Turn The Page

This is by no means a film review; merely a little a quick write up on my thoughts. While thoroughly enjoying this book; moving the plot forward in the most dramatic and signifcant sense, while simultaenously furthering emotional ties with characters and producing some of the best unaswered questions that spurred the most in-depth Potter conversations with friends — the movie was a complete disappointment.

Everything that I feel has already been written in reviews, but I feel I have to reiterate some critics’ opinions. Mike McCahill at the Telegraph reminded us all of the reason for the film’s rather lengthy delay

Rumours surfaced of disastrous test screenings of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, followed by major reshoots that enabled last year’s schedule-filler Twilight to gorge on the tweenie pounds.

Sarah Crompton at the Telegraph has really identified some of the issues I have with the movie;

For the rest, there is a fair amount of humour as Harry and his pals discover that life isn’t only about saving the world, it’s also about girls, and star-crossed love. Ron (Rupert Grint), pursued by the amorous Lavender Brown, is given a knowing line in teenage disillusion.

I’m sure scenes have been created, and some given much more screentime than necessary, purely to further the relationships between Ron and Hermione, and Harry and Ginny. Yes these are important relationships, but as someone who is now twenty, and who grew up with this franchise, and at the same time, was also a teenager, the idea that these opinions would still be shared by teenagers of this age is preposterous. Sure these are still kid’s stories, and much of this annoyance should be reflected with Rowling’s writing as much as Yates’ directing; but seriously the childlike flirtation is nothing short of cringeworthy for the majority of the film. The actors clearly have grown up, despite makeup artists trying their hardest to die down their now drinking-age faces, and Dumbledore’s quick “you need a shave,” again only just falls short of embarassing.

I read in the Times at the weekend a 2star review that mirrored much of the same, though can’t find it online now. One of the most criticising lines on the film that again reflected perfectly my own opinion; was the notation that Dumbledore’s death really didn’t leave an affect. Finishing the book, this was heartbreaking to read, it was a character I’d grown to love in this lost fantasy world that once a year I’d throw myself into, a character who, especially over the course of this book, really became a favourite character. Yet within the film, the death was dry, unemotive, and wholly stiff; rectified minorly, only by, Radcliffe’s acting in the scene — a surprising feat until you think about the considerable improvement in his talent since that first film eight years ago — and that was just the final disappointment to nail this coffin shut.

And finally as Damian Thompson compliments and shows us all; the Vatican approves. And to be honest if a film about witchcraft and wizardry gets the thumbs-up from the Vatican, then you must know you’re doing something wrong. A truly disappointing experience, but undoubtedly one that will be incredulously overshadowed when the next two years’ double bills come out, and so, until then.

This has turned into much more of a rant than I wanted it to, I’ll come back and hate this structure soon. Perhaps expect a review. I would say don’t see this film, but the problem is you will of course, because with Harry Potter we always do.