showed the scenes from District 12, the reaping, the goodbyes plus the backstory of Katniss, Prim, and Gale. Towards the last half of the film there were several scenes that were glossed over or left out altogether that were vital to the storyline, and the absence of those scenes was felt greatly, namely the cave scenes and intimate discussions between Katniss and Peeta. I feel the filmmakers may regret leaving certain parts out when it is time to film the second and third installment as those scenes were pivotal to Katniss’ character development and to the connection between Katniss and Peeta. 

There seems to be pressure to condense a movie to 2-2.5 hours and that restriction is limiting some of our top blockbusters like Harry Potter and Twilight, etc. Fans of the books need to have the story unfold in a similar pace of the books and not feel as if some of the most pivotal scenes are afterthoughts. More time needed to be devoted to the progression of the relationship between Katniss and Peeta as that is a major theme in upcoming installments. The scenes in the cave could have easily been lengthened to show Katniss’ feelings for Peeta beginning to develop. 

Internally, in the book we see her conflicted over those feelings and we also see her intentionally playing up their romance to the camera in order to gain sponsor gifts and win over the audience. Peeta is unaware that Katniss is using their romantic interactions to garner favor from Haymitch. When this is revealed to Peeta in the last few pages of the book it is something that causes him to pull back from Katniss and drives a wedge between them. That distance and tension between them is important to the plot of the 2nd book, Catching Fire. Much of this was glossed over in this film. More time devoted to the cave scenes would have also allowed for the chemistry between the two to heighten onscreen as their chemistry in the film wasn’t as electric as it was portrayed in the book, which I think is due to the removal of their most intimate interactions.

Another flaw was the inability of the film to convey much of the internal turmoil that Katniss struggles with in the books. Throughout the story Katniss struggles with her feelings for both Peeta and Gale and is never sure if her feelings are romantic for either. She struggles with the fact that she owes so much to Peeta after he saved her during a very dark time in her past when she and her family would have starved if it were not for the generosity of the “boy with the bread.” He continues to come to her rescue time and time again, and she is unsure how to repay him and at times struggles with whether she can trust him as he is also very charming and knowledgeable about how to subtly manipulate those around him. And with Gale she knows that he has feelings for her, but she isn’t sure how she feels for him as she never really envisions herself in a romantic relationship with anyone given their life circumstances. She notes “Good hunting partners are hard to find,” which shows us that she sees him more as a friend and hunting partner than anything else and probably doesn’t want to jeopardize that close relationship if romantic feelings were to get involved. 

One major criticism that has come up in most reviews of this film is the fact that audience members who have not read the book are baffled at the lack of outrage from the main characters and the district members towards the premise of the Hunger Games. This is captured well in the books through conversations between Katniss and Gale and Katniss and Peeta along with their mentor, Haymitch. Their outrage against the brutal nature of this type of “entertainment” is present subtly in the film but is not as apparent as it was in the book, mainly because many of those conversations and most of Katniss’ internal dialogue was cut from the film, which leaves many audience members questioning how a society could stand for such atrocity. 

Given that the movie could not explicitly address several key aspects of the characters' motivations and garner insight into the games itself, I have turned back to the book to flesh out the meaning of certain decisions and behaviors that Katniss displays in the film and also to pinpoint specific details about the games themselves. In the book Collins makes it is very clear that the games have been around for 74 years, and the Hunger Games have become a routine part of life. Most citizens of Panem do not condone the games and do not find this violence entertaining in the least. However, the Capitol requires that every household tune in to every minute of the games and they are required to treat it as a celebration no less. There are very dire consequences for those that protest or abstain. The citizens have been programmed to follow a set of rules that they do not respect or believe in; however, they know that in order to stay alive and to protect their families that they must fall in line with the Capitol’s demands out of fear of retaliation.

