My personal favorite portions of the Hunger Games franchise feast have to be the performances of Stanley Tucci and Elizabeth Banks, both previously under-appreciated actors who seize every opportunity to draw out the magnificent weirdness of these Capitol-representative characters. Banks as Effie is perfectly over the top, and Tucci as Caesar Flickerman is probably the most fun any actor has ever had with any character in history. They stole the show in the first movie, but in Catching Fire we get to see their goofy facades break down slightly—Effie by her sympathy for Katniss’ and Peeta’s misfortunes, and Caesar by the stunning defiance of the victors.
There were glimpses of the Capitol in the previous film, primarily through Flickerman’s talk show. Like virtually every aspect of Panem, we were eased into it at first, seeing things as briefly as Katniss and Peeta are allowed to view them in the whirlwind of press leading up to the arena. And so again with our tributes in Catching Fire, we’re somewhat better acquainted with the city and are able to take a closer look on the second visit. The party scene encapsulates the setting’s purpose nicely. There are shades of Gatsby as they arrive at the presidential palace, but the excess of West Egg seems like child’s play compared to the habits of Capitolists. Despite Plutarch’s recommendation to suspend moral judgment, Katniss can’t, and neither can we.
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