Glee: Big Brother recap/review

Hello Glee. It's been a while, so I feel like we need to greet each other once again. Luckily there are now no more hiatuses planned, so there will only be goodbyes. But let's not dwell on that quite yet.

Instead let's say hello to a few more things. 

Hello Blaine's backstory. As a Blaine fan I've been waiting a while for him to get a storyline, and it arrived with a vengeance in this week's episode.

So hello too to Cooper Anderson, the dashing older Anderson sibling. Matt Bomer was hilarious as Blaine's brother, complete with really bad acting tips (pointing shows drama, shouting equals intensity).

Hilarious as he was, Cooper's arrival was a source of much angst for Blaine. So far, despite his former difficult relationship with Finn and a brief skirmish with Sam, Blaine has always been the popular, talented, good looking kid. Cooper's arrival sends him into insecure mode - everyone loves Anderson the elder. Even Sue. Even Kurt, Blaine's boyfriend.

The angst grows through the episode, but it's clear from the very start, when Blaine responds unenthusiastically to Kurt's mention of his brother, that something is the matter between the two, and has been for a while. Turns out Cooper has always pointed out what Blaine does wrong (as seen in flashback) as opposed to praising what he does right, and just generally not been a good brother.

An amusing mash up of Duran Duran's Rio and Hungry Like the Wolf provide an opportunity for the Anderbros to show their charisma, but Cooper clearly wins with his cheesy grin and his endless optimism, while Blaine goes off to lick his wounds in the corner, unnoticed by anyone else. It's a common theme for someone who is hurting in Glee to have their pain ignored, and Blaine was no different.

Licking his wounds gave Blaine the chance to sing Christina Aguilera's Fighter, complete with endless clips of Cooper in his credit rating advert (really annoying ad) playing in the background. The song was sort of apt, as Blaine is fighting back against Cooper's shadow, but sort of not, because he's just singing to himself and no one else knows he's fighting back. Instead, I think it was just a chance for Glee to show the lovely Darren Criss as Blaine boxing and then in the shower. I'm not complaining.

Blaine and Cooper clearly have some issues, as their rendition of Somebody That I Used To Know reveals. This is a love song, so when the lyrics are translated between two brothers, are we to assume that Cooper abandoned Blaine after the latter came out instead of sticking by him and helping Blaine through the tough times (being beaten up, his dad not quite being accepting of his sexuality)? Or did Blaine shut Cooper out completely instead of turning to his older brother for advice? We're not likely to find out anytime soon unfortunately, as one angsty song was all it took for the Anderbros to put their differences aside. Seriously, a whole episode of angsting, nay, a lifetime of angsting, and it took one song.

I would have liked to see this storyline given a little more depth instead of crammed into one episode, which meant its conclusion felt rushed and incomplete. I don't think the sudden Anderbros lovefest seemed realistic. Yes, I get that they're brothers and love each other, but wouldn't it take a little more to completely rid themselves of years of uncertainty? Still, why give Blaine a storyline when he can just look pretty and sing every episode?

So to the other goings on in this episode.

Hello to Quinn, who we briefly thought we would be saying goodbye to when she crashed her car at the end of the last episode. Luckily, although she's in a wheelchair she's made a miraculous recovery (not a scratch to be seen) and is determined to be out of her wheelchair by nationals. Admirable sentiments from Quinn, who comforted Rachel this episode assuaging the latter of her guilt, told numerous people about the dangers of texting while driving (and walking) and hung out with Artie, but it was only a matter of time before the optimistic mask cracked. Sure enough, she lashed out at Artie before episode's end.

Poor Artie. He's very sweet for helping Quinn, but he seems to unconsciously be doing it for selfish reasons as well. For the first time Artie has someone who can truly relate to him, and throughout the episode we had plenty of hints that Artie is not looking forward to going back to being the only disabled teen in glee club. His and Quinn's interactions were lovely to see, although I'm not sure I want to see this heading towards romance because that's boring, but Artie was perhaps a little cruel to rain so much on Quinn's optimism, and assume that she wouldn't get better.

