21. Donald Sutherland Is Only Understandable About Half Of The Time
Like Jeff Bridges, Donald Sutherland seems to have build his career recently on a mystique that extends out from the fact that you can't really tell what he's saying. It's happened in the past - Marlon Brando abandoned all "normal" acting skill in favour of going a bit mental and talking like his mouth was full of styrofoam - and the lessons offered in contrast by actors who go the other way, and basically reduce their persona to a shout (or Al Pacino, as he is more commonly known) suggest it's not always a bad approach. But for a good deal of his time on screen, especially when he appears unannounced at Katniss' home and strong-arms her into submission, it's particularly difficult to actually hear what he's saying. He mumbles through his moustache, and seems all detached and scary, but the actual substance of what he's saying is a little lost, and his character's malignant appeal loses something slightly for it.
20. Where The Hell Is Elizabeth Banks Supposed To Be From?!
The characterisation of Effe is very good, and Elizabeth Banks' interpretation might well be spot on in terms of how the book presents the character, but her affected accent is just plain barmy. She's clearly supposed to be a bit unhinged (but not enough to hinder her progress to an auspicious status,) but her voice wanders all across the higher-class areas of America, and all the way to England on occasion. Had it been weird but consistent, that would be fine, but the deliver is troublesome to say the least, and it undermines what is an otherwise excellent performance.
19. Is Noone Outraged By The Very Obvious Apartheid Of District 11?
District 11 is the elephant in the room for The Hunger Games. It might be made clear in the books, but there is no reason why the population of said district seems to be predominantly black. In a system based on class segregation, it seems like overkill for there to be more distinct (and more reductive segregation) and the fact that this is never even remotely addressed (and it seems a little dangerous to have based that decision on the book's description of the District 12 inhabitants as dark skinned, thanks to their agricultural backdrop.) And it's not just an issue of physiology either: only in District 11 are people shot on sight for doing the Katniss Salute in the film. Everyone else either gets away with it (like Prim and the rest of District 12) or merely roughed up and hauled off. Why is noone outraged by this?