Washington Post review (ouch!)

[GulPlum]

Regina wrote:
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51493-2002Nov13.html

> I have heard that COS has a few problems, but he found nothing that 
> he thought was redeeming.   

That's not entirely true. He thought that the SFX were good (which 
they are) and admitted that the actyions sequences were well 
executed. His basic problem (as a non-reader of the books) was one 
with which I agree wholeheartedly (as someone who's read the books). 
This quote from his review:

"It's just a bunch of happenings that ape the progress of a story but 
never quite reach the threshold of narrative"

is basically a parahraphrase of my "it's just a series of set-pieces 
which lead nowhere in particular with no sense of narrative drive".

He wasn't sure whom to blame. I  primarily blame Columbus. Apart from 
seeming not to realise that he has to tell a STORY, he has absolutely 
no sense of rhythm - one of my HUGE objections to the movie as an HP 
fan which excellently illustrates this point is that the huge 
narrative climax (THAT anagram) falls down completely flat because 
Columbus can't see beyond the letter of the book. 

Coulson's magnificently rendered speech (ending with "Lord Voldermort 
is my past, present and future") makes the tension in the air 
palatable, but this is immediately completely lost because of the 
virtual eternity he spends writing his name in the air. As I've said 
before, Riddle's diary is at his feet (well, in Ginny's hands, but 
she's at his feet) with his full name embossed on it. Why on earth 
didn't he use that as a basis for the anagram?

I haven't yet had the opportunity to discuss the movie with people 
who've not read the book, but that will change on Saturday when I 
visit my sister, and we're all going together to see it (her, her 
hubby and their two kids, 6 and 3, none of whom have read beyond 
PS/SS). I suspect right now that the one who'll enjoy this movie the 
most will be the 3 year-old. He won't have a clue what's going on, 
but he won't see the need to look beyond the set pieces and 
scrumptious cinematography; his older brother will, and will sit 
there scratching his head trying to work out, for instance, why on 
earth Harry thinks Tom Riddle's diary knows anything about the 
Chamber. 

I'll report on their impressions when I return on Tuesday. :-)