And Quinn was wrong to tell Artie she wasn't like him and that she was getting out of Lima, implying that he couldn't because he was in a wheelchair. Quinn realises her meanness when she calls herself a "self-obsessed bitch" after having a go at Joe. This storyline was left unresolved, which is actually good, since Glee will hopefully flesh this out fully instead of rushing it through.

And finally, hello to Sue's baby girl, her newfound love for New Directions and the return of a Sue with a mission.

Armed with a new enemy - Ros Washington - and pregnant, Sue seems to have found a purpose again. Her plan is to whip the glee club into shape to get sole control of the Cheerios again, but she's way too impatient, and it takes Becky Jackson to make her see what it is she needs to do.

Accompanied by Will and Emma, Sue goes to her scan to discover her baby is a girl, and that some irregularities have shown up, meaning her baby could have Down's Syndrome. Of all our characters Sue knows what it's like to love and lose someone with Down's, but Becky know what it's like to live with Down's. She offers Sue good advice for raising a child - try to work on your patience. And it's advice Sue takes to heart and starts using with the glee kids.

The final thing to say hello to was Rachel and Finn and their endless drama that no one really cares about. They didn't get married at the end of last episode because of Quinn's accident, and now seem even more unsure about tying the knot. Added to that Rachel is still set on going to New York, and Finn is now thinking about California, which ticks Rachel off, because goodness me, far be it for Finn to have a mind of his own and think about his own future.

Oh, and there was senior ditch day, which didn't look very exciting.

The music

Lots of songs this week. I liked Somebody That I Used To Know (who doesn't), Fighter and the Duran Duran mash up.

I'm Still Standing, sung by Artie and Quinn, was one of those songs that Glee uses and I'm never sure are meant to be clever or are wildly inappropriate. Think back to Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) sung in the episode where Karofsky tries to commit suicide.

I didn't know Up Up Up sung by Quinn and Artie, and it didn't really stick in the mind.

What Glee did well

There were some cute little scenes in this episode, which I enjoyed. First up was Blaine and Kurt, the stuffed dog and a joke involving Margaret Thatcher and the Queen. These boys are strange, but funny.

Second was the scene between Blaine and Cooper, which for being rushed was sweet, and involved a funny moment with Blaine reciting Cooper's acting tips back at him.

Overall this was typical Glee, rushed, lots crammed in and nothing given the true prominence it deserved, but I'm so happy to see Glee back and was so excited about Darren Criss and Matt Bomer as the Anderbros that I overlooked it all and really enjoyed this episode.

Next week

Disco.

Game of Thrones: The Night Lands recap/review

And so on Game of Thrones the night is landing, or is it that our characters are entering the night lands? This episode, The Night Lands, took a turn for the darker, if that was possible, with a beheading, plenty of betrayal and a lot of deceit.

The Lannisters
Oh dear, everyone's favourite backstabbing family is falling apart at the seams, and we're only two episodes in to the series.

No sign of Jaime this week, but it's clear Cersei is still missing him. She may be the only one who is, and if she thinks giving pleading messages to her cousin to pass on about how much she misses Jaime is going to dampen suspicions of their incestuous affair, she's much, much stupider than I thought she was.

With no Jaime around, her father fighting battles across the kingdom and Joffrey being the Meanest Character on Television™, Cersei is left with only Tyrion to battle with. And battle she is. Rather than be nice to her brother, she instead taunts him by telling him the biggest joke in the Lannister family is that their mother died while giving birth to Tyrion. That's the wrong thing for Cersei to do, and she only does it to cover up the fact that Joffrey ordered the deaths of all possible bastards of King Robert without her knowledge and say so. She's starting to crack, and lashing out at all the wrong people. Tyrion is her only potential ally, because while others may seem to be on her side, they're not blood and will happily hand her over to the enemy if it means saving their own skin.

It seems to be pick on Tyrion week, as Lord Varys decides he'll show the Hand of the King his hand. Varys has spies everywhere, and has managed to discover that Tyrion brought his girlfriend with him to King's Landing, despite being banned from doing so. Unlike last week's power struggle between Cersei and Littlefinger, this week Tyrion has to acknowledge that knowledge is power, and in the case of him and Varys, currently the balance is in the latter's favour.

