My review (also too long)

[Catherine Coleman]

At the risk of being repetitive, here's my own handful of knuts....

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...Particularly compared to Texas.  It rains a lot almost *everywhere* 
compared to Texas.

Overall, a big improvement on the first two films, both of which made me 
cringe throughout.  This one only made me cringe in about 3 places  :-). 
I really enjoyed sitting through it.  I didn't get bored, which was a 
first for me - didn't look at my watch once.

I loved the depiction of the Potterverse in this film, although the 
overall tone and use of humour didn't sit well together in places.  The 
general feel of the movie, cinematography-wise was much darker.  I loved 
the muted, grainier colours, I loved the new look, rugged Hogwarts - it 
wasn't as picture postcard;  I loved the details.  The clock imagery was 
not lost on me and I also found it effective (if a little overpowering 
towards the end of the film).   I felt that some of the comedy detracted 
from the darker tone.  Some of it was very appropriate, when it involved 
character interaction and throwaway lines (Steve Kloves has got a bit 
better at that, I think), but the seasonal diversions such as with the 
whomping willow marred the way in which the atmosphere of the landscape 
was developed.  I found this diverting the first time - after that it 
became annoying.  I agree with Penny - the costumes and haircuts were a 
huge improvement and  Daniel seems to have grown into his hair at long 
last.

Pace - too fast, and I could have done with another half an hour.  It 
seems very strange that PoA is the longest of the adapted books so far 
and is the much shorter movie.  As Pip said after the film last night, 
we'd just seen the "edited highlights" of the book.  My aunt told me 
this morning that she felt as though it didn't work as a film in its own 
right, but was more of a visual aid to the books (and an inaccurate one 
at that) - I do see what she means.  I can't imagine how I would 
understand what was going on if I had seen the film without reading the 
book.

I don't have a problem with the plot changes, but more with omissions. 
I'm very intrigued by Lupin's reminisces about Lily, if appalled by the 
sentimentality.  Over sentimentalising things was a problem for me - the 
worst was Harry's line about the house in the country where Sirius would 
be able to see the sky.  I didn't find the lines about Harry imagining 
talking to his parents effective either, during the patronus lessons.  I 
think the real Harry would have rather faced a thousand deaths rather 
than reveal a thought like that, at that point.  The heart thing with 
Sirius (both with Harry and Lupin) didn't work for me - in fact, Sirius 
seemed far too together than he should have done (rather a departure for 
Gary Oldman, I think!)

Omissions - I felt it a great shame that there wasn't really any 
indication about the past history between Snape, Sirius and Lupin.  For 
this reason, the Shrieking Shack scene didn't work for me at all.  I 
found that whole scene so bad, that I sat with my head in my hands, 
moaning "oh no, oh no, oh no" for most of it.  It is such an important 
scene, in every way, and it was ruined, IMO, by the fast, frenetic pace, 
by the music and the moaning of the shack which was incredibly 
intrusive.  I can see what they were trying to achieve - presumably a 
sense of confusion (and disorientation?), but I just couldn't see how 
Harry leapt from wanting to kill Sirius to defending him.  Most of the 
exposition was omitted - I presume that's why they let Harry see Peter 
Pettigrew on the map prior to this, so he would more readily believe 
Lupin and Sirius - but I really wish they had slowed the pace, put more 
of the exposition and discovery in - allowed a relationship to form 
between Harry and Sirius before the scenes outside.

I thought the patronus scenes were excellent.  I loved the dementors - 
superbly done.  I loved the sense of actually seeing the soul begin to 
depart from Sirius - and as has been pointed out, it means that Harry in 
effect saved Sirius' "soul" rather than his "life", which may be of some 
import at a later date.  I also got a strong sense of Harry actually 
thinking about a  happy future with Sirius when he conjured the 
patronus, and the fact that he was fighting for that, rather than 
thinking about happy past memories.  I don't know why that has never 
occurred to me before, but it makes a lot of sense.  I would have liked 
to see more Prongs and Harry interaction, but you can't have anything.

The acting - I agree that Ron was under-utilised, despite the fact that 
I am still not a big Ron fan (even after OoP).  Penny - I loved your 
shipping comments!  And I did enjoy Clueless!Ron.  I also had the same 
thought about why Hermione grabbed hold of Ron. (All is definitely not 
lost).

I thought Emma Watson was very good, but it was a bit girl power for me. 
The howling, the throwing stones, the grabbing of Harry irritated me. 
I wish we'd seen her break down a bit, and be under pressure, because I 
think Emma would have handled it well.

Daniel Radcliffe - big improvement, although I still wasn't convinced by 
his crying.  It's just a shame they seem to be developing Sappy!Harry in 
the way they are (see above on sentimentality).

Tom Felton - when he's through with HP adaptations he should definitely 
stick to fishing.

The twins were better  (loved the hair) - loved the scene when they got 
invisibility-cloak-covered Harry by the armpits.  Those were the kind of 
comic touches I really enjoyed, along with the dormitory scene etc. 
Very funny, very effective.  I like the use of the invisibility cloak 
generally in this film.

Very disappointed with Lupin.  He didn't come across as the kind, 
troubled person I have always felt he is.  Sentimental, yes - kind, no. 
When he told Harry off and confiscated the map, I wanted more of a 
contrast between him and Snape - I wanted reproachful, sorrowful 
expression, not anger.  I didn't feel as though he had the weight of the 
world on his shoulders either, which I've always felt to be an integral 
part of his character.

Sirius - Gary Oldman was OK, but I still think Colin Firth would have 
been better(!)  I wanted to see the face-transforming smile, and I'm 
wondering whether it was omitted because it just wouldn't work with Gary 
Oldman. (Those are his real teeth, aren't they?)

Emma Thompson - fantastic.  Loved the prophecy scene - the aftermath 
made me laugh a lot.  I also wish we'd had the Christmas scene, because 
it's one of the funniest, and it would have given Maggie Smith more to 
do - she and Alan Rickman were seriously under-utilised.

Agree with Neil on Michael Gambon and Robbie Coltrane (and Hagrid).

Thought the same thing about Neil about Dawn French and Lenny Henry - 
but the other way around.  "I'll only be a shrunken head if you sack 
that Elizabeth Spriggs and let my Dawny be the Fat Lady."  Dawn French 
was, well, Dawn French.  I've just had a random thought - she'd actually 
be excellent as Umbridge.  She does sinister quite well, and seems to 
have a penchant for fluffy jumpers (does in the Vicar of Dibley anyway). 
Now I think about it, I can also see Jennifer Saunders as Rita Skeeter. 
Hmm.

Special effects.  Loved Buckbeak, loved Aunt Marge (particularly with 
Dudley watching TV throughout - did anyone else think Dudley seemed 
rather *amiable*?).  I cannot *believe* that they did the Titanic thing! 
I fully expected Harry to start yelling "I'm the King of the World!" 
instead of just whooping.  Loved the map, loved the Knight Bus.

I thought the music was excellent, for the first time, despite the way 
it was used in the Shrieking Shack.

Finally - I thought the ending was fantastic.  Original, upbeat, 
optimistic....(Oh, my poor Harry!)


Catherine