Premiere Part 2
May. 24th, 2004 12:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jlhI can't even begin to talk about the film without spoilers, so the whole thing is cut. I'm sure that I could write a reasoned, coherent film review here, as after all, I used to do it all the time, but I'm sort of not in the mood, and anyway, I didn't take any notes. Besides, every once in a while I should be able to just be excited about something on my journal. It's not like I'm a squee machine. So don't harsh my mellow, man.
The short answer is, I thought the first two movies were complete crap; I saw them once in the theater and then dutifully bought the DVDs. I have never seen them again on cable and the CoS DVD is still in its shrink wrap; I got PS/SS as a gift from some magazine. But PoA? It's actually a real film. I'm looking forward very much to seeing it again at the IMAX, and I might even see it inbetween time or after the IMAX screening in a calmer environment. So yes, it's that much better.
Wow. From the very first shot, you realize that you are finally, finally in the hands of a real director because OMG, there is actually a visual sense of storytelling! The shots are framed not just for what needs to be in them, but also to look good as a visual. And the first time Dan opens his mouth as Harry, it's to say something snarky. It's like being punched, but in a really good way.
Even in the second scene, when Aunt Marge blows up, the visual style is so gorgeous and so modern and different—and the score? It's like a sore thumb, sadly. John Williams is a hack and I'm very sorry they didn't get a new composer when they got a new director.
(You know, I really think the twee cutesy children's film style of the first two movies wasn't just generally crappy and got bad acting out of the kids. I think it was actually a disservice to the spirit of the books themselves, as magic or no magic, they are relentlessly modern. Finally, with this film, we have a visual style that is just as modern and I wish to all that is holy that the music had been, too, and not the "ooh, it's a magical world" bullshit we've been getting from Williams. Then again, if there is anything I cannot stand it's fake watered down classical music, so there you go.)
And the pacing? This film moves like a bullet train and thank goodness for that as it has a great deal of ground to cover. Events come and go so quickly that before we knew it, it was the day of the shrieking shack scene. There wasn't an Act II lull—there wasn't even a lull! All those pics on![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
weatherby's LJ the other week are from a short little scene of the boys just hanging around on their first night back at school—and we have time for those tiny character/lifestyle notes because there isn't dull plot regurgitation. They explain nothing; they just keep going and hope you'll catch up.
Lupin is just, perfection, and again, he is Mr Chips. Someone check this cue: Was that "Sing Sing Sing" he puts on in the boggart scene? I wished we could have had more of that scene just to be able to see all these kids go through their paces while swing played on the grammophone. (And now we know, yes, they do listen to recorded music, thanks.) In fact, he was often listening to swing, which I thought was a dear little detail, as there was definitely something pre-WWII about him. Yes, indeed, Mr. Chips.
Poor Ron still isn't taken all that seriously by the film, I didn't think, and I really felt that decision to give that great line to Hermione wasn't the right one after all, as Ron doesn't have much to do in the film anyway.
Hermione, however, rocks my world. Emma was great, Hermione was strong and smart and every good thing, and PP'ers, the end of the film is everything you want it to be. There they are, working together, and it's just, fabulous. Even if you don't ship them, you have to admit, they make a brilliant team.
Sirius. Was. Perfect. Every single second of him. The dog and the man. There is nothing more to say.
The embrace? Far more than brothers, please. And Snape's comment is that they bicker like an old married couple! Yes, yes, I was in some sort of shippy craze. As I have said in the past, I came out of canon a H/H and S/R shipper, and this reminded me why.
Oh, and why am I okay with Devon Murray? Because now that Columbus is gone, he has stopped playing Seamus as the village idiot, thank you very much. Which reminds, as Josh noted, there are tons and tons of people in this film. I finally get a sense of this school as being a big place with lots of people running about. We didn't see the same kids surrounding them all the time. And my god, I also finally feel that I was brought into another world. Hurrah!
The short answer is, I thought the first two movies were complete crap; I saw them once in the theater and then dutifully bought the DVDs. I have never seen them again on cable and the CoS DVD is still in its shrink wrap; I got PS/SS as a gift from some magazine. But PoA? It's actually a real film. I'm looking forward very much to seeing it again at the IMAX, and I might even see it inbetween time or after the IMAX screening in a calmer environment. So yes, it's that much better.
Wow. From the very first shot, you realize that you are finally, finally in the hands of a real director because OMG, there is actually a visual sense of storytelling! The shots are framed not just for what needs to be in them, but also to look good as a visual. And the first time Dan opens his mouth as Harry, it's to say something snarky. It's like being punched, but in a really good way.
Even in the second scene, when Aunt Marge blows up, the visual style is so gorgeous and so modern and different—and the score? It's like a sore thumb, sadly. John Williams is a hack and I'm very sorry they didn't get a new composer when they got a new director.
(You know, I really think the twee cutesy children's film style of the first two movies wasn't just generally crappy and got bad acting out of the kids. I think it was actually a disservice to the spirit of the books themselves, as magic or no magic, they are relentlessly modern. Finally, with this film, we have a visual style that is just as modern and I wish to all that is holy that the music had been, too, and not the "ooh, it's a magical world" bullshit we've been getting from Williams. Then again, if there is anything I cannot stand it's fake watered down classical music, so there you go.)
