Film Review: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" (**1/2)

Within minutes of returning home from seeing the eighth and final Harry Potter film, I started tweeting away my untarnished thoughts on the event. I only got out three slight jabs, as I realized how many people on the receiving end of them were probably massive fans of the books and the films. I was suspended in disbelief when all the positive reviews came flowing in, because it does seem curious for a film series that's garnered quite a bit of critical recoil in the past to suddenly get all this buzz. It goes to show how the weight of hype and expectation can forcibly change an experience. Oddly enough, it didn't change mine. How I saw the film the first time is how I'll always see it, and trying to deny that is foolhardy.

The proudest jab, and somehow compliment, that I laid out on Twitter early this morning was "I feel like 'Deathly Hallows: Part 2' is the perfect companion piece for 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon'." I meant that in the best respect to "Transformers" and the worst respect to "Potter". That's largely because both films are so completely obsessed with that final battle, where everything blows up and the ultimate stakes are at risk. After taking care of that final mission in Gringotts, which is surprisingly one of the more favorable parts of the film, they just rush on over to Hogwarts, and then everything goes off like clockwork,

By "clockwork", I mean unyielding and extremely flawed if you throw in the wrong cog. The thing with the Transformers comparison is that while both go into the final battle with urgency, we never get a sense of exactly what we have to lose in Potter. Yes, it's the final war of the wizarding world, and in fact the muggle world as well, but we never once get any sense of extreme danger. In fact, in David Yates' intention to move things along quickly, the battle feels way too small and glossed over. We barely even see the full extent of it. He instead decides to dwell too long on plot details that could've been given a little less time and devotion. Occasionally the film moves too rapidly, and then it just slows to a sluggish crawl.

Prologue to "Potter"

If you haven't already noticed, and I'm not sure what kind of hole you have to be in for that to be the case, the decade in the making Harry Potter film franchise is about to come to an end. There was a pit in your gut to watching Deathly Hallows: Part 1, because even if you weren't saying goodbye, you knew the end was coming. That's not to overlook the film's many numerous pitfalls. It moved at a glacial pace in the second half, overlooked a few key deaths that would have emotionally compounded the experience (Mad-Eye, we barely knew ye'), and it placed us outside of the comfort zone of Hogwarts without matching that spectacle. I put the film in my top ten last year, but six months later, I cannot believe how wrong I was.

So now we're heading into Part 2, which is offering a lot more blockbuster excitement than the first half of the film. At this point, I'm not even sure if it's appropriate to call it the first half, rather than a film that exists perfectly on its own. I keep trying to watch Part 1 again, and I simply can't get past the Death Eater discussion scene without losing interest. Then going back over the entire series, I wonder what ultimately was the point of it all? There's so much that could have been done better and wasn't, but it's too late to go back. To be honest, I don't even think I want to. The excitement was there, but it was a child's excitement.

The somewhat amazing thing about the series is that it does perfectly carry you through your own childhood journey. Each film is built to appeal to the age of the characters it's portraying. Deathly Hallows: Part 1 speaks to college idea of leaving home and being somewhere strange and unfamiliar. In the same way, Part 2 is about returning home to a feeling of nostalgia, yet feeling oddly misplaced after so long, and finally moving on past it to a new life. I won't have my review up until Saturday, but many will obviously be shelling out the cash to go to the midnight showing. Best of wishes to all of you, but know that the magic can't and won't last forever.

For Your Anticipation: Come to Die

How can I still be preparing for disappointment at this point? Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 has the backing of nearly the entire critical mass, which I find more than a bit surprising. They've long been difficult to praise the series, without necessarily denouncing it. Now, it seems like they've been cast a spell upon, forgive the pun if you will. No, I most certainly will not be checking in with the midnight showing tonight. Tickets were sold out a while back anyway. I'll be gracing a late Friday showing with a friend or two, kicking back a diet coke, and waiting reserved anticipation for it all to be over.