Learning from Varys, Tyrion uses his knowledge to have the commander of the City Watch carted off and his own man, Bronn, placed in charge of them. Cruel as Tyrion may be at times, he is easily the most empathetic of the Lannisters. His disgust at Janos Slynt's carrying out order to kill babies and children is barely disguised, and he shows similar uneasiness when questioning Bronn if he would do the same without question. The answer that comes back, that he would ask how much he'd be paid, doesn't sit well with Tyrion.

The Starks
We found out a little more about how Arya is living this week, and her importance was shown by the absence of any scenes featuring her brothers, sister or mother.

Not only is Arya the only Stark unaccounted for by the Lannisters, and badly wanted by them, she also now finds herself in the company of the true heir to King Robert, although she doesn't know that.

Living on the road, pretending to be a boy and surrounded by criminals, Arya is still not able to keep her head down and stay quiet. First, there is the confrontation with three men in a cage who are being taken to join the Night's Watch. Although two of the three clearly goad and threaten her it is the the third, a quiet seemingly refined man named Jaqen, who is likely to prove the biggest threat of the three. He's definitely got something of the Littlefinger about him.

Second, Arya is not afraid to put Lemmy and Hot Pie, two young boys travelling in the same party as her, in their place. A wiser girl would not intentionally do anything to make enemies. This is a good little scene in which we're reminded that for all her bravery and resourcefulness Arya is just a little girl.

And finally, Arya finds a confidant in Gendry, one of King Robert's bastards, not that he knows it. He does however, know Arya's biggest secret, that she is not Arry but Arya Stark. It's a big risk to take, but Gendry seems a trustworthy, honourable sort, and one with a sense of humour, so he will hopefully prove a decent older brother figure for Arya, whose own brothers are currently spread far and wide. 

The Baratheons

Just a brief visit to Stannis this week (and still nothing from Renly), who is carrying on with his plan to claim King's Landing and willing to do anything to make it so (more on this later).

We do see Davos Seaworth, his loyal knight, acting on his behalf though. Stannis needs to build an army, and as he is so unfriendly himself, it's better left to Davos to recruit anyone he can to the cause. Anyone he can turns out to be an old pirate friend, who makes it clear pretty quickly he's only in it for the money. I've never built an army, but I'm pretty sure those who are in it for the money are going to do a pretty terrible job of staying loyal when it all goes to pot. Stannis, you are going to need to work on your personality if you expect a bit of loyalty.

The Targaryens

Daenerys and her khalesar are still suffering in the dessert. With a lack of water, no civilisation in sight and a dwindling population, the last thing Daenerys needs is for one of her strongest men to turn up dead.

Unfortunately, that's exactly what happens. Actually, it's worse. Not only is he dead, he's beheaded. It's a true sign of just how strong Daenerys is when she insists on seeing the man's head and body because she is queen. I'm reminded a little of Ned Stark, who always said a leader had to make the kill himself, and not just order it.

Jon Snow

The Night's Watch are still camped out with Craster and his daughter-wives. 

Jon was managing to keep his head down unless best friend Sam felt sorry for one of Craster's daughter-wives, who has fallen pregnant. The honourable and sweet Sam wanted Jon to help her escape, but that plan was soon scuppered when Jon insisted there was nothing he could do. He might have seemed heartless, but Jon is becoming a leader, putting the wellbeing of the Night's Watch before his own, and Sam's, feelings.

It didn't last long though, as Jon got up to follow Craster as he crept into the forest in the dead of night. Hearing the sound of a baby crying plus some other ominous noises, Jon went forward to find out more, only to be knocked out by a blow to the head. That probably won't teach him to mind his own business unfortunately.

Violence and (gratuitous) nudity tally
Plenty of the latter this week, with two scenes designed purely to show the (supposed) power of men in Game of Thrones, and one which showed the power of a woman.

First up was the odious Theon Greyjoy, who showed just how manly he thinks he is by being cruel to some poor daughter of a ship's captain. Telling her to smile with her mouth closed was a bit rich, considering he's hardly the epitome of beauty himself. One thing we can learn about Theon Greyjoy from this scene is that he's a cruel man, and one who thinks power is making other people feel inadequate.

