Do some of your favorite movies that feel so intense, so emotional, you need to be in the right space to watch them? You know how the story ends. It may even end happily, and you are sure that it will end happily, yet you still feel the ache in your stomach everytime you watch one of your favorite fictional couples fall apart.
This is totally me with the last two Hunger Games films. In Mockingjay Part 1 (and Part 2, which we'll discuss in a separate post) Josh continues his role as Peeta...but he's not the same sweet dude...he's "hijacked Peeta". At the end of the last film, he's captured by the Capitol, who brainwash and torture him into doing their bidding, and hurting Katniss in the process.
Even though I joke that these films are challenging to watch, my confession is really just a compliment for Josh. He did such a fantastic job portraying Peeta in the first two films, and helping audiences feel invested in his character's relationship with Katniss, that it really does feel like a gut punch when these fictional people are in distress. (Exactly what good acting and storytelling should do!)
One of the most impressive (and iconic) scenes from Mockingjay Part 1 was the moment where Peeta attacks Katniss while in his "hijacked" state. (I wonder what it was like to film a "fighting" scene with someone you worked so closely with for years - fun? Challenging? Maybe both?).
Again, Josh plays the same character here, but in a way...a totally different character. Almost everything he knows about Peeta goes out the window - he's no longer channeling Peeta, but the version of him that's been tortured by a corrupt government. I wonder if it felt strange to be that same character on paper, but on set, you're expected to behave as if you were a new character, letting go of the mannerisms and traits you so perfectly mastered before.
I'll bet most of my readers have seen these films, but if you haven't, as a head's up, don't expect to see a ton of Josh in the last two installments of this series. The film mostly centers around Katniss and the other characters navigating the rebellion, but he is in a decent little chunk of these.
Stay tuned for my final post on the Hunger Games film that features Josh!
Peace and Joshperity,
G
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