Movie review

[Carol]

Brian wrote:
<snip>
> Up to now, with the exception of POA, I've enjoyed each movie more than the last.  In fact I thought the movies did more to make the characters human and emotionally real than JKR ever did. After the drama of Phoenix, I hoped for something better, but, like the book, this movie seems like a filler. <snip>

Carol responds:

I can't speak for the film yet, but I certainly don't regard HBP the book as filler, probably because I'm a Snape fan. "Spinner's End" gave me a thrill of horror like nothing else before it because I knew that Snape was swearing to commit some deed he didn't want to commit or die. I loved getting the background on young Snape (I was pretty sure that he was the HBP long before the revelation). Both the cave scene and the tower scene were riveting and I was torn to pieces wanting to believe that Snape was good but feeling that perhaps I'd been wrong, in which case JKR had "betrayed" (misled) me. I liked the glimpses of young Riddle and the Gaunts in the Pensieve, too (most of them chopped from the movie). I didn't think it was at all pedestrian. I'm trying to think of moments I *didn't* like and all I can think of is the "chest monster" and Harry's so quickly getting over his guilt and shock for performing Sectumsempra on Draco. Okay, anything in HBP with Ginny in it annoys me, but I thought the book was brilliant in both the American and the British slang sense.

Naturally, I had high hopes for the film and still hope that at least some of my favorite moments, especially those involving Snape, will be preserved. (I'll just have to imagine Narcissa as youngish, beautiful, and blonde, playing helpless maiden to Snape's knight in monk's clothing).

Carol, who understands that all of us have different perspectives and not trying to persuade Brian to like the book