The Hunger Games:

Mockingjay, Part 1 (12A, 123 mins)

Director: Francis Lawrence

The final book in Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy gets a now standard two-movie split, and if you haven't seen the films that have preceded it, you haven't got a chance with this first part.

It begins immediately after the events of the second film, Catching Fire, with Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) taken from the Games arena and waking up to find herself in the supposedly destroyed District 13.

We've had glimpses of the bigger picture before, but now that what was essentially training in the Games is out of the way, we can get down to the real business. And that aim is full-on revolution, the overthrow of the corrupt and authoritarian government of the Capital, led by President Snow (Donald Sutherland).

The rebels are fronted by Philip Seymour Hoffman and newcomer to the series Julianne Moore as President Coin. Katniss's actions in the arena have been the spur for uprising in the Districts, and they want her to be the face of their campaign, to film propaganda videos that let the people see there's hope.

She's more interested in the fate of Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), who is being held in the Capital, and it's this tension that drives the drama rather than a reliance on set pieces. Because, goodness knows, it sure ain't an action film, which is far from a bad thing.

As the third part in a four-part trilogy, there were always likely to be some pacing issues, and occasionally events that could take up one minute of screen time can be stretched into three or four. Some characters are afforded more screen time than might otherwise be the case or we're introduced to people who don't feel entirely relevant.

It's a bit like trying to make a full meal from a limited set of ingredients, but it's compensated for by a dramatic escalation of the threat level. Snow is going to town to destroy every threat posed by the Districts, stopping at nothing short of genocide, and the dangers are very real indeed.

This is serious, sturdy stuff, looking at fascism and totalitarianism and evoking World War II with its air-raids and underground shelters and wars of information. It's also reminiscent of the third Matrix film or Return of the Jedi with its hidden rebel base antics, and the groundwork is worth it for a number of powerful, stirring moments.

Lawrence holds it all together as ever, with another committed and impassioned performance that reveals the steel of Katniss and demonstrates that she's the best young actress on the planet. By the time this series closes out next November, we'll hopefully be left with a sci-fi saga to be treasured for years to come.

What We Do In the Shadows (15, 85 mins)

Directors: Taika Waititi, Jemaine Clement

One of the biggest surprises of this spoof documentary from New Zealand is that it so successfully runs with an idea that hasn't been thought of before. Taika Waititi and Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement write, direct and star as two of a quartet of centuries-old vampire housemates trying to cope with 21st century life, with a documentary crew following their every move. The jokes come thick and fast, but the remarkable thing is the hit rate, with more solid laughs than probably any film this year. It revels in the details of the practicalities of vampirism, like laying down towels before biting into a victim or not being able to check their appearance in a mirror before a night out in downtown Wellington, while their rivalry with a pack of werewolves is a highlight. There's a possibility it might have worked best on television, and ultimately there's very little here, but what is here is an absolute hoot.

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Get On Up (12A, 139 mins)

Director: Tate Taylor

The Godfather of Soul, James Brown, is the subject of this entertaining drama that makes an admirable attempt to rip up the formbook of the standard biopic. Chadwick Boseman is very convincing as Brown, and Get On Up marks its presence as being a bit different to the pack by constantly shifting the time frame and keeping the audience on its toes. Brown refers to himself in the third person, talks directly to camera and comes out with lines like "Don't tell me how long I can be funky", and on stage it's electrifying, with Boseman certainly able to move. It isn't always able to sustain the lightning pace, and it does still have to tick a few boxes, like his poor upbringing and time spent in prison, but it results in scenes that blend audacious bursts of cinematic brio with a comment on the racial difficulties of the period. What's more, all those moments are used to the reveal the character of an ambitious and driven man, one primed to shake up the business end of the music business on his way to untold wealth.

The Homesman (15, 123 mins)

Director: Tommy Lee Jones

Tommy Lee Jones' second film as director is a brooding, unusual western wherein an unmarried homesteader (Hilary Swank) enlists the help of a rascally old coot (Jones) to transport three insane women from Nebraska to Iowa. As western plots go, it's fairly unique, and takes a while to find its feet thanks to awkward introductions in the early stages. But Swank's Mary is a character of rare strength and depth, recalling the sort of woman True Grit's Mattie may have become (neatly, Hailee Steinfeld cameos), and it's in its depiction of the injustices and brutalities meted out to women in this wild west that The Homesman really succeeds. This is a place as harsh as can be, steeped in madness, danger and lawlessness, resulting in a strange brew indeed, but one that's oddly compelling thanks to some startling developments.

My Old Lady (12A, 107 mins)

Director: Israel Horovitz

Esteemed playwright Israel Horovitz makes his film directing debut at the age of 75 with this charming adaptation of his own stage play that deals wryly with death. Broke Kevin Kline thinks his luck has changed when he inherits a Paris apartment from his father, but due to archaic French laws, he also inherits its elderly former owner (Maggie Smith). A sparkling cast that also features Kristin Scott Thomas as Smith's daughter is right on the money, delivering the comedy goods as well as the drama when necessary, when family pasts come out as it deepens and themes of blame and guilt are explored. Although much of it takes place in the house, it moves around enough to escape theatricality, and it's undoubtedly the best thing Kline has done in many years.

Winter Sleep (15, 196 mins)

Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan

This year's Palmes d'Or winner at Cannes is a stunningly shot and precisely directed drama of epic length, centring on a hotel owner and former actor in the Anatolia region of Turkey and his interactions with family members and townspeople. It's strongest in a first half that deals more with plot details (such as the people who owe him money) than the philosophising and ruminating that it becomes once attention turns to his young wife. These scenes may begin to reveal more about their fractured relationship, but at the expense of genuine dramatic interest, and as conversations stretch out for many, many minutes it can become exhausting. But there are enough moments of genuine power and exquisitely observed character interactions to make it well worth investing the time required.