Film Review | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II | * Some SPOILERS *

The rebellion is here. Snow’s end is coming. The Capitol will fall. 

This is war.

The Story

Katniss has one goal: kill Snow.

Her goal is tainted with lies and deceit; friends turn into enemies and enemies turn into allies. No one is safe and there’s no way to know what’s real and not real. Katniss, Gale, Peeta and the rest of Panem need to determine who is for them and who is against them.

Picking up where Part I finished, we see Katniss recovering physically and mentally from Peeta’s grasp – or more accurately, The Capitol’s grasp. Following Suzanne Collins’s book closely, this final instalment to The Hunger Games franchise has you at the edge of your seat from start to finish.

There are no surprises for those who’ve read the book. Director, Francis Lawrence, accurately portrays every aspect of Collins’s devastatingly dark finale. I cannot wait to have a Hunger-Games-Marathon when the DVD / Blu-ray box set comes out next year.

The Cast

Jennifer Lawrence closes this trilogy with the same prowess that she harnessed in the first film. Josh Hutcherson grew into his character and gave us the Peeta that we all know and love from the books. Donald Sutherland continued to captivate you as his icy, yet truthful portrayal of tyranny came falling graciously.

Liam Hemsworth, along with Sam Claflin both get two thumbs up for their incredible performances – and keeping their American accents well in-tact. It was nice to see Gale’s more emotional side in this film and Claflin gave Finnick a beautiful (*SPOILER ALERT* for non-readers) send-off with his incredible fight sequence, fighting “Capitol Mutts” powered by special effects – not to mention being waterlogged and underground.

Julianne Moore and Willow Shields also get honourable mentions for their incredible commitment to bringing iconic characters to life. (*ANOTHER Spoiler Alert*) Shields gave an incredible salute to her character as she gave the camera one last look of innocence to spoil the one connection that Gale and Katniss truly had – a promise to keep her family safe. Moore gave everything she had in order to become the new voice of autocracy. She gave a beautiful performance in order for Katniss to destroy all spectacles.

As a whole, the cast (including: Woody Harrelson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Elizabeth Banks, along with Paula Malcomson, Stanley Tucci, Jeffrey Wright and Jena Malone) all deserve ★★★★★ for their performances over the last four years. Their dedication to bringing this trilogy to life was incredible.

Overall, this ending is bittersweet for this film enthusiast. I have enjoyed watching every movie that they’ve produced for this franchise, but I am also glad that they were able to close the franchise with a proper goodbye. It’s not just a message about strength and having a voice, it’s also about learning from the past in order to prevent damage for the future – a message we all desperately need to hear.

sL Star Rating: ★★★★★
Next on sL: WRITING HIATUS

Hey Guys!

I'm heading off to the U.S.A. for the holidays, so I won't have anything for you until the New Year. But if you go to my YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/strictlyLeisure), I'm sure to have great adventures to share with you!

Merry Christmas and I'll see you in the New Year!

Love always,

sL xxx

Album Review | One Direction | Made In The A.M.

The highly anticipated fifth studio album from One Direction, Made In The A.M., has made its mark in the airwaves and the charts everywhere since its release on Friday, 13th November. With the announcement of their hiatus for 2016, it is evident that Made In The A.M. is One Direction’s gift to their loyal fans all around the globe before their well-earned break. Their fifth album is jam-packed with promises of their return as well as their gentle plea to have a moment to take a breather from touring and recording.

Hey Angel opens the album with a heavenly array of electric keys and a melodic chorus of, “Oooh, Oooh, Oooh”. It’s catchy from start to finish, leaving you ready for their first single, Drag Me Down. It only seems fitting that the next track talks about not being dragged down since the album starts all the way “up in the sky”. One Direction’s first single from this album carries the same devil-may-care attitude that rang throughout their third album, Midnight Memories. Their second single on the other hand, Perfect, sees their playful side come out a little more in this fifth album. Rumoured to be about T-Swizzle, this song shows a little bite as H-dog decides to return the lyrical favour and stand by the fact the sometimes the reckless guy is what every girl needs when curiosity hits. 

Infinity changes things up a bit as the boys try to tackle with the heartache of cheating and still loving the person who’s done them wrong. It’s a powerful song that oozes with the emotion behind the lyrics. End of the Day takes another turn as the track turns up the playfulness in both the accompaniment and the melody. The lyrics are sweet and will get you dancing and head-banging for sure! If I Could Fly reals in the playfulness and really pulls the heartstrings as the accompaniment is stripped back completely. The lyrics are beautiful and the vocals are top notch! It’s definitely one of my favourites. Long Way Down slowly builds things up again, but retains the laid-back nature of the previous track. It unites the heavenly sounds of Hey Angel and the lyrical prowess of If I Could Fly and Infinity.

Never Enough is another one of my favourites as it ignites the inner child in me. It reminds me of The Lion King’s, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” and has me singing at the top of my lungs whenever it plays. Olivia continues this playfulness as it integrates lyrics from the classic 1971 film, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory to it’s over-the-top carefree sound. It is also “unfinished”, according to Harry, so we may see it as a comeback single in 2017. What A Feeling carries and enigmatic feel that reminds me of, C’mon, C’mon from, Take Me Home. A bit more of a dance–vibe, this track has you singing along as you sway along to the accompaniment.

Although Love You Goodbye is my favourite track on the album, I can’t help but think that the verses are too close to Timbaland’s, Apologize. Regardless of the similarities, I think the lyrics are well written and carry the most emotion in this album. 

I Want To Write You A Song is a beautiful stripped-back track that returns to the playful nature of tracks eight and nine. I love the guitar riff and the lyrics are again well weaved together to build a beautiful love song. History closes the album with their promise to return from their break. It sounds like Randy Newman’s classic, You’ve Got A Friend In Me, from Disney’s, Toy Story – and why not? It’s been a great five years and the boys are not saying “goodbye”, they’re saying, “see you in a bit”.

Deluxe Tracks

Temporary Fix – Catchy and well written, but not my cup of tea message wise. It sounds like an eighties classic that’s survived through the ages. Think, Rock Me and Midnight Memories mixed together with a bit of a nineties alternative vibe.

Walking In The Wind – Another one of my favourites! Simple, catchy and one that will get you moving from start to finish. It’s another great example of their growing writing abilities.

Wolves – Carries the same playfulness already embedded in this album as they talk about defending their girl’s honour. It’s simple and has you grooving and singing along.

A.M. – This title track is one of the best I’ve heard from One Direction. All hands on deck lyrically, it’s a great place to close the deluxe version as it tells their story from the very beginning. Whether they’re five or Four; touring or recording, they were Up All Night in order for fans to Take [Them] Home. All their Midnight Memories were Made In The A.M.

Star Rating: ★★★★★
Next on sL: The Hunger Games : Mockingjay Part II