I think I understand...

[Theresa]

Wow this has been one busy list today. Cool! First I must say Richard 
I love your posts so please don't leave. People rarely respond to 
mine either and I just figure they read it and just don't have 
anything to add whether they agree with me or not. I think sometimes 
I am a little bit of a long poster. Anyway, I would love to have this 
list go from just the banter of I liked it or I didn't like it or it 
wasn't like the book. I was actually excited to see the movie 
beforehand because I had seen the visuals Cuaron uses when I 
rewatched The Little Princess around the first of May. He is very 
visual. He uses colors and lighting to make an emphasis on something 
and it really works well I think he many of the POA scenes. By the 
way, I did miss a bit of the mystery that the book had but I did 
expect it because I saw an interview with Cuaron prior and he 
mentioned they had little clues through out the movie to help you 
figure out the mysteries. Besides, I think all of the HP books are 
mysteries, JK gives clues to the endings each time and she gives red 
herrings. That is part of her appeal, at least to me it is. Also, 
just like Ande, I do not think that is the only thing separating the 
likes and don't likes. I believe that partly it is the difference in 
directing styles. Columbus makes good films but he has the softer 
family oriented touch and Cuaron who is more of an intense 
personality and that comes out in the films. The trio has stated 
numerous times that he was more intense and energetic.  I remember 
when Columbus first directed PS/SS though and people were saying he 
was great and all but they thought he was too warm and fuzzy for POA 
or GOF (OotP was not out when I heard/read those comments). I agreed 
with those posts and still do. Even the books have a different feel 
from the first two to the last three that have been released. She 
gets darker and less innocent. I personally don't think it would have 
work to have, Ande stated, a cleaner, golden/warm toned, and more 
innocent, type of setting for POA and I would not want that for the 
latter books when they are made into films either.  As for the 
endings of the films, hmm, I really did not care for the cheesy we 
love you Hagrid ending to CoS. I think that left me with a "what was 
that for" feeling when I left the theater. The freeze frame ending of 
POA at first viewing made me think "Man it's over" but then I saw the 
map and all the cute footprints and other things so it was an all 
right ending. I must say even though I like POA best, PS/SS had the 
best ending. I love the getting on the train and Harry saying he 
wasn't "really" going home. I hope GOF has a similar ending – Malfoy 
and his cronies getting hexed is what I want to see. I loved that. 
Anyway, I would love for you to discuss the cinematography and the 
like so please stick around.

Theresa