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!

Without - Screened at the Memphis Indie Film Festival on 11-5-011

“Without” Film Review
By: Heather Hardison, Ph.D.

“Without” is a mind blowing psychological thriller that will leave you scratching your head trying to figure out what you just witnessed. I had the privilege of watching this film this weekend at the Memphis Indie Film Festival, and I had not heard anything about the film prior to the screening except for a short description and trailer related to the film festival’s advertising program and wedsite. The overview is that a young woman, approximately 19 years old, takes a job as a caretaker of an elderly man in a vegetative state. He lives on a remote island in Puget Sound, Washington, that is surrounded by woods and a very small town. Joslyn soon finds herself in a situation where she is alone with a man she doesn’t know, who can’t communicate, and no way of communicating with the outside world as she has no cell signal and no internet. She isn’t even allowed to watch television as the man’s family left her specific instructions to only leave it on the fishing channel on level 34 due to his loss of hearing. As the routine of this solitary life takes its toll on her, we start to see her stability waver. Weird things start happening to her that are unexplained and are unsettling to the audience. She only has her iphone to keep her company on this quiet island. Without a connection to the world, all she can do is listen to her music and watch videos from her life, which helps give us a back story for her and what happened before we were introduced to her in the ferry scene in the beginning of the movie.

The slow pace of this movie may put off some people, but that is what drew me to the movie in the first place. It was apparent from the trailer that this film was going to unfold slowly, and I almost skipped this film out of fear that my husband was going to kill me for making him sit through a slow moving “artsy film,” but I’m glad that we stuck with it. The first scene brought about a lot of snickering from the audience as Joslyn is sitting quietly on the ferry with the camera poised on a close up of just her face for what seemed like several minutes. This is rarely done in modern films but was a welcome change from the high energy films that overwhelm all our senses. I prefer a movie to unfold slowly rather than rush straight into action to try to grasp the audience’s attention out of fear that they will lose them right away if something thrilling doesn't occur. As a psychologist, I like to see the mundane tasks of everyday life represented in film as that is what so many people truly live day in and day out. The average joe’s life is not glitz and glamour. Most days are similar to others in the week and don’t stand out due to anything spectacular. Days are made up of long silences and moments where nothing out of the ordinary occurs. Life consists mainly of inconsequential moments that don’t hold any excitement or interest, and the director didn't shy away from that monotony. In fact, this movie camps out in the monotonous nature of this lifestyle. We see Joslyn performing some of the same physical therapy exercises with Frank day in and day out. We watch her engage in yoga daily and running out to town for a latte at the local coffee place just to get out of the isolation of Frank's house. This movie feels very REAL in that aspect. It actually feels more like a documentary than a feature film. And it felt like real life instead of a script that was dreamed up in a studio one day. This is the kind of film that I can respect because it is more representative of true life than most other films.

It’s refreshing to watch a movie without feeling overstimulated by added noise and visual effects. This film is shot simply and focuses on the quiet solitude of the remote setting, Puget Sound. There is not a lot of music overpowering scenes. It’s very subtle when added. In fact, the film is so quiet that it makes the audience not want to move even a millimeter for fear that the noise would be amplified in the quiet theater. Many of the scenes are shot continuously with few cutaways or splicing together of multiple takes. And the camera is usually shooting from just a few inches or feet away from the actors, which creates a feeling like you are right there in the house with them the entire time.

Joslyn Jensen gave a fantastic performance and rose to the occasion. A lot of the burden of this film was laid on her shoulders as she was in every scene and often was the only one with a speaking role as Frank was catatonic. She was very believable and conveyed fear and sadness perfectly as the layers of her character were peeled back for us. This was her first feature film, and due to this breakout performance, I’m sure we will be seeing much more of her. The first time director, Mark Jackson, has worked with Joslyn before on short films/docs and wrote this part specifically for her to play. Ron Carrier, who plays Frank, has the tremendous task of portraying his character non-verbally for the duration of the entire film. He was able to convey loneliness, grief over the loss of his functionality and independence and the frustration over his situation of being trapped in his own body without ever uttering one word. His presence added volumes to the scenes he shared with Joslyn, and we ache with sadness and compassion for him as we watch him sit lifeless day after day.