He got his comeuppance later though, when he first hit on his sister, before finding out she was his sister, and then discovered that his father thinks he's an idiot and is grooming the female Greyjoy to become his heir. Gone in a second was all the power Theon Greyjoy thought he had, and in its place was a sulky, little boy unused to not being praised from all sides. And looking at the barren, ugly Iron Islands that used to be his home before he became Ned Stark's ward following a battle, I doubt Theon Greyjoy is going to improve in manner or bearing while he stays in these surroundings. This will not turn out well.

Littlefinger did an altogether better job at staying in control. After spying on some of the prostitutes in his brothel he went off to comfort one of the more valued of his staff, Ros. His comforting words of caring soon turned into a thinly veiled threat, all delivered in the same even, sympathetic sounding tone. Anyone not listening to his words would have thought Littlefinger simply had the best interests of his employee at heart, but the man is cruel to the bone, and does it much, much better than Theon Greyjoy could ever hope to.

Both Littlefinger and Theon Greyjoy used sex to make others suffer and therefore feel powerful by default, which is a risk that worked for the former but not for latter. By contrast Melisandre was leaving nothing to chance, and used her feminine wiles to make Stannis feel more powerful by giving him what he desperately wants. She seduced him with the promise of a son, and while he may have felt he was in control, the whole time Melisandre was the one pulling the strings.

Little violence this week, apart from the off-screen beheading, although there were plenty of reminders of last week's child killing, and a small snippet of something very, very wrong at the end, moments before Jon Snow was clobbered round the head. 

When you play the Game of Thrones...
And playing we are now. In this second episode everyone's chess pieces have moved and the game is underway. As yet, it's unclear how everything will fit, as our main players are scattered across the board. They manage to be wreaking plenty of havoc themselves, so one can only imagine the destruction that will occur when they finally get together.

Game of Thrones: The North Remembers recap/review

And so it's back with a slash (or clash as it were) of swords - Game of Thrones. The opening episode of the second season had a lot to cram in, as we caught up with old friends and enemies, and met new ones. Not a lot happened until right at the very end, but trust me, from someone who's read the book, there is plenty to come in the rest of the series.

The Lannisters
Still the most horrid family in existence, still holding on to the Iron Throne and still getting the best lines, it's the Lannisters.

This week the most cunning, and the funniest, Lannister - Tyrion - was reunited with his sister Cersei and his awful nephew Joffrey, who takes the crown for most vile character in a television programme ever. Find me someone worse and I'll make you a paper crown.

Now the Hand of the King and essentially in charge at King's Landing, Tyrion's first job is to put Cersei in her place with his usual way with words.

Poor Cersei also gets a telling off from Joffrey, who confronts her with the rumour that his father is in fact his uncle Jamie, and now the former King Robert. Still, Cersei gets her own back with a well-placed slap to Joffrey's smug little face, although it doesn't seem to make much difference. It's almost enough to make me feel sorry for her. Almost.

Still, it shows Cersei knows how to be kick-ass, as demonstrated when she orders her guards to kill the slimy Littlefinger and then stops them at the last minute. He might think knowledge is power, but as Cersei points out: "Power is power."

The Starks
While the Lannisters are slowly gathering at King's Landing, the Starks are spread far and wide.

With his father Ned dead, Robb has been declared King in the North, and is fighting battles with the Lannisters and their bannermen on all fronts. Luckily, he has Jaime Lannister as his prisoner, and in a great confrontation we get to see Robb show his strength - and his direwolf Grey Wind - prompting the first time we've seen Jaime truly afraid. It's good to see a different side to both characters, as Robb is usually more diplomatic and Jaime is confident and cocky.

However confident he is, the King in the North has his mother along for guidance, and he shows some Joffrey-like stubbornness when he forbids her to go home and see her two really, really young sons. It may seem for a moment that Robb is channelling Joffrey, but actually the relationship between Robb and Catelyn is a great contrast to that of Joffrey and Cersei. While the former argue, they settle their differences because of love and honour and family, while the latter are only out for themselves.