Katniss is the heroine that comes along in a very unexpected way and provides the citizens of Panem hope that they will finally be able to break free from the Capitol’s hold on them, and she proves that there is a way that the system can be beaten. Katniss does not fear what the Capitol will do to her. However, she does fear for her younger sister, Prim. In fact, she volunteers as the District 12 tribute in place of her sister whom she states is the only person in the world that she is certain she loves. She is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for her sister. When thinking about the violence and absurdity of the games Katniss states, “We have to joke about it because the alternative is to be scared out of your wits.” She also describes the reaction of the citizens as they respond to the results of the reaping in her district, “After the reaping, everyone is supposed to celebrate. And a lot of people do, out of relief that their children have been spared for another year. But at least two families will pull their shutters, lock their doors and try to figure out how they will survive the painful weeks to come.” This is the way of life for the citizens of Panem, but there are a few ways that they quietly oppose the games. During the reaping when Katniss volunteers in Prim’s place, the fellow citizens of District 12 do not clap when tributes are chosen. Instead they hold up 3 fingers in silence to show respect and love and to say thank you and goodbye. Rue’s district does the same when Katniss honors Rue during Rue’s death scene. It is the beginning of the uprising in that district.

When Katniss explains the games in the first few chapters she emphasizes how unfair the reaping system is “with the poor getting the worst of it. You become eligible for the reaping the day you turn 12. That year your name is entered once. At 13, twice and so on until you reach 18 when your name goes in the pool 7 times. For the poor and starving you can add your name more times in exchange for tesserae which is year’s supply of grain and oil. By age 16 Katniss has her name entered 20 times and Gale who is 18 entered 42 times.” This type of inequality and injustice breeds hatred between the poor and starving workers of the Seam and those who never go hungry. This action by the Capitol ensures they will never trust each other and minimizes the chances of an uprising. The creation of the Hunger Games is punishment for the previous uprising against the capitol and as a result now each of the 12 districts must provide 1 girl and 1 boy to participate in this grueling process that is displayed on televisions around the nation. The 24 tributes will be imprisoned in a vast outdoor area and over a period of several weeks the competitors must fight to the death leaving 1 tribute as the victor who gets to live the rest of their life in riches. Forcing them to kill one another while the rest watch is the Capitol’s way of reminding them how the Capitol has total control. “Look how we take your children and sacrifice them and there’s nothing you can do. If you lift a finger, we will destroy every last one of you. Just as we did in District 13.”

Katniss is a very complex character and much of her emotion is kept under the surface so that no one can see her vulnerability. Without reading the book her character is hard to grasp. Much of her narration in the series gives us insight into her actions and her choices. She comes off as guarded, stoic and unloving on the outside, but I would argue that she has much more depth once you peel back the layers. She loves her sister so much so that she would sacrifice herself to take her sister’s place in the games. She is willing to die at the conclusion of the games and let Peeta win because she can’t fathom taking his life or allowing him to take his own when the gamemakers announce that there can only be one winner. She forms a bond with a fellow tribute, Rue, who reminds her of her younger sister and then she takes her under her wing in the games and looks after her until her unfortunate death. In the 2^nd and 3^rd books of the series Katniss is willing to go to great lengths to save others, to free the members of all 12 districts and she is willing to be the symbol of hope and freedom for all of Panem when she becomes the Mockingjay.

Some readers stated that they found Katniss too cold and uncaring to relate to as a person; however, as a psychologist I feel that she is guarded and distant for a very specific reason that is very natural. Katniss has grown up in a world that offers no solace and no peace. After her father’s death, Katniss’ mother became so grief stricken that she was unable to work or function, which left Katniss as the primary caregiver for Prim. Katniss had to shoulder the responsibility of feeding their entire family plus Gale’s family all by the age of 11. Her emotions are closed off because it is a defense mechanism to protect herself from falling apart. She has to hold everything together due to her mother’s emotional absence, and she knows that Prim needs her sister to be strong and stable. There are a few lines in the opening chapters of the book that highlight the purpose of the wall that guards all of her deepest emotions, “I learned to hold my tongue and to turn my features into an indifferent mask so that no one could ever read my thoughts.” Katniss also has been hardened by anger towards her mother over the past several years for emotionally abandoning her and Prim. She acknowledges that she is unable to forgive her for sitting by “blank and unreachable while her children turned to skin and bones. I try to forgive her for my father’s sake. But to be honest, I’m not the forgiving type.”