And the pacing? This film moves like a bullet train and thank goodness for that as it has a great deal of ground to cover. Events come and go so quickly that before we knew it, it was the day of the shrieking shack scene. There wasn't an Act II lull—there wasn't even a lull! All those pics on
weatherby's LJ the other week are from a short little scene of the boys just hanging around on their first night back at school—and we have time for those tiny character/lifestyle notes because there isn't dull plot regurgitation. They explain nothing; they just keep going and hope you'll catch up. Lupin is just, perfection, and again, he is Mr Chips. Someone check this cue: Was that "Sing Sing Sing" he puts on in the boggart scene? I wished we could have had more of that scene just to be able to see all these kids go through their paces while swing played on the grammophone. (And now we know, yes, they do listen to recorded music, thanks.) In fact, he was often listening to swing, which I thought was a dear little detail, as there was definitely something pre-WWII about him. Yes, indeed, Mr. Chips.
Poor Ron still isn't taken all that seriously by the film, I didn't think, and I really felt that decision to give that great line to Hermione wasn't the right one after all, as Ron doesn't have much to do in the film anyway.
Hermione, however, rocks my world. Emma was great, Hermione was strong and smart and every good thing, and PP'ers, the end of the film is everything you want it to be. There they are, working together, and it's just, fabulous. Even if you don't ship them, you have to admit, they make a brilliant team.
Sirius. Was. Perfect. Every single second of him. The dog and the man. There is nothing more to say.
The embrace? Far more than brothers, please. And Snape's comment is that they bicker like an old married couple! Yes, yes, I was in some sort of shippy craze. As I have said in the past, I came out of canon a H/H and S/R shipper, and this reminded me why.
Oh, and why am I okay with Devon Murray? Because now that Columbus is gone, he has stopped playing Seamus as the village idiot, thank you very much. Which reminds, as Josh noted, there are tons and tons of people in this film. I finally get a sense of this school as being a big place with lots of people running about. We didn't see the same kids surrounding them all the time. And my god, I also finally feel that I was brought into another world. Hurrah!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-05-23 09:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-05-23 09:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-05-23 10:34 pm (UTC)I suppose they're not drunk, then.
I bought my ticket for IMAX last night, by the way--if I do decide to take a train or bus, what would be a good time, do you think, for me to aim to have it get in on Saturday? And to leave on Sunday? Am still not sure I am going to do that, but as you are going to have to get my ass, I should probably get that part prepared in case I decide to do it.
no subject
Date: 2004-05-23 11:07 pm (UTC)Oh, I've friended you on the advice of
no subject
Date: 2004-05-24 12:14 am (UTC)PP'ers, the end of the film is everything you want it to be. There they are, working together, and it's just, fabulous. Even if you don't ship them, you have to admit, they make a brilliant team.
--This so was true - I was so smiling and just wow to it - just wow :)
:D
no subject
Date: 2004-05-24 12:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-05-24 02:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-05-27 09:32 am (UTC)*muah*
no subject
Date: 2004-05-24 09:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-05-24 09:24 am (UTC)*sigh*
no subject
Date: 2004-05-24 01:24 pm (UTC)Your review itself was gratification for the months spent waiting and hoping that Cuaron would work a sense of zest into the movie that was severely lacking in the previous two. It's such a wonderful feeling to know that all the hype and anticipation over PoA was not in vain.
Columbus's interpretation of PS (or SS) and CoS was too bland and childish, in my pov. It seemed to be geared more towards keeping the younger audiences awake than to actually appeal to older viewers, and subtle details in the books were completely phased out in the movies.
John Williams is usually a great composer, seeing as he's worked on films like E.T., Star Wars, etc. I'm disappointed, however, in the way he's chosen to approach the Harry Potter movies. Like you said, it'd be nice if he strayed away from the cheery flutes-and-trumpets "It's a magical world" theme in his compositions and delivered a more mature sound full of subtle nuance.
Lupin is just, perfection, and again, he is Mr Chips.
I was annoyed at how people automatically shunned David Thewlis's ability to portray Lupin properly because he didn't fit their physical ideal of Remus. I've always been a staunch Thewlis supporter, and am so looking forward to seeing Remus onscreen.
Sirius. Was. Perfect. Every single second of him. The dog and the man.
Gary Oldman is the bomb. But then again, he always has been, in every movie he's ever acted in, so I'm not very surprised there.
And Snape's comment is that they bicker like an old married couple!
*cringe* Oh, shoot. This is what I get for being nosy and reading a review on PoA that I knew had spoilers. Oh, well. I think it was brilliant that Cuaron decided to add this line into the film. It suggests that he perhaps does tune in the to extensive Harry Potter fandom, and that he's picked up on the SB/RL "charge" that many fans are eagerly awaiting to see. Oy, good times.
Am on cloud 9; I CANNOT WAIT.
Btw, I found your journal via
no subject
Date: 2004-05-27 09:31 am (UTC)asking permission to quote
Date: 2004-05-27 08:54 am (UTC)Please post a reply here. I'll check on this LJ again soon. Thanks regardless of your answer!
gal-texter
Re: asking permission to quote
Date: 2004-05-27 09:29 am (UTC)So all that said, please, that is perfectly fine; just send me a link back, won't you? Thanks!
Re: asking permission to quote
Date: 2004-05-28 10:08 am (UTC)I just thought they'd enjoy your review. Sorry about that! :)
no subject
Date: 2004-06-04 12:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-04 11:32 am (UTC)