MOVIE: Vanity Fair layout observations

[Hillman, Lee]

No: HPFGUIDX 26118

Well, after a week and a half of searching for it (and two days of wanting
it only as a distraction), I found the Vanity Fair here in my own building's
bookstore.
 
Poring over the pictures has made me realize a few things that are tres cool
and I wanted to share.
 
1. Harry under the stairs. The grate in the door looks like the same one
he's looking through in the trailer.
 
2. The Dursleys. Okay, first I want to say that Fiona Shaw looks just like a
perfect housewife--like a cross between Margaret Thatcher, Barbara
Billingsley (Leave it to Beaver), and the actress who played John Cleese's
wife in "A Fish Called Wanda." And Vernon's suit is horrid--you can just
tell from looking at it that it's polyester. Yuck! Love the pictures of
Dudley, and did you notice the one of Vernon and Petunia on the sideboard
behind Fiona Shaw? Love, love, love the kitchy knickknacks and chintz
everywhere. My "Grownup" thought on this one: On the wall to the right,
above Dudley, there is an 18th century pastorale print. A shepherd is
serenading a shepherdess with what looks like a clarinet. There's a rose in
the shepherdess's bodice. Is it me, or does that rose look... like something
else, when you don't really concentrate on it? Ahem.
 
3. The twin trios. First of all, I miss the green in Slytherin's colours.
Second, I've commented before about the long tables--in most Medieval halls,
they are oriented the only way possible, despite Rowling's description. No
problem with that change--also there are what look like entrances on the
sides (though they may be confessional spaces and little shrines in reality,
given that this was a cathedral). Also, I love the haircuts on Crabbe and
Goyle--they look so menacing. Tom Feldon is so cute I want to pinch his evil
little cheeks. My L.O.O.N.-league observation: Emma's right sock has a stray
thread (apropos of nothing). Radcliffe's eyes: blue, but the Entertainment
Weekly article noted that the green contacts irritated his eyes, so they
will be CG-ing the eye colour in many shots. Love the books strewn behind
them on the table. The Really Cool Thing in this picture: The wall sconces
are held in the mouths of beast-like gargoyles. So sweet!
 
4.  Hagrid. Crossbow is weird; I'm not sure what the pan on the end is
supposed to do. I do like that it's very thick and looks like it shoots at a
very high poundage (pressure with which the bolt leaves the nock point).
It's also hard to tell how large Fang really is, because we don't know what
he looks like next to a normal person or the kids. He does look like an
adorable bloodhound. What claws! Hagrid better get a hook for the lantern,
though--it must get very warm, since the handle is over the chimney. Love
the giant key-chain that is weighing down the right side of his belt. And
yes, we have a new definition for the term "Mole-skin."
 
5. Flitwick, Quirrell, and Hooch. Love the Room! Love the Dragon skeleton!
Love, love love, Madame Hooch! I do wish she weren't standing on her broom,
though, but either holding it or showing it somewhere other than the floor
(levitating?). She also needs to lose the goggles, though they look
appropriately WWI-ish. Quirrell looks appropriately a. young b. shifty. Has
anyone else noticed that the nails on his left hand are long and pointy?
Almost femininely manicured. The right hand is closely trimmed. But here's
the thing: I have a problem with Flitwick. Up until this photo, we've seen
him seated, and it's been okay. I also appreciate that Davis says he's
become quite a Potterholic as a result of making the film. But in this
photo... well, there's just no hiding the fact that Warwick Davis is a
little person. To me, Flitwick is tiny, yes, but also thin and winnowy, and
Warwick can't claim that. The outsized hands don't help this image--frankly,
he looks like a dwarf, not like an extremely diminutive man. However, it's
one of many points I'm willing to try to overlook.
 
