Casting mis-steps & Set Changes.

[Cat]

This thread has been fun & thought provoking. 
After considering the thoughts & opinions regarding different social definitions of beauty I went on a quest to find Fleur ... as I see her. I whole heartly agree with the disappointment expressed in Posey as Fleur (sorry I don't remember who brought this up initially, else I would give credit where credit is due) I saw a picture of a young Brigitte Bardot http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000003/. Now picture that face with a "long sheet of silver blond hair" ... Fleur? I am sure that they could have found a young Brigitte Bardot look-alike...They found Harry Potter didn't they?

Regarding set changes. 

Child of Midian said:
>snip<
<I think worse than any casting was the failure to create a layout of the castle and grounds before the first film was ever made and insist that all directors stick to it.<

Cat says:
ABSOLUTELY! JKR had already created the Wizarding World and had already detailed the groundplan and layout for Hogwarts and the grounds ... All they (movie-makers) needed to do was consult canon!

Child of Midian said:
>The placement of the Whomping Willow in COS was ignorant considering POA the book was out and CC had read it, it made no sense to have it right next to the castle which is why it was moved for POA,OTOH moving Hagrids hut for POA made no sense, nor did making it different from the original set. The forth book was out by the time the first film was finished, they should have had a complete and thorough topography laid out and maintained consistency.<

IMHO - The director-who-must-not-be-named made lots of irrational changes, added totally irrelevant items, ignored others, and eliminated a lot of important details,  ... Sorry, echoes of very old rants... His changing the location of Hagrid's Hut, I think it was  moved too far from the castle for no good reason. It was outside the castle and right on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Great symbology there - Just outside the accepted the formal confines of Hogwarts castle but still within the grounds. And standing as a guard/protector between the Students & staff and the unknown perils that exist in the Forbidden Forest. ALSO, just a silly observastion....How much time did students have between classes? Since after CS, Hagrid's Hut (where Care of Magical Creatures was conducted)was a lonnng way from the castle. Did student's have enough time to make their class?

Cat (POA was my least favorite HP movie)