 | | | | | |
| LAPDANCE LARRY |
| SEVENTIES SIMON |
| PHOTOGRAPHY |
| COMIC ART |
| INTERVIEWS |
| Sub-menu 1.2.1.1 |
| FESTIVALS |
| EXHIBITIONS |
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
I've never been a fan of the Harry Potter movies primarily because they're not really movies at all, not complete movies anyway. The films in the series thus far have amounted to merely greatest hits compilations of the fans' favourite bits from the books with barely a narrative thread to tie all the set-pieces together. The result is that if you haven't read the books, many details in the films simply make no sense at all and if you have read the books then you're forced to fill in the narrative yourself. It doesn't help, of course, that production began before the book series was completed, as the scriptwriters and directors had no idea where the story was going, making the significant inclusions in each entry a bit hit and miss in terms of the overall story arc. But regardless, it all amounts to considerable sloppy film making.
|
|
Part 2 is better than the other films because it has focus, an attribute its predecessors lack. It takes a specific part of the narrative - its core narrative - and gives it all its due attention, indulging (I'm told) in some artistic license to ensure it all works. There's no padding; there are no we-put-this-in-because-we-thought-it-would-be-cool moments; everything means something and contributes to the economy of the narrative.
Unfortunately the performances from its young primary cast are as hit and miss as ever. Rupert Grint and Emma Watson have beautiful chemistry together and their passionate embrace following Hermione's triumphant destruction of a horcrux (the couple that destroys horcruxes together, stays together) is one of the films great moments. Watson and Daniel Radcliffe, however, have absolutely zero chemistry, a fact made embarrassingly apparent during that awful dance sequence in the previous film. Similarly, Radcliffe and Bonnie Wright never once look like the lovers they're meant to be - when Harry kisses Ginny, he looks like he's kissing his sister. Likewise when you see them as a married couple in the films coda, you can't help but think to yourself, "I bet they sleep in separate bedrooms". Maybe things would have been better had Ginny destroyed a horcrux?
On the flip side, Helena Bonham-Carter's understated but entirely accurate portrayal of Hermione pretending to be Bellatrix Lestrange is nothing short of superb and is easily the stand-out performance of the film. Maggie Smith manages to incite the warm and fuzzies despite her miniscule screen time and Ralph Fiennes is predictably brilliant as the villain, Voldemort. It's amazing, really, what can be achieved with real actors.
Oh if only the other films were this good, this could have been a very fine series. Perhaps with the benefit hindsight of all seven books, the inevitable future reboot of the franchise will produce overall better results. Until then.....
Stuart Jamieson
www.harrypotter.warnerbros.com
|
|
| also featured |
| CURRENT COMPETITIONS! Get the Gringo Competition Thanks to Icon Movies, we have ten in-season double passes to give away to Get the Gringo! Read more >> The Women in Black Administering the sale of a deceased estate for a law firm, widower
Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) discovers a town where the children are
dropping like flies seemingly at the ghostly hands of a local vengeful
spirit - the woman of the title. Is it safe yet? After a mixed season last year of too many films that had a social agenda, is it safe now to go back to the cinema for nothing more than just a good time? Read more >> The Avengers After years on the outer, never quite making the big time, Buffyverse creator and Toy Story scribe, Joss Whedon, has finally arrived. Read more >> Mirror Mirror Funny how time and again movies with similar themes or stories seem to hit the cinema around the same time, think Deep Impact/Armageddon or even Naked Lunch/Barton Fink, and it's happening again this year with (of all things) Snow White. Read more >> American Pie: Reunion vs. Battleship In a titanic struggle to capture the hearts, minds and disposable incomes of an ever-younger audience, two films line up to do battle for the crown in the great popcorn war of 2012. Read more >> 21 Jump Street Transforming a popular TV show into a mainstream movie is very seldom a successful endeavour. Read more >> John Carter The votes are in and the result is clear: Andrew Stanton is the dud director of Pixar. Read more >> The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel There is a common complaint among older moviegoers that the majority of releases today are tailored to a specific demographic and their group gets short shift. Read more >> Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close As a clear sufferer of Asperger Syndrome, Oskar (Thomas Horn) is not short of an anxiety or two or a measure of compulsiveness. Read more >> Contraband Contraband is a continuing response to the question of where does a superstar film career go when the matinee idol good looks start to fade? Read more >> |
 |
| Stay up to date with modmove news |
| about modmove |
| What to know how we got started? Read more >> |
| read the modmove blog |
| Check out all the random stuff that didn't make it to the website! Read more >> |
| contact Us |
| If you have any queries or if you would like more information about modmove, we would love to hear from you! Read more >> |
| join our mailing list |
| subscribe to the mailing list and receive the modmove newsletter. |
| search |
| search modmove for previous news and reviews. |
Privacy Notice | Contact Us | Site Map | Copyright © 2009 modmove.com | Entertainment and Popular Culture in Review at modmove.com