While the source material is strong enough to almost carry a film that is basically a setup for Mockingjay: Part 2, this still feels like a cynical cash grab more than an actual artistic choice. Mockingjay: Part 1 is well acted and directed, but feels repetitious in its constant use of bleakness as a stylistic choice in creating empathy for Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss Everdeen. Part 1 is a powerful bit of cinema, especially considering its labeling as 'Young Adult,' but it's not a film. It's just half of one.