We catch glimpses of the “real” Katniss in the scenes when she is with Gale in the woods. She reveals that he is the only person that she can be herself with and we witness the natural peace that hunting brings her. It is what she lives for and is what sustains her and her family. These are solitary tasks and she is more comfortable and at peace when she is either alone in the woods or hunting with Gale. The games force her to be more social than she likes. This forces her out of her comfort zone and makes her question herself throughout the games and throughout her new found friendships with Peeta and Rue.

We see in her internal dialogue in the book how she struggles with emotion. When Katniss volunteers for her sister and Prim is clutching her and begging her not to take her place, Katniss is fighting back her emotions. “When they televise the replay of the reapings tonight everyone will make note of my tears and I’ll be marked as an easy target. A weakling. I will give no one that satisfaction.” Another time she thinks to herself “crying is not an option.” “I’ve had a lot of practice wiping my face clean of emotions and I do this now.” These examples reveal that Katniss, in fact, has a multitude of emotions but knows it is to her disadvantage to show these emotions to others. The invisible wall protecting her innermost thoughts and feelings is as strong as the armour that she wears to shield her from physical injury in the games. She is truly a warrior and a survivor and when going out to battle the first thing you do is to cover up any vulnerabilities so that your opponent does not have the opportunity to play on that weakness. Katniss knows this very well and her cold and distant façade protects her. This is why she is so unnerved by Peeta’s name being called in the reaping. She can’t shake the connection with Peeta because as the baker’s son he provided her with the bread that gave her hope, and she also associates him with the dandelion that reminded her of her father and that signified to her that she was not doomed. The series of those events increased her motivation to fight to stay alive and allowed her to persevere against all odds. She essentially owes everything to Peeta, which complicates her strategy in the games because she is no longer a solitary player but is now torn over this obligation to form an alliance with Peeta and give him a fighting chance as he did for her.

There were several changes in the plot from the book to the film adaptation that seemed to annoy me on some level which included the change in how Katniss received the Mockingjay pin, the added conversations between Snow and Seneca Crane, the fact that the muttations did not resemble the fallen tributes, and the wording of Thresh’s conversation about Rue with Katniss that was reduced to a few words. 

There were a few positive changes as far as I am concerned. The behind the scenes clips of the games were intriguing as they revealed the gamemakers manipulating the arena, and the running commentary with Claudius and Caesar added some much needed comic relief to the intensity of the rest of the film. It seemed to be a good choice to build on the role of Effie Trickett in order to give her more of a presence in this first film although they cut down Haymitch’s screen time instead which seemed odd as he is a major character in the series and has a lot to contribute to the plot.

Casting

The most pleasant surprise of this film to me was Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark. He seemed to be a real break out star in this film as he was the heart of the movie and carried much of the emotionally laden scenes. One of the stand out scenes from the film is the rooftop exchange between Peeta and Katniss where he reveals that he doesn’t want the games to change him and how he wants to go out on his own terms and doesn’t want to die as someone else. This scene highlights his acting chops and sets him apart from other actors. I admit that I wasn’t convinced that Josh would be able to pull off this role but I was absolutely wrong. He seemed to be the one member of the cast other than Jennifer Lawrence that could not have been played by anyone else. He showed that he clearly understood this character and he brought life into the role of Peeta. All of his emotion is written all over his face throughout this film and he was brilliant in every way. 

