“The Hunger Games” – Capitol offense

Dir. Gary Ross
(2012, PG-13, 142 minutes)

How many movies about the systematic murder of children can you think of that are rated PG-13? Now I can name one. The Hunger Games is about a dystopian future where, after an unexplained rebellion, 12 impoverished districts are each forced to send two 12-to-18-year-old “tributes” into a televised death match. When her sister Primrose (Willow Shields) is chosen by lottery, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers in her place to represent district 12.

“Margin Call” – Risky business

Dir. J.C. Chandor
(2011, R, 107 min)

Margin Call is the movie Too Big to Fail should have been. The HBO telefilm, which tried to cover the 2008 financial crisis from the top down in just 100 minutes, had a plaster-dry instructive approach, reiterating what was already better explained in the documentary Inside Job and otherwise failing to provide much dramatic interest. In contrast, Margin Call is laser-focused. It takes place over one day at a fictional New York investment bank, where all of a sudden they realize their numbers don’t add up and they must negotiate the apocalypse.

“Easy A” – Miss Scarlet, in the bedroom, with the Blackberry

Dir. Will Gluck
(2010, PG-13, 92 min)
★ ★ ★ ½

I grew up on a pop-cultural diet of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Clueless, and Felicity, among others. Those were my touchstones when I was entering adolescence. Kids these days have different touchstones: Gossip Girl, Skins, Jersey Shore, 16 and Pregnant. On the ABC Family network, a very good show about college, Greek, floundered in the ratings while more scandalous young’uns whoop it up on Pretty Little Liars to quadruple the audience. Young viewers these days, when they’re not choosing between Team Broody-Sparkle and Team Shirtless-Bowflex, are less interested in seeing themselves on screen than they are in vicariously living out their Charlie Sheen meltdowns before they’re old enough to vote.

“Julie & Julia” – Just desserts

Dir. Nora Ephron
(2009, PG-13, 123 min)
★ ★ ½

My food metaphors are rusty, but I’ll give it a shot. Julie & Julia is sweet. Too sweet. It’s apple pie dipped in honey, drizzled in caramel, and injected with high fructose corn syrup. What it needs is a touch of the tart, salty, or savory. Written and directed by sugar specialist Nora Ephron (Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail), with an extra dollop of cutesy meringue by composer Alexandre Desplat, it makes Chocolat look like No Country for Old Men.