(L-R) Daniel Radcliffe, Bonnie Wright, David Thewlis
Writer: Steve Kloves (screenplay), J.K.Rowling (novel)
Director: David Yates
Notable actors: Jason Issacs, Tom Felton, Daniel Radcliffe's pale naked abs
A/N: I know it's 'part one' but to me that sounds stupid, so ner. This is the review of a man with a shaken mind. Please tread carefully.It’s the end of an era! It’s another midnight premiere! (Save where I live, naturally) Its weird 26-year-olds are so into this crap, even though they were thirteen when the first book came out! Harry’s tiny! Hermione’s hot! Snape’s in exile but he’s got a fat face! Wait, where’s McGonagall? Did she die in the last one too? I’ve never read the books as it would mean I’d have to read books…I’M SO CONFUSED!
A lot of complaints about Deathly Hallows Part A are that it’s not a movie in its own right, that you can’t suddenly walk into the cinema having never read the books or seen the previous films and understand it. Worst of all, it’s truly not a movie – there’s no beginning, no end. The entire thing is jammed somewhere in the middle and that’s all there is to it.
Well, speaking as one of the self-named Harry Potter generation, of course you can’t make sense of it on its own. If that makes it a bad movie, then what do you say of the Star Wars? I’ve only ever seen Phantom Menace and parts of Attack of the Clones (I fell asleep), and I didn’t understand so much I was bored out of my mind. Just because the early books have been amazing at allowing the reader to enter at any year does not mean the films will be the same. That started with POA when they were all running around in muggle attire.
This is my rather ranty point: this film puts the reviewer in a weird position, as a majority will be old enough to have never been caught in the phenomenon. Sure, they may have kids who have devoured the stuff, but otherwise it’s been an irritant for over a decade which they wish would pass them by. Even those who enjoyed previous films complained of the endless camping. There was endless camping in the book too, and yes, fans complained about it then.
In retrospect it’s a brilliant piece of plotting from a standard author – defuses while heightening the tension. I know this because I am primarily a bibliophile. I know a truly great author is made by mixing those vital elements of plot and writing skill. I know the majority feel Rowling cannot do the latter, and she may be no wordsmith but the ability to write the same characters into adulthood while carrying the readership with them is an incredible feat. The movies never tried to do the same. There just was never that expectation.
And so, we’re back at the complaints. There’s no way, I believe, to objectively review something like this. Those who don’t get it will call the whole thing a ‘franchise’, and those who do will frown and pity those who don’t while tying a European knot in their Gryffindor (Slytherin for me, sorry) scarf. So I’m not even going to bother. Instead, I’m going to – shock horror – tell you the impact 7A had on me.
If you squint you may be able to believe the film was meant to stand alone. It was not. If you like you can rally at Kolves for OOC moments, such as Ron’s ability to do the warding on the campsite; Harry’s a powerful wizard and, fair enough, would get it with practice. Ron? Hell no. And I love the Weasleys. Even Percy, the great prat.
For me, the most important aspect of this film was Lupin. For the first time since POA the casting made sense to me; I’ve always raised a brow at movie Lupin, who acts and looks nothing like my Lupin. Of course, it’s easy to say that of everyone (Alan Rickman’s Snape especially, although the only other actor I could see in the role – Benedict Cumberbatch – was a far too young 24 back in 2000).
That’s not to say the actors don’t make the roles their own – again, Rickman especially. But here David Thewlis’ Lupin really comes into his own. So does, incidentally, (hello to) Jason Isaacs’ Lucius Malfoy. Both age and distance – the last book was released in 2007 – have allowed me to see just why these people at the crème of British talent, instead of complaining that Julie Walters isn’t fat enough to play Molly Weasley.
That’s not to say the actors don’t make the roles their own – again, Rickman especially. But here David Thewlis’ Lupin really comes into his own. So does, incidentally, (hello to) Jason Isaacs’ Lucius Malfoy. Both age and distance – the last book was released in 2007 – have allowed me to see just why these people at the crème of British talent, instead of complaining that Julie Walters isn’t fat enough to play Molly Weasley.
No, 7A doesn’t stand alone as a film. If it did, it would only hinder it. Yes, 7B will make little sense to those unfamiliar with the source text as well, although hopefully my sister won’t be asking me why Hermione had clear her parent’s memories next time round. There’s danger, people. There’s a series close to the hearts of almost every Westerner who had their childhood in the past fifteen years. There’s the impossibility to be objective.
And there’s a film carried by three kids, (if I'm a kid so are they), one a teen at filming, which doesn’t do half-bad. Although I’d of liked a bit more of Draco Malfoy – Tom Felton seems in line to prove himself as the best Potter child actor yet.
And there’s a film carried by three kids, (if I'm a kid so are they), one a teen at filming, which doesn’t do half-bad. Although I’d of liked a bit more of Draco Malfoy – Tom Felton seems in line to prove himself as the best Potter child actor yet.
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