As Robb rules out on the battlefield (currently with Theon Greyjoy at his side although keep an eye on that one), it's left to Bran and the even younger Rickon to rule at the Stark family seat Winterfell.

We only see the youngest Stark boys briefly, but they are featured in important scenes, as Bran's strange dreams from season one continue, and the boys follow a mysterious red comet in the sky.

Back in King's Landing Sansa is subject to the whims of Joffrey, and holding up mightily well considering what a toad he is, and Arya is sporting a horrid haircut and pretending to be a boy on the King's Road, alongside one of King Robert's bastard sons.

The Baratheons
The most significant of our new characters is Stannis Baratheon, the oft-mentioned but before now never seen third brother in the Baratheon clan. He has laid claim to his dead brother's throne, currently occupied by Joffrey.

Also facing competition from his youngest brother Renly and aware that Robb Stark has half the kingdom under his control, Stannis has turned to Melisandre, a mysterious, magical and slightly sinister representative of a new religion.

The flame-haired priestess manages in the first episode to convert Stannis and his men to the religion of R'hllor, and to kill Stannis' former priest by poisoning him. This is not a woman to mess with.

Our first glimpses of Stannis show him as tough and uncompromising, but it's his knight Davos Seaworth who shows true grit by standing up to Stannis.

The Targaryens
Season one ended with Daenerys Targaryen emerging triumphant from the fire holding three baby dragons, the first to be seen in the land for years.

Things are not going so well as we see her in season two. The dragons are growing, but her people - loyal to her because they were loyal to her dead husband Drogo - and her horses are dying as they wonder through a vast desert.

Still, Daenerys shows her tough side, not stopping to cry and instead taking the brave decision to send out riders to see what they can find, leaving the group short of four of their best men.

Daenerys is likely to go through some tough times this season (read the book, not telling), but for the moment it looks like one of her worries will be of the romantic sort. The ever-loyal Jorah Marmont has always had a thing for Daenerys, and this episode I definitely caught a vibe between Daenerys and Rakharo as she sent him off to scout out the terrain. Her people may be suffering, but Daenerys is clearly still loved. 

Jon Snow
Yes, he gets his own category because he's my favourite character, and there's no way Catelyn would ever see him as a Stark.

Jon is Beyond The Wall (it needs to go in caps) meeting the loathesome Craster, whose wives are his daughters. He's despicable and makes everyone's skin crawl, but the Night's Watch need to stay on his right side if they're ever to find out and conquer the danger beyond The Wall.

Honourable as he is, Jon is unable to keep his disdain for Craster a secret, prompting a confrontation with Craster, who is grooming Jon to take over the Night's Watch one day.

Kit Harrington, as always, plays Jon with a perfect mix of moodiness and honour, and always manages to show both his strength and his sensitivity, making him easily one of the best characters in Game of Thrones (even if he doesn't get the good lines like the Lannisters).

Violence and (gratuitous) nudity tally
It took 47 minutes, 47 MINUTES, before Game of Thrones threw in some gratuitous nudity, in a brothel. This would have been unheard of in season one. While we could quite easily have done without the naked prostitute, the scene in the brothel was played out so it could then contrast with the horror of what came next - the brutal slaughter of a baby.

Game of Thrones has a reputation for pulling no punches with its violence, but this episode takes the lead, by miles, for horrible, horrible killings. As Cersei's guards went round the city killing every child they suspected of being King Robert's bastard, I sat with my hand over my mouth staring in disbelief. It was a really difficult to watch few minutes of television, but very, very effective, and a demonstration of just how tough life in Game of Thrones is, and how far the Lannisters will go to keep a hold on power.

When you play the Game of Thrones...
This week's episode was a brilliant start to the second series, with Game of Thrones picking straight up where it left off at the end of season one, and losing none of its momentum despite the huge amount of exposition needed in this first episode. We're now set up well for the rest of the season, so things can really get going. What, you thought there was enough killing and confrontation in this episode? Please, we're only just getting started.

Game of Thrones season two recap/review masterpost

All recap/reviews of season two of Game of Thrones in one handy place.

