The Hunger Games-Mockingjay part 1

I liked this one the best. I find Jennifer Lawrence to have such a bland and uninteresting face that she really has to act her heart out to get her emotions expressed. There is a sort of Hollywood love affair with these boring faced actresses.  Sometimes Lawrence succeeds, and some times she doesn't. This time, she makes it happen. This is, of course, the set up for the final movie in which there will be some sort of victory for the team that we have been set up to root for. There's a lot of action in it but it is more grand scale than an arrow to the chest. It is long and loud. Don't go if you are sleepy because it does drag in a few spots. Over all, I'd say if you've already seen the first parts, then go see this. If you haven't, well...better catch up before you go or skip it.

Whiplash

Yikes.
This is kind of a sado-masochistic version of jazz band. It's supposed to be the best music college in the United States, with the best jazz band. It is basically about a frustrated and miserably angry jazz teacher (played by the guy who played Juno's father- J K Simmons) and the drummer he promotes up to the elite jazz band (played by Miles Teller).  The student is bullied and brutalized until the predictable ending occurs. It is pretty good- evidently 97% of the critics thought it was just great. I won't go that far because there is SO MUCH implausible behavior in this. Great music schools don't keep teachers who think they have the right to push students to the edge. Music school is not basic training. I hate movies that glorify the image of music and dance teachers as so ineffective at managing students that they have to scream at them. If you don't have a stomach for watching someone bully a kid, then simply don't go see it. I think it is an all right movie- and kind of nerve wracking to watch. It is not something I would care to see again because I felt a little traumatized by it.  But it is still better than August Osage County's yelling. It is definitely up to you. The musicians in this are excellent- and the music is really good. And I don't even like jazz!