Flick Picks: The Hunger Games is back and it makes for a substantial movie meal

HUNGRY to see a flick this weekend? Leigh Paatsch takes a look at what's on, including the second instalment of The Hunger Games.

STILL HUNGRY. STILL ON FIRE

CATCHING FIRE, the second screen outing for the all-conquering The Hunger Games phenomenon, marks a gradual, but notable improvement upon its predecessor. The tone is darker, the storytelling more complex, and all crucial elements of the much-loved novels by Suzanne Collins remain resolutely intact. Not since the Harry Potter series has a movie franchise strived for and achieved such a consistently high standard. As the story picks up, warrior heroine Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence has returned in triumph to District 12 after taking out the 74th Hunger Games. Now she is forced to become the smiling poster girl for an oppressive regime she despises. If that isn't enough, Katniss must also participate in the 75th Games, where every contestant is a former tournament winner. While the running time is demanding at almost two and a half hours, there's barely a moment wasted. Once again, Lawrence leads from the front with an emphatically grounded performance. Her ability to subtly switch from determined to distraught and back again is the province of very few actors.

{General release.}

THAT VERY SPECIAL SING THEY DO

News_Rich_Media: The untold true story of the backup singers behind some of the greatest musical legends of the 21st century.

The revealing documentary 20 FEET FROM STARDOM is both a sight for sore eyes, and a clearing of blocked ears. Filmmaker Morgan Neville turns the spotlight on those who have often been the reason a good song becomes a great song: the finest female backup vocalists in the history of popular music. Finally, it is they that get to do the talking after decades of leaving the stage (and the recording studio) in silence. All have wonderful stories to tell. Some are still wounded by a business that never accorded them their full due. Every one of them - even those now well into their seventies - can still sing like your life depended on it. You may not know many of the faces here, but you will certainly recognise the voices. Wonderful.

{Selected cinemas}

BEWARE THE OLD DOG WITH NEW TRICKS

News_Rich_Media: Filth is a 2013 British crime comedy-drama film written and directed by Jon S. Baird, based on Irvine Welsh's novel of the same name.

FILTH is an unapologetically faithful adaptation of the 1998 novel of the same name by Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting). James McAvoy plays a self-destructive Edinburgh cop with enough big addictions and bad habits to close down the rehab business for good. The relentless onslaught of this picture - combined with what can only be described as a confrontation sense of humour - will not accommodate all tastes. However, Welsh fans will appreciate the filmmakers' understanding of the writer's many mood swings and the ferocious intensity of McAvoy's punishing performance. Co-stars Jamie Bell, Imogen Poots.

{General release.}