Episode one - The North Remembers 
And so it's back with a slash (or clash as it were) of swords - Game of Thrones. The opening episode of the second season had a lot to cram in, as we caught up with old friends and enemies, and met new ones. Not a lot happened until right at the very end, but trust me, from someone who's read the book, there is plenty to come in the rest of the series. 

Episode two - The Night Lands

And so on Game of Thrones the night is landing, or is it that our characters are entering the night lands? This episode, The Night Lands, took a turn for the darker, if that was possible, with a beheading, plenty of betrayal and a lot of deceit.

Episode three - What Is Dead May Never Die
How far do you go to keep your family safe? Is blood thicker than water? What is loyalty? And do the dead ever truly die if they can't be forgotten? Those were just some of the questions in What Is Dead May Never Die, and the answers proved rather complicated.

Episode four - Garden of Bones

A birth, numerous deaths, and more deceit than you can shake a sword at - this week's episode of Game of Thrones, named Garden of Bones (after the land around the city of Qarth), was full to the brim with important developments, and we learnt a lot about our characters.

Episode five - The Ghost of Harrenhal

A slightly unusual episode of Game of Thrones this week, but more on that later. In The Ghost of Harrenhal enemies started to come out of the woodwork, and all our characters began moving ever closer, bringing with them the inevitable start of a war that is going to see thousands of casualties.

Episode six - The Old Gods and the New
This week's episode was titled The Old Gods and the New, and referred perhaps to our characters' loyalties - there has been much switching of religions this season (Theon from the Starks' gods to his fathers, Stannis from the old gods to Melisandre's gods). This week though, loyalties are also being switched between characters, and while none of our characters are gods, some of them certainly seem to hold that kind of sway over their subjects - and some don't.

Episode seven - A Man Without Honour

A lot of truths were (finally) admitted this episode, a lot of confessions made. Some deeds were done that cannot be undone, and some left more than a bitter taste in the mouth.

Episode eight - The Prince of Winterfell

Betrayal ran through this week's episode, and two of the main parties finally got off their backsides and actually physically moved closer to battle, rather than just talking about it.

Episode nine - Blackwater

Well, after weeks of waiting Game of Thrones exploded with a bang (literally) as it turned into a fully fledged war film, leaving all trace of innocence and frivolous things behind. While this episode, Blackwater, did my least favourite film and television trick of having scenes in the dark, it really worked, right up until the final moment.

Reading challenge book seven: The Search by Nora Roberts

Book seven in my challenge to read one book (I haven't read before) a fortnight in 2012 is The Search by Nora Roberts.

Let me say from the start, I know this reading quest has the word challenge in it, and reading a book by Roberts, queen of romantic fiction, is hardly a challenge. Let me also say that I am not a book snob. I'll give anything a try, and I quite dislike people who will look down on you because you happen to be reading a children's book, a summer blockbuster, or, horror of horrors, some chick lit.

Roberts, as already said, is queen when it comes to chick lit. All her books (and I have read many) follow a certain formula - individual looks for romance, meets someone, they fall in love, there is a challenge of some sort to their love, they overcome that challenge and there is a happy ending.

But formula is no bad thing. Roberts' books offer great comfort, an easy read and a break from reality. They differ from each other because each of the characters, while sharing traits such as strength, intelligence and determination, also differ greatly because of their pasts, their presents and their futures.

The Search follows the story of Fiona Bristow, living as a dog trainer/search and rescue worker on a small island near Washington. Fiona is independent, a hard worker, strong, loved by family and friends and above all, brave. For those who look down on chick lit, surely the qualities displayed by Fiona aren't to be sneered at, and like the character, don't we all strive to be the best we can? Sure, she's an idealised version of ourselves, but still a version that can be achieved.

Into Fiona's life comes Simon Doyle, headstrong, creative and not looking for love. For those expecting a tale of a woman wearing a man down until he loves her, think again. Simon is not the challenge in The Search, and the romance is not what this book hinges on.

That honour belongs to a serial killer, murdering girls in a style similar to that of a man jailed for murder, and the attempted murder of Fiona, who was the one who got away. Weren't expecting that, were you?

