johnlinkmovies

I interrupt this unplanned series of 20s and 30s cinema for the biggest release of the weekend. This turned out to be Quinn’s first movie in theaters. One perk of being a theater manager is being able to go in and run a private screening. Liz, my mother, and I took Quinn in. But this wasn’t for him specifically. If Liz didn’t see it opening weekend, there was a chance she would have exploded.

I watched HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1 (2010) on 11.20.10. It was my first viewing of the film. TRAILER HERE

I always start any discussion of a HARRY POTTER film by saying that I’ve never read the books, but I am a big fan of the films. The progression of pictures has been grand, and this latest installment is possibly the best yet.

I was a little worried going in. When splitting a book in half, like the producers did here, you always risk having the first film be lacking in build. But they’ve handled this dilemma very well, and for someone unfamiliar with the books, this didn’t feel like an incomplete experience.

This POTTER film gets everyone out of Hogwarts entirely. This adds a newness to the story which helps on every level. The actors seem freed and the cinematography is all too happy to show us the much larger open space they have to work in. The danger feels very, very real, and there are scenes with an intensity which you’d never had guessed was coming way back in the first film.

Working particularly well is a scene where our leads change their appearance to become three members of the Ministry of Magic in order to infiltrate the building. Awesome casting, direction, and great acting build a particularly intense scene.

The central three actors have grown so well with their parts. In particular, Emma Watson has become quite the talent. She is always doing something to make the scene land harder, to make it all feel grounded. I’m so curious to see what she does after this Potter journey wraps up.

If I have one nit to pick, it is that the series is beginning to wrap up in a nice little box. Everything is a little easy to find and easy to do. And characters seem to do, or not do, particular tasks because… well… if they did it now it would end everything too quickly.

But really, this film is a great penultimate entry. I’m looking forward to the last one with real vigor.

SCORES

FILM: 7; MOVIE: 8; ACTING: 8; WRITING: 6; BONUS: 1

The bonus is for the cinematography. This is a beautiful, eye-pleasing movie. Never thought that the cinematography would be the great draw in a HARRY POTTER film, but here we are.

7+8+8+6+1=30

FINAL SCORE: 7.5

~ by johnlink00 on November 20, 2010.

Posted in ~ H ~, ~~~ 2010 ~~~
Tags: fantasy