Maniacal Charm: Best Villains of 2010

And thus we begin our Best of 2010 series with the Best Villains of 2010!

3. "Mother Gothel" from Tangled

Disney has always been a bountiful supplier of classic villains, and if their latest addition, Mother Gothel, doesn't quite reach the same heights as her competitors, there may be a reason for that. She doesn't quite have as much of a dark vision of evil, because she's trying to appeal to Rapunzel and as a kind mother. What makes her evil are not her looks, but her acts. She has no real magical powers at her disposal, but instead has her charming demeanor to her. She plants small seeds that won't truly come to fruition until later in Tangled, and then it makes sense to all of us. Even taking away all her scheming, look at what she does on the most basic level. She steals a beautiful little girl from her crib, keeps her locked away from the world, and then (SPOILER ALERT) kills Rapunzel's true love! She actually murders him and causes his death! What a b****!

2. "Voldemort" from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

From the first time Ralph Fiennes appeared on screen in Goblet of Fire, out of thin air and smoke, my first impression was "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH HIS NOSE!" The lack of a nose already makes it such a disturbing vision. The way Fiennes carries himself on screen is absolutely fantastic. The first and most substantial scene we get with him had me nailed to my seat with suspense. You get the idea of how cruel and evil this guy is. His whole mob session is played with a charisma and easy seduction of his guests. They simultaneously idolize and fear him, and as he walks around in search of a wand, everyone cowers in absolute fright. His cruelty to all human beings, not the least of which is poor Charity Burbage, is second to only one this year. Remember that part in the book where he feeds Miss Burbage to his snake Nagini? He feeds her to his snake!!!!!

1. "Lotso" from Toy Story 3

The other two villains on this list may have a higher body count, but sheer menace can go a long way, and even further if it's in the form of a plush teddy bear. One of the most fantastic things about the final film in the Toy Story saga was the southern accented Lotso-Huggin-Bear who presides over the toys at Sunnyside Day Care. The fact that he turns out to be a villain at all makes this installment all the more shocking. He could've easily turned out to be another Stinky Pete, but instead his backstory was done with lovely hues and melancholy string melodies, not to mention the cruelty of the life of a toy. The choice of lighting in most of his scenes is absolutely breathtaking, and there's never been a character that's had such distinct texture to him. His fur is old and frayed in unique ways. As always, it's what he does that earns him his place here. Tricking our heroes into a life of imprisonment and slavery, and then condemning them to death is as cruel as it gets. On top of that, this is a kid's film. We grew up with most of these toys, and Lotso manages to make just as much of an impact in just one film. The menace he holds in his hunched figure dominates any other villain this year.

Film Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1

The end has begun, and that has never been more apparent or heartbreaking than in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1, the first installment in the two part final chapter of the epic fantasy. Before I get things rolling, I think I should state right out front that this review is coming from the mindset of a powerful Harry Potter fan. I'm a lot of things, but I've never been a traitor, and I'm certainly not going to start here. And in all honesty, if you're not a fan of this saga, then I really don't care about you right now. I'm sorry to say that the opinion of a non-Potter fan means absolutely nothing, as you can tell by the sheer opposition of the critical masses and the fact that I simply don't care what most of them think. These films are never going to win Best Picture, and it's stupid to even hope. They are made for us, the fans, and in that respect, they've been a huge success. People are going to talk and argue and debate about this film heavily based on how reverential it was to the novel, whether or not things were still left out, and above anything else, whether or not this one is the best in the series.

The seventh installment in the Harry Potter saga follows our main trio on their most harrowing journey ever. If there's a word to describe this film perfectly, it's despair. The wizarding world is in chaos, under the near constant threat of attack by Voldemort and the Death Eaters. The Ministry of Magic has been infiltrated, and our trio of Harry, Ron, and Hermione are now on their own in a rather frightening world. Meanwhile, they try their humble best to save the world by destroying the individual pieces of Voldemort's soul, so that they can one day hope to finally beat him. However, this film doesn't at all sugarcoat how dire their situation is, and how vastly outnumbered and outmatched they are. To put it simply, saving the world is literally the hardest and most terrifying thing to do. Not that you didn't assume that already, but this film confirms it as a fact.

