PART ONE - A REVIEW

Well folks, here it is, the highly anticipated, much talked-about first part of what has turned out to be the most successful movie franchise of the past decade. I myself joined the Harry Potter frenzy right after having seen the first film nine years ago, when I bought the first 4 novels and devoured them one after the other. Then, like any other fan, I waited impatiently each year for the next book… And I didn't particularly love the last novel : the rhythm, the overlong explanations at the end… So I was skeptical, to say the least, when I heard that it was being adapted into two films. My fear grew when I heard that the director, David Yates, was  to remain at the helm after having shot what I consider as the two weakest films of the franchise: "The Order of the Phoenix" and "The Half-Blood Prince" (book that I absolutely love).
So what is the verdict?

Bloomin' brilliant! For the first time we can actually get to know our main characters and relate to what they are going through. Loved ones dying, friends angry at one another, a feeling of abandonment… the whole symbolically representing what coming-of-age is all about : the loss of innocence. Beautifully shot in some of England's most striking landscapes, most notably around Malham, at the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, the director managed to skillfully blend both the epic and the intimate while maintaining a sense of the spectacular.

Fans of the book will be delighted to see how much material is featured while appreciating the filmic choices that come with every major screen adaptation. On a more personal note, while it is still a delight to see most of Britain's top actors in one film, kudos must go to Rupert Grint who gives Ron Weasley more depth in this film than his cast mates Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson managed to achieve in the whole series. His ruggedness only emphasizes his sensitivity and brings real warmth to the story.  Two thumbs up for the brilliant dance sequence between Harry and Hermione - off-beat, clumsy, unexpected - it is a touching moment which gives a profoundly humane aspect to the whole film while summing up the beautiful complicity these actors have on and off-screen.

So there you have it my dear Muggles. Use your nearest Portkey or travel via the Flu network to the Opera and prepare to lose yourself for two and half hours of movie magic!

A. Smith