Cinema for Brunch THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES Review

More than a typical YA dystopian film, “Songbirds & Snakes” finds director Francis Lawrence breathing life back into the hit franchise with an effective, entertaining prequel.

Synopsis

Years before he becomes the tyrannical president of Panem, 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow remains the last hope for his fading lineage. With the 10th annual Hunger Games fast approaching, the young Snow becomes alarmed when he’s assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird from District 12. Uniting their instincts for showmanship and political savvy, they race against time to ultimately reveal who’s a songbird and who’s a snake.

Review
Prequels aren’t always necessary. I may be speaking to the choir as it’s no secret that prequels are mostly a cash grab for an existing IP that has already ran its course in its original timeline. Had it not been for the existence of this film’s source material (a prequel novel written by “Hunger Games” creator Suzanne Collins), the same could be said for this film. Fortunately, director Francis Lawrence has an engaging story to adapt in his latest film “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.” Set 64 years before the events of the first film, “Songbirds & Snakes” follows a young Coriolanus Snow (played by Tom Blyth; Donald Sutherland in the original films), aiming to restore prosperity for his disgraced family by becoming a mentor in the 10th annual Hunger Games. The games, created by creepy gamemaker Dr. Volumnia Gaul (Viola Davis) and authored by cynical, alcoholic Casca Highbottom (Peter Dinklage), have unfortunately been suffering in ratings. Not many people care to tune in and they are considered boring at best by the audience. That’s where ambitious Snow comes in, providing a solution to not only make the games more entertaining but possibly make the audience more engaged with the “tributes” (forced competitors) and the stakes as to who will emerge victorious. In comes the fiery, charming Lucy Baird (Rachel Zegler), the female tribute selected for Snow to serve as a mentor to. As the games begin and the competition becomes tense and deadly, their partnership strengthens and their relationship blossoms into romance, forever altering their fates.

“Songbirds & Snakes” plays way better than it should for an adaptation of a YA dystopian work. Implementing genre conventions of “villain origin story” and “doomed romance” are a good backdrop for the film’s disturbing themes of societal inequality and violence. Surprisingly, the film actually ends up a bit more jarring and biting than most teen dystopian films (see: The Maze Runner). The stakes are more dire, the emotional twists hit hard and the kills are effectively grim (it’s still a PG-13 film but the kills are as grim as PG-13 kills can get). Francis Lawrence, always proving himself to be an effective storyteller of adventure (I Am Legend, Catching Fire, etc), provides once again another refreshing chapter in the “Hunger Games” universe. Among the tension, the killing and the twists, Lawrence remembers to let the film breathe, leaving room for emotional depth and effective character development. Two scenes come to mind regarding Lawrence’s talent where he crafts disturbingly beautiful images to effectively drive home the themes of classicism and war. After witnessing many of his fellow tributes fall at the hand of violence, a tribute gathers up the bodies, rips down the “prestigious” Hunger Games flag and covers the bodies in it as a tribute. In another scene, a tribute, emotionally drained by all the violence that has taken place, gets covered and eaten by poisonous snakes. These scenes, while emotionally disturbing, are powerful and underline why “Songbirds & Snakes” deserves to be regarded as more than a typical YA blockbuster.

The chemistry between Blyth and Zegler is more than palpable and is the heart of the effective prequel. Tom Blyth carries the perfect range for a character like Snow. As Snow tries to outrun his imminent destiny of becoming his militaristic father (who died thirteen years ago), the games as well as his unexpected character detour in the film’s extended third act requires a mix of charisma, determination and deadly manipulation. Blyth carries the character’s development with ease and pairs well with Zegler’s equally charismatic turn as Lucy Baird. Baird is the spunky, free-spirited songbird to Snow’s cautious but determined snake. Zegler delivers an excellent performance, commanding the screen with wit and charm as well as great vocals as she delivers an excellent rendition of “The Hanging Tree.” This romance is no doubt a doomed one but the journey from forbidden fruit to heartbreaking ends is carried well by these two great performers. To be honest, this whole ensemble mostly delivers. Viola Davis is effectively creepy as Dr Gaul, her creepy laughs and smiles making the character memorable. Dinklage is a suitable antagonist as Highbottom, a man that makes it his mission to make sure Snow fails due to his family’s history. Jason Schwartzman is hilarious as Lucretius Flickerman (no doubt, an ancestor to Stanley Tucci’s Caesar Flickerman), sharing the best one-liners and facial expressions throughout. Hunter Schafer doesn’t leave much of an impression as Snow’s cousin Tigris but she delivers in the scenes she appears in. But the MVP of this supporting cast no doubt belongs to Josh Andrés Rivera as Sejanus Plinth, a classmate and friend of Snow’s that is a huge oppositionist of “The Hunger Games”, albeit being chosen as a mentor. As Snow and Plinth’s destines become intertwined through tragedy, the two become as conflicted as ever, setting the film up for an emotionally devastating climax.

Closing Thoughts
“Songbirds & Snakes” is a surprising step above YA adaptations and prequels in general. The film serves itself up as two halves of one: a dystopian look at classicism and a tragic tale of romance, friendship and destiny. Francis Lawrence breathes life back into the series in which he helmed 3 out of 4 films. Who knows if this will lead to other prequels and spinoffs within the “Hunger Games” universe? Well, being that this is a cash cow for Lionsgate, I doubt this is the last we’ll see of this universe. For its players, “Songbirds & Snakes” will smack some belief into the Rachel Zegler naysayers (from the recent, strange “Snow White” fallout) and will reestablish her as one of Hollywood’s brightest young stars. Also, there is definitely intrigue on what we will see next from Blyth and Andrés Rivera as well.

Trailer