Mark Jackson’s exploration of the loss of social connection was genius! If you strip away our connection to others, our mental stability often begins to crack. Being cut off in that way messes with our minds more than we would probably like to admit. Society has become so dependent on technology, especially smart phones, internet, and facebook that life seems unbearable without them. It’s interesting to watch Joslyn’s mood and mental state change the longer that she is without an internet connection. It makes you think about what you could do in that situation to keep from dying of boredom. She is desperate at times to entertain herself and becomes desperate to reconnect with the world. This desperation causes her to dig out an old computer to try to connect to the internet through dial up which brought about laughter from the audience at the absurdity of having to resort to such ancient methods of communication. This is the ultimate case of cabin fever!

Overall, Without is a dark, gritty and haunting film. After much frustration over the ending, I changed my view of this film. I think this is a movie that requires you to watch multiple times before all the pieces come together as a cohesive unit. This film should not be judged on just the ending. It won’t feel satisfying at first, but after contemplating all the scenes again you start to appreciate the fact that the director made choices in this film that sit with you for days. I watched 3 films that day at the film festival, and this is the film that I couldn’t get off my mind. I’ve continued to think about it for days. In fact, I couldn't really think of anything else. That is when it dawned on me that what Mark Jackson achieved was truly remarkable and unique. It is rare to watch a film that continues to challenge you days after the viewing. It’s one of those movies that you want to talk about with others just so you can hear their theories on the plot since so much is left open to interpretation.

Spolier alert!! I’m going to analyze this movie to offer insight into the ending. If you have not seen this movie yet, do not read the following unless you aren't going to watch the film at all. It will explain the plot with specific scene descriptions. I recommend seeing this movie, and if you do, you will not want to know certain details which could ruin the suspense. Come back and read the explanation once you watch it for yourself. Believe me, you will have questions about it afterwards.

Analysis:

So the movie ends without much explanation as to what really happens to Joslyn. The audience I was with was pretty frustrated and since it was shown at a film festival, we had the chance to talk to each other afterwards about our theories. I thought about this movie all night trying to rack my brain about clues that were given to us throughout the movie that would lend some insight. Was she being messed with by someone in the house, was Frank really more functional than he let on and he was the one messing with her, or was there a supernatural component to this equation? These were all possible options which were presented throughout the film but it was never confirmed. What is most likely looking back on it, is that Joslyn was losing contact with reality due to her isolation and due to her grief over her girlfriend’s recent suicide that she obviously had not dealt with yet. As she was watching old videos on her phone we were shown that she had a girlfriend about her same age. Joslyn appeared sad and lonely when viewing the videos. Later we are shown old text messages from her girlfriend that indicate that she was unhappy and suicidal. Joslyn ends up visiting her girlfriend’s mother on the island, and it is confirmed that she is in fact deceased. Joslyn starts to show more emotion during these scenes and her grief is starting to surface. Her downward spiral increases rapidly at this point. We start to see that this traumatic incident is the real reason that she is escaping her life and running off to a remote island. She came into this situation very vulnerable and this allows the isolation to play tricks on her mind as she is already fragile. 

As Joslyn becomes more cut off from the world, her behavior starts to change. There were clues throughout the movie that point to her losing her sanity. One of the most disturbing moments that got the most verbal reaction from the audience was when Joslyn returned from her date with a local boy. She is brushing Frank’s teeth and she takes the toothbrush out of his mouth and puts it into her mouth to brush her teeth. This is when we are certain that things are not right with her. The audience was very vocal at this point uttering, “She’s crazy; She crossed the line; That’s just not right; What’s wrong with her.” It was utterly disturbing.

Here are some of the clues that we get along the way that she is losing her grip on reality – she is shown drinking Bob’s bourbon several times as if she doesn’t care about the house rules or Bob finding out, she seems more out of it with each scene as if she is drugged or sedated, and her personality becomes more erratic and irrational. She starts to treat Frank in an aggressive and disrespectful manner which is the polar opposite of how she started off treating him. She appeared to turn on him after she saw a picture of his mistress as if she didn’t trust him anymore as an honest or decent human being. She calls it "creepy." She also began to suspect that Frank was the one messing with her. She thought he was locking her out of the house and moving her cell phone at night. She even had a dream that Frank was sitting at the kitchen table eating by himself out of his wheelchair signifying that he had been faking his illness the entire time. Upon waking from that dream she started to seem more suspicious of him and started to treat him differently.