Never before has the threat of death seemed more real in a film. A particularly squirm inducing scene at the beginning of the film, featuring Voldemort doing despicable things to a former Hogwarts teacher, really brings this prospect home. We're not in childrens territory anymore, and this one lives on the dark edge of the PG-13 rating. There are some prominent horror elements that will truly cause the audiences to fear for our trio's lives. The thing that stuck around in my mind was the fact that it made me forget that I had read the book at all. There were moments when I felt that I had no idea what was going to happen next.

This film really features some absolutely astounding directing from David Yates, master of tone. The man now has a title to cling to, and it's a very appropriate one. Over the course of the last three Potter films, Yates has turned the tone of the series into something new and unique. It's unlike any film you've ever seen before, which is something that only the best films can claim. This really is a road film, with the trio wandering desperately around these magnificent landscapes, thus allowing the audience to drink in the scenery and the sense of loneliness that pervades every frame. This is probably the closest thing we'll ever get to a live-action Hayao Miyazaki film like Princess Mononoke.

One of the main objections propped up against this film is the camping sequences, which were also a weakness from the books. The pacing in these portions does slow down, though not as tremendously as hinted at before. It is a bit slow, but mostly because you're not really sure what's going to happen in certain scenes. All the same, they definitely condensed a lot of the lacking space into meaningful passages. This is probably as short as it's going to get. It does offer plenty of truly emotional scenes, including a rather warm and sweet moment between Harry and Hermione. The two really come to reconsider their relationship after Ron leaves, and though they know that they will probably always be purely platonic friends, they cannot help but reach out for a shoulder to lean their heads on.

However, my favorite scene of this film, without a doubt, is a different one between Harry and Hermione, where it really feels like they're about to give up, and I wouldn't blame them. They no longer have a home, and if things stay as they are, they will never see their family or their loved ones ever again. It's a truly melancholy moment that works as a parallel of real world fugitives seeking refuge in Mexico or Canada. If you haven't figured out by this point, I absolutely adored this film, but that doesn't mean there weren't a few things I wasn't sure about. The scene where apparitions of Harry and Hermione appear before Ron definitely felt awkward, and got a reaction of surprise and fear from the audience.

I always said that I'd be able to move past most problems with the film as long as it was well written, and I stick by that. The screenplay by Steve Kloves works brilliantly for the most part, but there are a few scenes that just didn't feel right and felt like they could use further work. I wish that I had more to dislike about the film, just so it wouldn't seem like I'm nitpicking at small and insignificant problems. There aren't any more, because this may indeed be the best film in the series. It definitely eclipses Half-Blood Prince in terms of action, dialogue, emotion, and even artistic integrity.

The performances from our main trio are as fantastic as they've ever been, and if they hadn't been sticking to these characters for years, I'd suggest one of them for an acting nomination. Daniel Radcliffe continues to bring the sorrow of Harry's situation through to the audience, and works best in the quiet scenes, of which there are many. Rupert Grint is absolutely hilarious for most of the film, and Ron will always be proper comic relief, but he also packs a dramatic punch in one particular scene. However, the best performance of this film comes from young Emma Watson, who brings Hermione to new life. She's really the strongest female character of any fantasy franchise, with clever intellect and quick action coming second to the heartbreaking sensibility that comes through in most of her scenes.

I'll be damned if I'm not going to mention the supporting cast of the British elite. Alan Rickman puts in great work in his fleeting time on screen as Severus Snape. Imelda Staunton returns as Dolores Umbridge to remind us why we despised the fifth film so much, not from her performance, but from the foul atmosphere her character aided to. Jason Isaacs is a particular standout as the disheveled and broken Lucius Malfoy. Helena Bonham Carter is absolutely insane as Bellatrix Lestrange, and it works best in this film, if it works anywhere. As for Ralph Fiennes, my early expectations of an increasingly hammy performance were thrown out the window by this terrifying depiction. If you have somehow forgotten, Voldemort is, and forever shall be, pure evil. There are also fantastic, if short, performances from Rhys Ifans, Tom Felton, David Thewlis, Brendan Gleeson, and Toby Jones as the voice of the honest and loyal house elf, Dobby.