Jennifer Lawrence was the perfect choice for the protagonist in the Hunger Games, and she eloquently mastered the physical embodiment of Katniss. Her technique with the bow and arrows, climbing trees and running through the forests captured the true essence of Katniss. Jennifer excelled in the action scenes and the scenes where she was the only actor on camera. However, she seemed to struggle more in the scenes involving interaction with other characters or when she had to display emotion. It may have been Jennifer’s way of trying to possess that lack of socialization that Katniss deals with but it came off as awkward at times. Some of her delivery of the lines seemed rushed and she lost some of her spark in the most emotionally relevant scenes. Overall, she was a perfect choice for Katniss and she delivered on most accounts. However, I just felt she could have given more to the character in those emotional scenes but I expect she will grow with the series. It is common to see the acting develop as the series unfolds just as in Twilight and Harry Potter. Actors tend to grow into the characters over time and they begin to become one with the character they play allowing their emotions and physical movements to become more like their characters. I thought she was a strong presence on film and she carried the film well along with Josh. It's remarkable to think that the majority of this film consisted of very young actors and actresses and they come across as extremely professional and mature beyond their years. Jennifer is definitely an actress to keep an eye on. She already earned an oscar nomination for Winter’s Bone which was intense and raw, and she nailed that role. She is a powerful lead actress and surely will lead the Hunger Games franchise to new heights.

And how precious was Rue? She was spot on. In almost every tweet from fans on opening weekend, Rue's death scene was mentioned as being the most emotional, tear jerking scene of the entire film. Grown men were admitting to at least tearing up as Katniss sang Rue to sleep. The filmmakers did that scene justice!

All I can saw about Cinna is Wow!! Most of the emotional scenes displayed in the film took place in the scenes between Cinna and Katniss. At first I wasn’t sure why Lenny Kravitz was chosen for this role because I didn't even know that he was interested in acting, but all I have to say is that it really worked. Who knew he could act so naturally? Love the gold eye liner - brilliant!

The majority of the casting seemed flawless except for Snow and Haymitch. Donald Sutherland really doesn’t pull off the cold, calculating, creepiness that President Snow is supposed to exude. I would have chosen a more sinister actor to portray the evil President. 

Woody Harrelson does the best he can with his portrayal of Haymitch, but it didn’t seem like a good fit. When reading the book, I envisioned Brendan Gleeson who brilliantly played Mad Eye Moody in the Harry Potter series. Die hard fans of the Hunger Games lobbied persistently for either Robert Downey Jr. or Hugh Laurie whose grouchy, cynical nature has won over millions of fans on his hit show House. Either one of those leading men would have showcased Haymitch in the way he was intended. It was unfortunate that we didn’t get to observe more of the other young tributes from all the districts as many were killed instantly. Certain actors only got a few seconds of screen time, but several of those young actors made those seconds count.

The overall look of the movie was breathtaking. In this case I feel that the scenery and cinematography outshined the acting. I give the Capitol costumes, scenery and set 5 out of 5 stars! Kudos to the location scouts who found actual secluded woods in North Carolina to film a large portion of the arena and District 12. They filmed the training center scenes in an old abandoned Phillip Morris warehouse which was an amazing find. 

It really made a difference to see Katniss and Gale hunting in a natural habitat, and the arena ended up looking just as I had pictured it in the book except for the cornucopia which ended up looking cold and flat since they decided to go with a modern metal version, which appeared to be a disappointment to most audience members based on the reviews and tweets on opening weekend. Fans of the book focus on every detail, and it’s difficult to not be disappointed when filmmakers change up part of the scenery or plot. Readers have these scenes burned in to their imagination from multiple readings and major deviations from that creates an opportunity to throw the focus off. However, the filmmakers did several things right. The special effects, authentic locations and the upclose, documentary shooting style paid off to create an experience that left us feeling as if we were there in the midst of the Hunger Games ourselves. 

One thing I've noticed from all the twitter buzz about this movie is that fans are very territorial, and fans from other franchises like Twilight and Harry Potter are unwilling to give another series a chance as they feel that they would be betraying their favorite franchise if they even entertained the thought of enjoying this film. I'm a fan of Harry Potter, Twilight and Hunger Games and my advice is to not compare them to each other and to just sit back, relax and enjoy all 3! 

4 out of 5 stars. Intense, Engrossing, Suspenseful, Eye opening Social Commentary for a New Generation!