The Search is fun, dramatic, dark, tense and romantic by turns. It's not a read for someone looking for serious fiction, but it's a good book for someone looking to get away from it all, and get caught up in a world where you can be safe in the knowledge it will all work out - even if it doesn't feel like that when women are being kidnapped and tortured to death every few chapters.

Roberts, a prolific writer, brings her usual easy style to The Search. Despite its formula, it's a good read, and one of those books that is perfect to read when you're all curled up in the warmth and the wind is howling outside. And for those who feel it's beneath them to read chick lit? Get over it, Roberts and her chick lit have spent close to 200 weeks at the top of the New York Times Bestseller List. So there.

Film review: The Hunger Games

One of the most anticipated films of the year, it's easy to think The Hunger Games - based on the teen novel of the same name- is going to be two and a half hours of teen angsting and unrequited love, with a side order of fighting.

It's anything but. This film is dark, gloomy and tough on the emotions, and so, so good.

It follows, as the book does, the story of Katniss Everdeen, who volunteers to take part in the Hunger Games - a contest to the death - in place of her younger sister. Her fellow tribute from District 12, where she lives, is Peeta Mellark, who has been in love with the tough Katniss forever.

The book is told purely through Katniss's eyes, as she battles to stay alive - both outside the arena and once she gets into the Hunger Games. The film adaptation gives viewers the chance to see the world around Katniss through their own eyes, meaning we get a wealth of detail the books can't provide.

There are some chilling scenes with President Snow, the cruel ruler of Panem who has spent years suppressing those living in the outlying districts. And as opposed to just seeing what happens inside the arena when the 24 tributes are battling to the death, we also get to see the arena being created and decisions being taken as to what horror to inflict upon the children next, and how the privileged people of the Capitol bet on the contestants. All these scenes outside of what Katniss sees give the viewer a better understanding of the Hunger Games themselves, and make them even more horrifying than they already are.

Among the highlights which don't feature in the book is a chilling scene at the end featuring gamesmaker Seneca Crane, which will leave you so cold you'll need copious hot drinks, a wood-burning fire and three jumpers to warm up again.

The film is remarkably faithful to the book. There are a few changes made, and some extras included, but they all enhance the viewing experience. I can't imagine even the most avid fan of the books being displeased with the film.

Unlike the book, the film is not told completely chronologically but this, coupled with some scenes shot using handheld cameras, add to the story, make it easier to understand for those not familiar with the book, and saves a lot of boring exposition.

It's difficult to criticise The Hunger Games, but if I had to, I would say I wanted to see more of Haymitch, played by Woody Harrelson. He brings comedy and tragedy to the scenes he is in, with his manner and his speech. Should the next book be made into a film, and I have no doubt it will, I'd like him to feature more.

Like Harrelson as Haymitch, the other supporting roles are also filled well. I love Elizabeth Banks as the anything but ditzy (no matter how she looks) Effie, Liam Hemsworth is perfect as the hunky best friend Gale, who has a bigger role in the next two books in trilogy, while Lenny Kravitz is pretty good as Katniss's unlikely confidant and stylist Cinna.

So to our leads, Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss and Josh Hutcherson as Peeta.

Lawrence, while looking healthier than I imagined Katniss to look, embodied the character's tough, no-nonsense, cynical side well. Throughout the first book Katniss's aim is to stay alive for her family, and even after she has won she doesn't let anyone else in. Lawrence plays this well, and even in the final scene in which Katniss features, we can see that cynicism and hunger to stay safe, and keep her family safe, in her eyes.

Hutcherson is a perfect Peeta, a mix of sweet, shy, brave, clever and, of course, love-struck. Hutcherson's best scene is undoubtedly when he shares the stage with Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci), the two riffing off each other before the talk turns more serious. Hutcherson goes from fun and flirty to mournful in the blink of an eye, and it all seems so real. I'm definitely Team Peeta. 

The Hunger Games, a bit like Katniss, was fearless, determined and hit you right where it hurt. I found myself laughing, tearing up, gasping in shock, jumping in fear (don't have any drinks in your hand towards the end otherwise they'll end up in your lap), and left wanting to see the next film straight away.

So, to end, there's only one appropriate quote to use from The Hunger Games: "May the odds be ever in your favour."

They certainly were when it came to this film.