When she sings a song to her iphone she becomes emotional and you can sense the sadness that she has been covering up. She visits the pharmacist twice to pick up Frank’s prescriptions and each time he points out the type of meds that Frank is prescribed and warns her of the side effects. He tells her that it can cause dizziness upon waking or standing. The second time she picks up the meds, the pharmacist also warns her about taking the medication herself but then tells her in a very creepy way that if she does take the pills to give him a call (this most likely did not really happen and could have been her imagination). There is also a prolonged scene where she is shown arranging his meds and crushing them up to put them in his food. This emphasis on the meds seems to suggest that she could easily be taking some of his medications, which would explain why her phone could be moved throughout the night without her remembering where she left it. It also would explain why she seemed out of it or sedated at times. Maybe the rash/bruise that appears on her back could be a side effect from the meds that often warn about causing swelling, burns, rashes, etc. Otherwise, the large mark on her back is never explained. It may be the result of lifting Frank in and out of his chair since this is extremely physical for her, but she is troubled when she sees this mark and she isn't aware of what could be causing it. It is one of the most frustrating parts of the film because it leaves us wondering what is really going on with her.

Some of the events that took place that still don’t really add up is why she woke up with her shirt removed one morning and a later scene showing her walking into the woods in a trance like state. These could be further signs of her descent into madness/grief, but we don’t really know why she would wander into the woods alone at night. Several scenes like that one created an extremely creepy and spooky feeling. I had chills when the footsteps ran up to her towards the end when she is lying on the bed. I was sure she was going to be attacked or captured. But nothing happened. She just sat there with a smile on her face as if she knew it was coming (another sign that she had gone off the deep end already). That is another truly maddening aspect about this film - the tension seems to build and build and you expect something to explosive to occur and nothing happens; so you are left feeling worked up over nothing. 

Out of character, Joslyn agrees to make a date with the local guy who has been chatting her up even though she is obviously not attracted to men. She spent the first half of the movie blowing him off and trying to convey to him that she wasn’t interested in his advances. However, after she makes the date she becomes preoccupied by what to wear to impress him, and she puts on an uncomfortable and awkward fashion show for Frank. Her date seems very smitten with her and he becomes persistent on spending more time with her. He shows up unexpectedly to the house and demands to come in and see Frank. He seems to have become more aggressive and forward, but it is not clear if this is just her interpretation of what occurred. He seemed very polite and respectful at the beginning of the film so a sudden change in character is suspicious. We already know that she is starting to see Frank in a different way and this may be along those same lines.

This movie takes a similar approach as Black Swan, which also left audience members wondering what was real or imagined. Both movies are shown from the sole perspective of the leading female character’s point of view. Each seem to slip further and further from reality and as they do, strange things start occurring to them. Since we only see from their perspective, there are pieces of information that we are missing that would give us more insight into what we are experiencing in these scenes. There were several parallels between the two movies. At the end of each movie once we start trying to piece together what occurred, we realize that we are only privy to THEIR thoughts and interpretation, which is deemed unreliable. This is when we realize that some of what appeared to happen only took place in the mind of that character and not in reality.

If we look back at some of the crucial scenes in this film we can see the clues that were provided to us. I believe that Joslyn was moving the phone. She was the one that discovered that there was only 1 bar on her phone in the house and that was in Frank’s room. When she finds the phone beside his bed the next morning, we assume someone else moved it. It is possible that she had been in his room during the night even after she went to sleep. She could sleep walk or if taking his meds, she could not remember getting up in the middle of the night. There appear to be gaps here. We just don’t see those scenes and she doesn’t remember being in there but that doesn't mean she wasn't. From the way those scenes are shot, I take it that we are to assume that there is something eerie going on but this is to throw us off, although her descent into madness is quite scary itself even once we figure out that nothing supernatural is afoot. She also starts to act out sexually by undressing in front of Frank and trying to take a video of herself while she takes her clothes off. She starts to cross boundaries, and it is clear that she is not stable enough to be taking care of someone else let alone herself. Her breakdown once Frank’s family returns in the end is sad and terrifying as we see how far she has decompensated while left alone with Frank. We aren't even sure how long it's been. We just know that it was long enough to push her over the edge.

