GoF Weekend!
Nov. 21st, 2005 10:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jlhFriday I met my friend S's new baby, which was awesome, and we hung out and had lunch and stuff, and then I met up with ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ziggy1278 who took me to see the comic play "Absurd Person Singular" followed by a late supper at a French bistro.
Saturday night we were a cast of thousands (actually, 16) for dinner and the film (well, only 15 for that as the lovelycalloocallay joined us for dinner though she'd seen the film) and much squished fun was had, followed by some coffee and conversation at a diner. I said this in the theater, but I'll say it again: I want to see every HP movie with mistful.
Last night we went out forblackholly's birthday celebration and had a vast quantity of excellent food followed by drinks at Hudson Bar & Books, a lovely little spot I admit I had forgotten about though I'd definitely return on a Sunday. Sunday night, man, that's the night to go out in New York, I tell you what.
As for GoF,wordplay said I thought about the film too much, so I just want to disclaim here that I am a film studies student by training and a media critic by nature. I keep trying to write something about the film and it ends up being too impressionistic, too much love this moment/hate that moment, so I've narrowed it down to two things:
Romance: It's notable how badly JKR does romance in general that the film, which had much less time, did it better. Personally I've grown weary of the "only what Harry notices" excuse because I think it's too easy, but at least the films completely ignore that. Ginny, certainly, is her cute spunky self, again better developed than in the book. Viktor's crush on Hermione is nicely displayed. Hagrid's little romance was cute, but I wish the movie hadn't spend precious time on it. Fred and Angelina rule me and I was so pleased they kept that moment in the film as it's one of my favorites. I'm not really qualified to talk about R/Hr in the film and look forward to other people's take on it.
I'm not sure why Padma was in Gryffindor, but it did make the whole Patil twin thing into a Happy Days joke, as if Harry was the Fonz or something. Lavender continues to be completely absent, and I wonder if she'll turn up in OotP or if she'll arrive brand-new and heretofore unknown in HBP. Seamus and Dean were in the background of every scene, which is pretty much where I wanted them to be so I was pleased about that.
As for Harry and Hermione, I was reminded by this movie and the HBP book that the reason I'm a H/Hr shipper in fanon (I'm not a canon shipper at all) is because I so dearly love their vibe as friends, and I really am not as enthralled with Harry's relationship and conversation with almost anyone else in the book. The way Harry looked at Hermione as she descended the stair and her little grin at him as Viktor whisked her away, and their later conversation about Viktor being "physical" was completely darling. That said, there were still a lot of visual cues for Harry/Hermione, particularly the conversation around the tent flaps, which I feel just underscores how unclear the book can be because, as has been said elsewhere, JKR plays with romantic tropes without being entirely aware of what she's implying.
Visual: So, structurally, the script kept what it needed and lost what it didn't. But wow, it really felt like a TV director did this film. Other than the special effects, was there any reason this was on 35mm rather than digital video? The frames were so tight and crowded, there was no sense of space or of the continuity of the sets, which were rather small (though splendidly decorated; the art direction was really excellent as were the costumes). I don't think having a lot of plot means you can't have good solid cinematography. This isn't a television miniseries. We were spoiled by Cuaron, clearly, and now we're back with people who don't seem to know that the camera can move, and make that movement mean something.
Much else that I could say has been said by others. The new characters were great, as were the returning ones, and there were so many fun moments that I'm not going to recount them all here. Given the tight visuals I've lost my yen to see it on IMAX, I must admit, but the DVD, oh yes, it will be mine. It also got me all excited about all things Potter again, in the way that sadly new canon never seems to because it gets so political and crazy so quickly, whereas the films are just fun.
