[HPFGU-Movie] Michael Gambon as DD + about the shot through the clock tower and the ticking sounds (SPOILERS)

[Hermione81]

Hi everyone!


*Warning: this contains some spoilers*


Wow, so many posts lately on this list, it's getting really tough to follow!
:)

OK, so here is Mathilde from Paris, saw PoA twice on its opening day here
(Wednesday), and really, really, really loved it. I started typing my own
review, but haven't yet found the time to complete and send it here;
however, I just wanted to send a quick (...) post about three points:

1/ Michael Gambon as Dumbledore: I am very surprised to read so many
complaints about him here. As for me, I never quite bought Richard Harris as
DD. Don't get me wrong, he was very nice, but far too much like a very nice
and sweet old grand-father...he didn't have the charisma and subtle
craziness I like so much in book!Dumbledore.
Michael Gambon, on the other hand, just *is* Dumbledore (at least for me).
He's so perfect. He has the energy and playfulness of the deliciously
excentric but oh so wise wizard... Just fantastic.
Well, anyway it's all a matter of taste, and I don't like to compare those
two actors, but if I had had to chose between Harris and Gambon, for me it's
Gambon all the way! ;)

2/ something totally different... I remember someone (can't remember who,
sorry, I'm on digest diet, and I'm too lazy to try and track it down, but it
was posted a couple of days ago by someone from England, I think) wondering
about that marvelous travelling through the clock tower in the Time-Turner
sequence (well, actually, there are two travellings, 'framing' the whole
Time-Turner sequence) had been made.
Now, I can't quite answer that question as it is far too technical for me
(could ask my dad, though, he's a cinematographer). BUT: I think you might
be interested in knowing that PoA is on the cover of this month's American
Cinematographer. Inside the mag is a very nice and interesting story about
Michael Seresin's (amazing) work on the movie. It's really great; I haven't
had the time to read it seriously yet, but I had a quick look, and it's
quite worth the read, I think. Seresin explains his choices in terms of
light and framing, and also talks about how they treated the CG sequences
and all... If anyone on the list is interested, I could send them the story
via e-mail (I have it scanned and saved to my hard drive as a PDF file).
Actually, I would love to upload it somewhere on the list's server so that
anyone could go and check it out as they will, but I don't know if that's
possible? Maybe one of the Elves could 'enlumos' me about that?

3/ someone else (or was it the same person as in 2?) was also wondering
which sequence had ticking sounds all the way through it ‹well, it is
actually (what else!) the Time-Turner sequence.  :)  You can hear ticking
virtually all the way through, be it in the music or just as a very remote
background sound... It's quite brilliant. Well, the whole sequence was
brilliant, as was the music. I loved the bit when Hermione turns the TT and
we see everything that happened in the course of the past three hours in
fast rewind... Anyone noticed the guy whose mummy-like bandages were removed
by Madame Pomfrey? That was hilarious! :)))

Ah, well. I think I'll have to see the movie a few more times... I'll
probably go again on Monday. Can't wait to see it again! I also LOVED the
ending credits, it was so cute...and what a nice and sweet final touch.

What a wonderful, beautiful, and surprisingly moving movie! I'll try and
post my (very long) review over the week-end; although many have already
done so, I feel like I have to post what I thought of it. I just have to. I
loved the movie too much to not be a poster this time.  :)


Mathilde