6. Dumbledore and McGonagall. Someone (John Walton?) commented that Richard
Harris looks like a tired old man. I maintain that he isn't focused on the
camera, so it's hard to tell what he's thinking or doing. He looks a little
spaced out, to be honest. I still think the beard looks okay, though it
could be even longer, but the hair itself looks somewhat fake. Too much like
crepe hair, which it probably is. Love the purple robe, though, did anyone
notice the knotwork around the hem? Cut velvet is a cool thing. Dame Maggie
Smith is totally perfect. I know others disagree, but she has always been
the person whom I picture as McGonagall. That is, assuming they couldn't get
my high school math teacher to play her. :^) A last word on the backdrop
here. The portraits are probably whatever was really there, and I really
like seeing the different periods and a mix of males and females, but I
wonder if they'll make any effort to show any portraits of people in
wizarding garb? Or are robes a fashion element of wizard clothing that have
gone in and out of style, like Muggle clothing? Anyway, I particularly like
the frame of the portrait just to Maggie's left--the pointed frame with the
arched matte inside it. For some reason it just has the right feel.
 
7. Snape! Everytime I turn to this page, I grin and giggle. And no, it's not
just because it's (swoon) Alan Rickman. He's just so severe! It's perfect!
Gush, gush, gush. Love the expression and the posture, like he's about to
rise up and order some poor student to detention. Like Tom Feldon in the
other picture, I just want to pinch.. well, maybe not pinch his cheeks, but
certainly pat them. Such a cutey-head! And again, as in the first press
releases, I noted the white undertunic that shows at cuffs and collar. Very
proper, our Severus. Okay, for the rest of the scene: LOVE the arcane
beakers and test tubes--looks just like Dr. Jeckyll's laboratory. Also
absolutely love the blackboard with its Greek symbols and very Kabbalistic
looking geometry (nod to RJ Anderson, who used Kabbala-inspired magic in her
potions theory in Potion's Master's Apprentice). I don't actually mind the
light coming in the window here--my personal take on the "dungeons" is that
they don't have to be without light. I do like that the window is rather
high up, which makes it look like the window is at ground level or
thereabout. If there were no light, it would be too dark to see him!
 
8. The ghosts. I agree with John on this picture--it's a little on the
cheesy side. John Cleese shouldn't cross his eyes like that--it looks really
dumb. The other ghosts aren't what I expected either--don't like the Friar
at all. I never pictured the Baron to be a Restoration era ghost; I pictured
him older than Nick, actually, like in a cotehardie or houppelande, or even
just in wizard's robes. And the blood should not be red, but perhaps silver
didn't translate will to film. Note to those theorizing about the Grey Lady:
if JKR approved her costume, then it is very unlikely she is Rowena
Ravenclaw. Her gown is 16th century, something between Tudor and German. I
love her trim! Note to SCAdians on this list: both her costume and Nick's
look great.
 
9. The Quidditch Team. As with Hooch, I quite like the Quidditch gear look.
The white wide-wale corduroy pants are very cool-looking. I like the 3/4
sleeve robes and the greaves, vambraces, knee and elbow cops, and gauntlets
that look a cross between hockey gear and something from Starlight Express.
I'm glad they have some protective gear, though--makes me feel better to
think about those bludgers hitting them. The Quaffle next to George is very
neat-looking and looks like something you could actually grab in the air. I
didn't picture Alicia as being Indian, either, but it makes sense and works
just fine. Love the other two girls as well--Katie looks like a serious
player to me, and Angelina looks like someone who doesn't put up much fuss.
Oliver looks like he wants to get this photo over with and get out on the
pitch. Fred and George look a little too serious--it makes me wonder what
they're up to. Love that they have the exact same expression, though. And
Harry--well, he just looks like he's skating along like he does through so
much of the books. As for background, the common room doesn't exactly look
like I pictured it: I'd rather not have the Unicorn Tapestry wall paper. I
pictured paneled walls and this feels a bit too busy, but it does look nice
and cozy on a winter night. The rug is well-worn; again, probably something
that was there already, but a nice detail. I didn't picture portraits in the
common room itself, though. Can anyone make out the name on the bottom of
the portrait to Harry's left?
 
10. The chess match. Not much to say about this one except I can't wait to
see this sequence. Ron looks suitably smudged from having been thrown down a
dirt shaft, tangled up in roots, and then set on fire. One can see the fire
is in little footlight-like pockets around the chess board. Will reserve
further judgment until I've seen the film.
 
All this just makes me jonze even worse for November 16! Sigh. Back to
watching movies featuring the cast....
 
Gwen