Happy Hunger Games!

About two months I was introduced to The Hunger Games by one of oldest and most dearest friends. I had been hearing about The Hunger Games for awhile and I was always intrigued by the fandom. She told me to watch the trailer for the movie and once I did it became must see for this year. I really wanted to the read the books prior to the film release because I wanted to know what it was all about. When I began reading it one January evening at a Barnes & Nobles, I couldn't put it down. I had to purchase the novel instantly and read it in under 48 hours.

The most important lesson I learnt from reading The Hunger Games is never read the first book apart of a trilogy without having the other two books. It was tortuous waiting to find out what happened next. I just recently finished Catching Fire and my love for the books has only intensified. Mockingjay is next on my list. It is so refreshing to see a heroine like Katniss Everdeen and I am excited to see the beloved books come to life on screen. Hopefully Gary Ross(the director) does justice to The Hunger Games and from what I am hearing he has done a fantastic job. When I watch the film, I will write a review. I just hope I like it because I adore the books. I love Jennifer Lawrence and I know she will play a kick ass Katniss. One thing I do  know is I will not be ready to see some of my favorite characters fall before my eyes. When I finally watch the film, I will bring out a box of tissues. Lord help me.

Hugo

Starring: Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen and Jude Law
Director: Martin Scorsese
Written by: John Logan
Rating: 5/5 Unicorns

I am still on my quest to watch as many Oscar nominated films as possible. Hugo was high on my list on films that I had to watch. I will be the first to admit that Hugo did not strike my fancy when I first watched the trailers. All I knew was that critics were raving about the film and were worried that it would not find a large American audience. When it arrived in my mail( Netflix subscriber), I was still not sure what the movie was all about. I was not sure that I would even like the film. I soon learnt  how much a gift Hugo is to film lovers and it instantly became one of my favorite films released over the past ten years. I have watched several critically acclaimed  films that I thought I would love but didn't. Sometimes when you have no expectations is when movies really do leave a mark on you.

Hugo tells the story of an orphan boy ( Asa Butterfield) living behind the clocks at a train station in 1930s Paris. He is on a quest to fix an automaton given to him by his late father( Jude Law). He believes that the machine holds a message from his father. During his quest he befriends a shopkeeper( Ben Kingsley) and the shopkeeper's  adventure seeking goddaughter( Chloe Grace Moretz). The movie warmed my heart from the very first scene. The cinematography and art direction are out of this world and are well deserving of their wins at this year's Academy Awards. Honestly I completely understand why Hugo was nominated for as many Academy Awards as it was. I also understand why it won the awards it did. This film is so much more than its cinematography and art direction. Asa and Chloe are charming and delightful to watch on screen. Sacha Baron Cohen is hilarious as the Station Inspector. Scorsese did an incredible job bringing this enchanting story to life and reconfirming my love for movies. If you are someone who loves films, trust me Hugo is not only a wonderful treat  but a beautiful homage to the art of film-making.