[HPFGU-Movie] More reflections and ratings of the actors - very, very long

[Christina Gross]

Hi, 

I'm Christina and usually lurk on the main list because I can never
catch up on reading my HP mail. 

I, too, loved the movie. It was great to see everything on the screen,
the casting was inspired, and on the whole it's a good companion piece
to the book, a promising start and much better than I'd expected from
a director with Chris Columbus' record.

What I missed were the lingering effects of Voldemort's presence, the
evidence that people are still afraid of him, even if they believe
that he is gone for good, and the pressure Harry felt himself under to
prove himself, to prove that he really belonged in Hogwarts and the
magical world. 

On Fri, 23 Nov 2001 01:23:15 EST, Schlobin1 at aol.com wrote:

>Here are my ratings, with hope that they will inspire spirited dialogue.
>
>Harry Potter/Daniel Radcliffe. 
>Rating: Fine
>He was okay.  He was not spectacular. His best moments were when he lit 
>up
upon winning the Quidditch match, at Christmas
.he was pretty wooden 
>serving food at the Dursleys, and in the Dark Forest. 

I thought he was just right. He is the quiet one of the trio and he
seemed very determined. The Dark Forest scene was the only part of the
book I felt they really ruined. 

>Ron Weasley/Rupert Grint. 
>Rating: Extraordinary.
[snip]

He was brilliant. I hope they will give him a few good fights with
Malfoy in future movies. I can just see him stubbornly turning a cold
shoulder on Hermione or Harry, too. 

>Hermione Granger/Emma Watson
>Rating: Fine. 
>She was okay, but not extraordinary. Her best moments were setting fire to 
>Snape's robes, and demolishing the Devil's snare.

Loved her. But then, Hermione is my favorite character. Emma was just
as snotty, just as eager to show off as she had to be. I liked how her
sense of adventure was awakening after a while. Maybe she was too
cute, but since I never pictured Hermione as ugly I didn't have a
problem with that. I wish they'd given her the teeth, though. This way
we're losing another Snape-moment.

>Albus Dumbledore/Richard Harris.
>Rating: Fine
[snip]
>By God, he looks and sounds like Albus Dumbledore and he DOES twinkle when he 
>says that the whole school knows about Harry's encounter with Quirrell. He 
>WOULD have done better had he been given the comic/eccentric lines, and I am 
>hopeful that he will get off his high horse and do better in the movies to 
>come
.What wonderful costumes they gave him to wear.

In the hospital scene it became quite obvious that Richard Harris
could have played Dumbledore the right way if they'd let him, IMHO.
There was the twinkle and the wisdom and the fatherly touch. Some of
that was also there in the scene with the Mirror of Erised, but here
and at the opening feast they surgically removed his eccentric sense
of humor. 

>Severus Snape/Alan Rickman
>Rating: Extraordinary
>Rickman brings Snape to life - swooping around like a bat. I'm really annoyed 
>at the script that makes Snape look like a good guy, who is misunderstood. He 
>is far more nasty, capricious and totally unfair in the book.
[snip]

I did a little dance when I heard that Rickman was going to play
Snape. He is just the man to play one of Rowling's most complex
characters. It's interesting that she felt she needed to tell Rickman
more about Snape than what was in the book. I hope they won't go any
further trying to make him nicer, though. His wishing Harry good luck
for the match was too much already. He is honorable in his own way and
brave, but also bitter and nasty and unfair, and Rickman should be
allowed to play him that way. 

>Rubeus Hagrid/Robbie Coltrane
>Rating: Extraordinary
>Coltrane breathes life into Hagrid in a wonderful, wonderful performance that 
>is enhanced  by the script. I could not really understand how Hagrid could be 
>so careless in releasing information until I saw the movie. His affection for 
>Harry, his involvement with dogs, and dragons, and other magical creatures, 
>his devotion to Dumbledore
.they all shine through
.

Agreed. What do you think Rowling told him about Hagrid? Other than
Snape, Hagrid seemed to be just the guy from the book.

>Minerva McGonagall: Dame Maggie Smith
>Rating: Extraordinary
>Maggie Smith fills out and enhances McGonagall's character just as I hoped 
>she would.
>I hope JKR will be inspired to see how adult women can be powerful and 
>important. 
[snip]

I hope so, too. As it is Dame Maggie's part will become less
interesting with every movie. What a waste. 

>Uncle Dursley: Richard Griffiths
>Rating: Between Not Very Good and Fine
[snip]

>Aunt Petunia: Fiona Shaw
>Rating: Fine Minus
[snip] 
>It's almost as if all the Dursley characters played it as a joke
I guess it 
>was okay. I really liked the curlers in her hair in the hut on the sea scene.

I liked Vernon's joviality that was covering the nastiness. Petunia's
speech about Lily didn't work without the context provided by Hagrid
in the book, but Fiona Shaw delivered it well. I thought they conveyed
the important things about Harry's life at the Dursleys without
dwelling on it too much. Rowling also hides the abuse behind the
parody.

>Madam Hooch: Zoe Wannamaker
>Rating: Fine - Plus
>I had not paid much attention to Madam Hooch until I saw the trailer. Zoe 
>obviously brings a panache (aided by the costume) that I did not sense in the 
>book.  I love her eyes and her boots and her general flair. I love all the 
>characters who manage their robes so well.

Number Three on my personal Top Ten of Hogwarts teachers. And I pretty
much ignored her in the books. Rowling ought to write a few extra
lines for her, too. 

>Professor Quirrell/Ian Hart
>Rating: Replace this one
>I thought he was awful. I'm glad they don't have to replace them.

Agreed. The stammer was awful and he didn't work as a villain at all.

>Nearly Headless Nick: John Cleese
>Rating: Not very good, flat performance, lackluster

Judgement reserved till CoS. I don't know why they bothered to bring
him on already. BTW, the Bloody Baron zipping across the Slytherin
table with a big laugh on his face? I think not!

>Professor Flitwick/Goblin Bank Teller/Warwick Davis
>Rating: Between Extraordinary and Fine-Plus

I liked the Goblin. Flitwick was ok, but he didn't really get to do
much yet.

>Mrs. Weasley/Julie Walters
>Rating: Not Very Good - Minus
>Too tawdry, too made up, hair too obviously dyed
..

They need to work on her costume. But she is Molly. Wait until you
hear her howler. Or just watch Billy Elliott. :-)

>Fred and George Weasley
>Rating: Fine
>They were pretty much Fred and George. Good job, nothing terrific.

Agreed. They were introduced and left alone, which was a good idea
given the time constraints. Their time will come....

>Ginny Weasley
>Rating: Not every good
really, who could tell? Not terribly impressive.

There was no reason for her to be impressive in PS/SS. She just had to
be there.

>Mr. Ollivander/John Hurt
>Rating: Extraordinary
>Magickal, spooky, wonderful
.

Nice cameo.

>Percy Weasley/Chris Rankin
>Rating: Not Very Good at all
>He wasn't pompous! Or condescending. Just kind of fatherly. No good.

Hard to say. 

>Draco Malfoy/Tom Felton
>Rating: Fine
>He was fine. Wasn't quite as nasty as I would have liked. Much cuter than I 
>think he should be, given his portrayal in Canon.

They need to do something about his hair. And let him be nasty and
arrogant and condescending. He ought to have been established as
Harry's adversary more clearly. 

Best
Christina

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