This film is worth seeing again. I'll have to watch it again once it is released. It won the Nice Shoes award at the Memphis Indie Film Festival and has garnered quite a bit of attention already at other festivals. Mark Jackson is being singled out as a director to watch. This is his first film and he wrote and directed it. It is an impressive first feature.

3.5 stars out of 5 stars

"Without" Trailer

Harry Potter 7 Part 2

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

The End of an Era: Review of the Final Film and a look back 

at the film franchise and beloved characters.

Review by: Heather Hardison, Ph.D.

Well, it is very apropos that I am starting to write this review on Harry James Potter's birthday - July 31st. My obsession all started exactly 10 years years ago in May 2001. I had worked at Borders Bookstore the previous year and gotten a lot of crazy looks from customers who were reserving their copies of the Goblet of Fire and then heard that I had never read Harry Potter. I had to admit that I wasn't the least bit interested in a children's story but I had wondered why all these middle aged adults were so enthusiastic about this book's upcoming release. My curiosity started to peak a year later when I saw the previews for the movie release of The Sorcerer's Stone and when that DVD came out I decided to rent it and see what all the buzz was about. 

My husband refused to watch the movie at first, but fortunately I convinced him to at least start the movie with me and if necessary we could abandon it altogether if it wasn't interesting. Well, as they say "the rest was history." We knew absolutely nothing about the series except that it was about magic. It only took a few minutes to capture us. And by the end of the movie we both looked at each other in amazement and both said "Whoa we have to watch this again." Even though it was 10:30 on a weeknight we started the movie over again and thus started our love for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

We both devoured the first 4 books after this screening. We couldn't get enough. And waiting for the release of the next books was like torture. Looking back on it, it is those midnight book releases that I cherish the most. My husband and I would both buy copies of the books at midnight and read like crazy through the weekend until we finished so that we could discuss the new plot twists and new characters. And we were there at every movie release from then on. 

It's hard to believe it's all come to an end. There was a grieving process for the 7th book, and now I find myself faced with that same grief again with the release of the last movie. It was fitting that my husband and I, along with 2 friends who we had recently convinced to read all 7 books, attended the midnight release of the final installment. We had come full circle. The energy was amazing. To be surrounded by die hard Harry Potter fans of all ages felt right. There were Harry Potter rap battles unfolding in the theater an hour before the movie started. Audience members were dressed up as Draco, Harry and Dobby (who got the most cheers from the crowd). I actually felt out of place as I had not dressed up or brought a wand. But it was truly magical to behold. 

I knew that this would close a chapter in my life that had spanned 10 years and that had consisted of so much joy and excitement. We have read the books many times and watched the movies COUNTLESS times. It seems that a day doesn't go by that we aren't discussing Harry Potter in our house and there is HP memoriabilia in our home theater. You see, these aren't just characters in a book or movie. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are real people to us and Hogwarts Castle is a place we want to visit. I feel certain that if I had children that I would send them acceptance letters to Hogwarts on their 11th birthday. I know sounds crazy, but I'm that entraced by the magic.

As I looked around me at the theater, I realized that with so many teenagers present that this franchise lasted their entire generation. How could anyone just look at this as a movie. Harry Potter represents so much for those of us that have grown with the characters. 

As the movie started, the crowd cheered and applauded. I knew it was going to be one of those premieres where the audience was invested in every moment. When Ron and Hermione kissed and embraced, the crowd oohed and aahed; when Tonks, Remus and Fred died, we wept; and when Mrs. Weasley delivered the best line of the movie (you know which one I mean), the theater erupted. It was one of those nights that I will never forget. 

The only thing missing from this historical night was the butterbeer. HELLO!! Major marketing error here. Do you know how much butterbeer would have been sold had they released it only for this one special night in theaters around the country. Why does Universal Studios only get this special treat? And yes, I have been to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios and it is amazing to see how realistic everything looks and sounds. I didn't want to leave the castle.

This final film delivered on many accounts including drama, laughs, emotion, grief, and closure. The only criticism that I have of the movie is that it didn't stay completely true to the books. Those of us who know every line had some confused looks on our faces during certain scenes. We get very protective of the original plot and dialogue so it is difficult to see a different adaptation onscreen. Overall though I felt satisfied with this ending. 