As said before, these films have reached an artistic peak with this installment. The production design is second to none, and has been constantly delivering on a massive scale for years. Cinematographer Eduardo Serra surpasses the fantastic work of Bruno Delbonnel and adds textures and hues that feel noticeably strange, but realistic. Alexandre Desplat sold me weeks ago on his score for the new film, and though I wish it was used a bit more, it shined through several scenes. Expect Oscar nominations a plenty in the technical departments, even if it's unlikely they'll exist anywhere else. As for where this film ranks in the grand scheme of things, I would've been hesitant to call it the best immediately after I saw it, but it has grown on me immensely in the few hours since then. The ending may feel a bit abrupt, but know that it isn't an ending. It's just the beginning of the epic finale. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 doesn't feel so much like a prologue as it does half a film, be it a magnificent one. It's a film about the loss of life, innocence, and faith.

A-

Saturday-Sunday: The Constant Gardener

Somehow, my day ends on the same line I've been following from the first film set down to watch. The Constant Gardener was released in a year of five nominees, but if put by today's Best Picture rules, it certainly would've made the top ten. The thriller follows Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes), a British diplomat with a passion for gardening, who finds out that his wife Tess (Rachel Weisz) has been murdered in Africa. Within the first ten minutes, I was completely caught off guard by the events taking place. I'd heard that Rachel Weisz had won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in the film, and going into this film with such little knowledge about it other than the main players, I was not expecting her to be dispensed with so quickly.

The first forty minutes of the film are dedicated to telling Tess' side of the story from the very first moment she met Justin, to her powerful activism in Africa, and eventually to her inevitable death. Every scene with her in it exists with such a pang of sorrow for what will happen to her. The man who holds most of the film together is Justin, who is always trying to do best by his job and to protect his wife no matter what. When she is taken from him, he goes through a magnificent transformation into a man with nothing to lose, and into a human being as brave and impassioned as Tess was in life.

The man with nothing to lose has been done in several forms, but none as convincing or true as Ralph Fiennes is here. The man is quite literally a genius who is able to play both heroes and villains with a commanding power and grace. Except for Hades in Clash of the Titans. That was just pathetic, sad as it is to say. Rachel Weisz does the best with what precious little screen time she is given. She's not a character who recurs throughout the film. She holds the screen with passion and vigor for the entire first act, and if it hadn't been a brilliant performance then we wouldn't have been carried through the rest of the film.

The supporting cast does a great job as well. Richard McCabe is that delightful geeky sidekick who comes in along the way to offer crucial intellect to help the case. Danny Huston still continues to draw out the worst in me, and I still hate him with all the blood and animosity I have in my veins. Here, his character is a complete douchebag so it's easier to hate him. It's no excuse for his piss poor talent. Bill Nighy keeps a nice presence as the main villain of our piece, and he's a lot more commanding and conspiratorial than he was in The Girl in the Cafe. He needs to merely flip one small switch on his immense switchboard to channel his energy into a completely new character.

Things are pushed forward by the high energy tight wire musical score, and the textured cinematography. However, like I said before, this film does follow a line through the other films I've seen today, but more so with The Girl in the Cafe. Where as that film was a more romantic and politically minded film, it still dealt with powerful female leads trying their best to improve life in Africa wherever they can. In both films, it takes a while for their men to finally understand the point and stick up for what they always believed in. Needless to say that Justin Quayle pays more dearly for contributing than Lawrence did. The Constant Gardener is a physically and emotionally activating thriller, and a more than worthy end to the first of my two day series.

A-