Water for Elephants Review

Water for Elephants
Review by Heather Hardison

This movie is a cinematic masterpiece from beginning to end. Each scene was more beautiful than the next. Hal Holbrook set the emotional tone for the movie with the first scene, and though his presence was small in the entirety of the film, it was definitely not insignificant. Robert Pattinson took over the narration where Hal Holbrook left off and gave the movie a youthful and gentle undertone as he takes us back to 1931 and takes us along for the enchanting journey into the circus world. The film comes alive when Rob’s character, Jacob Jankowski, sees the circus unfolding right before his eyes and we feel the same wonder and amazement that Jacob experiences when entering this new world for the first time. There is electricity in the scenes with the lions and tigers being unloaded from the train and prepped for the next big top event. You can feel the pulse quicken when Jacob passes by the cages of the ferocious cats. The scenes portraying the raising of the big top were as dramatic as they were stunning. Seeing the red circus cages lined up outside the big tent was nostalgic and brought back waves of memories from childhood circuses that traveled from town to town many decades ago.

The most unique and memorable scenes were those atop the train. There is something so beautiful and peaceful about a train gliding along the tracks in the moonlight and this was superbly captured in Water for Elephants. Jacob and August jumping from train car to train car was exhilarating and quite scary if you aren’t too fond of heights, and the smoke billowing from the front train car was soothing and hypnotic. Movement is very prominent in this film as they are traveling by train throughout the entire story and it feels as though the audience is being transported from one location to the next along with the passengers on the train which is a nice change of pace from other more stationary films and adds to the unique quality of this motion picture.

The scenery captured from the passing train of small towns on their route is striking. Overall, this film will be remembered for the stunningly gorgeous cinematography. It is one of the most beautiful movies made in a long, long time. The plot and the content of the film are also unique. There is something fascinating about the circus life. For many, it holds a lure and a mystery that few can shed light on; so getting a glimpse into this culture feels like a privilege. The characters are endearing and the circus animals steal your heart from the moment they appear on the screen, especially Rosie. Who knew that a 51 year old elephant could be so beautiful and powerful at the same time? The scenes where the Benzini Brothers’ circus ring master is abusing Rosie are the hardest to watch and will ignite an anger within that is hard to contain. Your instinct will be to jump right into the screen and snatch that bull hook out of August’s hands and turn it right back around on him to give him a taste of his own medicine. The bipolar moods of August are some of the most fascinating to watch. It is hard to take your eyes off of Christoph Waltz. He is so powerful and mighty in this role. He commands your attention when he is on screen, as any ring master should. This just goes to show that the casting director for this film was spot on in choosing the 3 lead actors. It is easy to hate August for his cruelty, but it is just as easy to admire Christoph for his genius in playing roles that require him to turn on that intensity and madness in the blink of an eye.

Reese Witherspoon delivers a graceful performance as the petite yet majestic Marlena and the scenes with her atop Rosie are breathtaking and fantastical. It is truly magical to behold. Rob gives the most emotional performance of his to date. You could feel his love for Marlena and for Rosie in every scene as well as his internal conflict of whether or not to stand up to August and protect those around him, mainly Rosie. He is really showing his acting chops full force in this movie revealing that he should not be type cast as just the romantic vampire, Edward Cullen. His portrayal of Jacob is quiet and reserved but emotionally moving at the same time. He doesn’t even have to say much; most of his emotion lies in his facial expressions throughout the film which accentuate Jacob’s gentle nature. This is most apparent in the scenes with Rosie. There is a chemistry there that is so genuine that it transcends the screen and warms your heart.

The pace of the film is perfect. The storytelling technique starting off with Hal Holbrook’s older version of Jacob sets the scene as a journey through time and then transitions seamlessly into Rob Pattinson’s younger version of Jacob in the 1930’s. It pulls on the heart strings within the first few moments of the film. You feel as though you are cozying up by the fire as your grandfather relives a tale of a youthful adventure involving love and magic and brings you along for the enthralling journey.

Stunning, Breathtaking and Magnificent – a feast for the eyes!!

My rating for this film: 5 out of 5 stars