My favorite moment I have to say is also my favorite from the final book and that is when it is finally revealed that Severus Snape was looking after Harry all along due to his undying love for Harry's mother, Lily. This, to me, was the most brilliant plot line of the entire series.

For all these years, we have loved to hate Snape but also there have been moments where Snape comes off as very endearing, and the way that JK Rowling turns Snape into an unsung hero at the end is so fitting to the overall message of the series. There are those that have called for protests and boycotts against Harry Potter for being "evil" due to the magical nature of the series and this is very unsettling to me because my first thought when I hear this is that those individuals have never read the books nor seen the movies. If they would take the time to do either, they most likely would have a different perspective. The whole concept of Harry Potter is based upon love and hope. Harry Potter is a brave, courageous and self sacrificing young man who holds the weight of the world on his shoulders and in the end walks into the dark forest to face his terrifying rival ready to die for those that he loves. That moment when he uses the resurrection stone to bring back those that have already past on was one of the most touching for me. Harry is fueled by those that he loves - parents that he never met, a god father that died right after he connected with him and Remus, a mentor and devoted family friend. The fact that he was drawing upon their courage to help him face his own death is so powerful to me. And it is such as tear jerking moment when he says to his mother, "Stay close to me."

I ask myself if those protesters to the story also protest Disney fairy tales. Most of us grew up learning valuable lessons from these same type of fantastical and magical tales. Disney is my favorite place on earth for one reason - magic. Why would we deny anyone from enjoying the whimsy of magical stories. And Harry Potter is the best one of all. He stands for so much of what the world lacks today - compassion, love, honor, loyalty, courage, and sacrifice. 

The only thing that I felt that Rowling missed the boat on was the pairings of the characters. I have always felt that Harry and Hermione had amazing chemistry and I was devastated that they never ended up together. But if she couldn't be with Harry then Ron was the next best person for her. 

One of the best things about this final movie was that all of our favorite characters made appearances even if it was for a few seconds. This was very nostalgic for die hard HP fans like me. We also learned that you don't mess with certain characters like McGonagall and Mrs. Weasley or anyone from the Order of Phoenix. And just like in the books Neville proves to be very courageous and vital at the peak of the fight!!

No matter how powerful Voldemort believes himself to be, he is ultimately defeated in the end, and everyone in the theater cheered and some wept as the long fight that spanned all these years was over in a flash of Harry's wand. 

I can’t review this last movie without paying homage to all the actors and characters from these 8 installments. Watching the actors grow up over the years has been a joy. Most have developed their craft and discovered new levels to their acting.

Casting for these films could not have been more perfect. There have been those that have questioned Daniel Radcliffe as the choice for Harry but he is that character - period! This is obviously the most important role to get right and now it seems hard to even see him as anything other than Harry Potter, which could give him some trouble when it comes to type casting although he is doing his best to choose roles that stray from the squeaky clean persona that has followed him for a decade. Dan has done a superb job at channeling the angst, torment and internal struggle that Harry experiences across the span of the 8 films especially once the story takes him into darker issues around film 5.

Amongst all these dark and heavy issues dealt with in the latter films were moments of humor to lighten the tension. Ron, Fred and George provide much needed comic relief. It’s one of the reasons that Fred’s death in this final film is so tragic.

As much as I LOVE Harry, my favorite character has always been Hermione. Being the academic, know it all myself, I, of course, related to her the most. She is simply the coolest chick in the magical world. Not only does she master every spell and have "Hogwarts: A History" memorized, she can jump in time with her Time Turner.








She is the brainy and logical one that keeps balance between Harry, who is often times impulsive and too much of a risk taker when faced with the pursuit of Voldemort and Horcruxes, and Ron who is absent minded and not as knowledgeable about spells and the magical world. She keeps her cool no matter what the circumstances and she holds their world together when no one else could. Emma Watson is spot-on in her delivery of Hermione’s smart-aleck responses and overzealous academic pursuits.

Snape, played by the wonderful Alan Rickman, adds a mysterious intrigue to the story line. We have always known that there is more going on than meets the eye with his character, but we don’t find out what it is until the very end of the last film. It is such a satisfying plot twist that it may very well be the most brilliant in the whole series.