ziggy1278 who took me to see the comic play "Absurd Person Singular" followed by a late supper at a French bistro.Saturday night we were a cast of thousands (actually, 16) for dinner and the film (well, only 15 for that as the lovely
calloocallay joined us for dinner though she'd seen the film) and much squished fun was had, followed by some coffee and conversation at a diner. I said this in the theater, but I'll say it again: I want to see every HP movie with mistful.Last night we went out for
blackholly's birthday celebration and had a vast quantity of excellent food followed by drinks at Hudson Bar & Books, a lovely little spot I admit I had forgotten about though I'd definitely return on a Sunday. Sunday night, man, that's the night to go out in New York, I tell you what.As for GoF,
wordplay said I thought about the film too much, so I just want to disclaim here that I am a film studies student by training and a media critic by nature. I keep trying to write something about the film and it ends up being too impressionistic, too much love this moment/hate that moment, so I've narrowed it down to two things:Romance: It's notable how badly JKR does romance in general that the film, which had much less time, did it better. Personally I've grown weary of the "only what Harry notices" excuse because I think it's too easy, but at least the films completely ignore that. Ginny, certainly, is her cute spunky self, again better developed than in the book. Viktor's crush on Hermione is nicely displayed. Hagrid's little romance was cute, but I wish the movie hadn't spend precious time on it. Fred and Angelina rule me and I was so pleased they kept that moment in the film as it's one of my favorites. I'm not really qualified to talk about R/Hr in the film and look forward to other people's take on it.
I'm not sure why Padma was in Gryffindor, but it did make the whole Patil twin thing into a Happy Days joke, as if Harry was the Fonz or something. Lavender continues to be completely absent, and I wonder if she'll turn up in OotP or if she'll arrive brand-new and heretofore unknown in HBP. Seamus and Dean were in the background of every scene, which is pretty much where I wanted them to be so I was pleased about that.
As for Harry and Hermione, I was reminded by this movie and the HBP book that the reason I'm a H/Hr shipper in fanon (I'm not a canon shipper at all) is because I so dearly love their vibe as friends, and I really am not as enthralled with Harry's relationship and conversation with almost anyone else in the book. The way Harry looked at Hermione as she descended the stair and her little grin at him as Viktor whisked her away, and their later conversation about Viktor being "physical" was completely darling. That said, there were still a lot of visual cues for Harry/Hermione, particularly the conversation around the tent flaps, which I feel just underscores how unclear the book can be because, as has been said elsewhere, JKR plays with romantic tropes without being entirely aware of what she's implying.
Visual: So, structurally, the script kept what it needed and lost what it didn't. But wow, it really felt like a TV director did this film. Other than the special effects, was there any reason this was on 35mm rather than digital video? The frames were so tight and crowded, there was no sense of space or of the continuity of the sets, which were rather small (though splendidly decorated; the art direction was really excellent as were the costumes). I don't think having a lot of plot means you can't have good solid cinematography. This isn't a television miniseries. We were spoiled by Cuaron, clearly, and now we're back with people who don't seem to know that the camera can move, and make that movement mean something.
Much else that I could say has been said by others. The new characters were great, as were the returning ones, and there were so many fun moments that I'm not going to recount them all here. Given the tight visuals I've lost my yen to see it on IMAX, I must admit, but the DVD, oh yes, it will be mine. It also got me all excited about all things Potter again, in the way that sadly new canon never seems to because it gets so political and crazy so quickly, whereas the films are just fun.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-11-21 06:01 pm (UTC)I keep forgetting to mention that in my various review posts, but that was one of my favorite parts - straight out of the book. :-D
Agreed on the visuals. PoA had much more balance between the plot and the thematic elements, and more of a consistency throughout the film. Then, when I saw it on a regular screen after having seen it on IMAX, I wanted the huge version back. This time, the small(er) screen didn't make such a difference - in fact, the IMAX was at times too big and close up, especially in some of the choppy shots at the beginning.
no subject
Date: 2005-11-21 06:26 pm (UTC)Unless, you know, I did. *flipflops* Honestly, I have no idea. :))
I ran out to the bathroom and missed the conversation with Harry about Viktor's
vicious virility*ahem* physicality during the first viewing, and DAMN that was absolutely darling.no subject
Date: 2005-11-21 08:05 pm (UTC)*pre-orders dvd*