Dumbledore offers us all a sense of security and safety when he is present. No matter how evil Lord Voldemort is, if Dumbledore is around, it seems like everything will be ok. I do have to admit that I’m partial to the original Dumbledore played by Richard Harris but Michael Gambon did a nice job of taking over and added his own take on the role.

And then there are those dreaded evil Death Eaters that never seem to give up. Draco and Lucius Malfoy come across as the most despicable characters, but don’t we just love how well they can pull off being villains. And Bellatrix Lestrange gives me all the dramatic flare that I crave from a malicious villainess. Helena Bonham Carter plays evil and insane like no other can. She deserves an Oscar for her portrayal of this vicious killer who is always on the edge of insanity – or maybe I should say over the edge of it. I love her crazy laugh and psychotic facial expressions!

Finally, Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort is the most terrifying and grotesque character that I could have imagined. His role had to have been the hardest to conceive and to cast but they nailed this one. His nonverbal body language takes his performance to the next level. He never comes across as human, and all of his body twitches and tics make our skin crawl. I love when I’m watching a movie and I can no longer see the actor themselves because they have completely become someone else, and Fiennes does this so successfully.

The changing of directors for each movie or so actually seemed to give this franchise legs. I saw growth with each transition, and a new pair of eyes helps to make adjustments to the films that are necessary for the growth of the films and to allow each installment to delve further into this dark world at the height of the Death Eaters reign. Each movie is so very different from the rest. The only one I don’t really enjoy is Chamber of Secrets because the pace seems too slow and the actor's performance comes off as too unnatural. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were more natural in the first film but I have suspicions that acting coaches were brought in for the 2nd film, and it became too obvious that they were trying too hard. This is another reason I am glad they started switching directors after the 2nd film because the acting got back on track by the 3rd one.

I usually feel that books are always better than movie adaptations, but with this series I can't seem to make myself chose between either the movies or books because I can't imagine one without other. Rather, I feel that they are extensions of each other. This could be because I'm a visual person or because I was introduced to the series by the first movie and not the books. The actors bring JK Rowlings characters and words to life in such a vibrant way that I see the movie scenes and the movie actors in my head as I re-read the books. IF only she would write more books for us to devour. Maybe a prequel to the Sorcerer’s Stone or a new class of Hogwarts students with Hermione and Neville as professors. Anything to keep this magic going!!!

Out of all of the movies I feel that the first one is the most sentimental for me. Who could resist these baby faces? It's what I first fell in love with. The Half Blood Prince seems the most polished and Deathly Hallows (part 1 and 2) both seem to be the most dramatic and epic. Overall, I think films 5 and 6 seem to have the best visual effects. But the best book, in my opinion, is 7, although 6 is a close runner up. Rowling is the genius of our time and thank goodness that she had the image of Harry come to her on that train ride all those years ago.


I’m giving the final film 4 stars out of 5. I’m docking it for cutting scenes and changing plot and dialogue in such a significant way. There were too many times in Deathly Hallows Part 2 when they changed the dialogue or the whole scene to where it left out vital information from the book that could have enhanced the film scenes. Specifically, when Harry visits with Dumbledore in his mind in Kings Cross after he thinks he has died, they left out so much of the explanation given by Dumbledore about what had unfolded in the past years and why Harry had escaped death so many times when he faced Voldemort.

Also I found myself very disappointed in the final fight between Harry and Voldemort because they took out a lot of the exchanges between the two when Harry explains to him why he knows he will defeat Voldemort. This was so suspenseful and satisfying in the book and that is one area where I think they should have stuck with what was written exactly in the book. The book wraps everything up nicely and it would have only added a few more minutes to the final version. I think they could have gotten away with an extended scene there.

I've heard that some viewers thought that they should have cast different actors for the prologue that shows the characters 19 years later, but I strongly disagree. We have been with these actors for 10 years of filming and I felt that we needed to see them onscreen in those final moments. The actors pulled it off brilliantly and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Thanks to all the actors that have portrayed our favorite JK Rowling characters for the past 10 years! It's been a pleasure!

And fitting for this occasion, after the last scene of the film, those audience members at the premiere who brought wands pointed at the screen and in unison proclaimed "Mischief Managed!"