In the sixth part of the series the characters and the cast had grown; the message is “getting darker” while safety is questioned.
Harry’s identity as the “chosen one” is confirmed, as is the former identity and some of the past of the Lord Voldemore. Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) gets his mission from Voldemore.
Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) asks Harry (Daniel Radcliffe)to help on yet another mission, interrupting his date, the muggle world is threatened by the wizard one and romance is starting to blossom in the Hogwarts; among the students that is, professorial staff remains chaste.
I had always thought that Radcliffe’s strength as an author is more in her descriptions than in her plots (those seem repetitive after the second book) or her dialog. Descriptions, once established, are hard to film anew. Moreover, her style is to create plot, sub plot and yet another one sub. Necessarily, film has to choose. This time, unlike in the last two parts, it goes for action. This choice creates relatively dark sense of foreboding, but is somewhat useless since everybody knows that there is at least one more book.
Romancing teenagers are normal; and much of the romancing among Hogwarts students is quite normal and appropriately hilarious. Poor Ron (Rupert Grint) suffers quite a bit. Partly because his character is still the goofiest underdog and therefore touching and different from the secure glamour seemingly overcoming the rest of the cast. Ron is, while falling in love, also being pursued, with some tasty chocolaty help, by Lavender Brown (Jessie Cave). Can Hermione' (Emma Watson) be really the same smart, awkward girl while wearing that awful ball gown? Harry is also falling in love, but Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright), the obvious choice, does not represent teenage awkwardness, she is there as an allure that turns dangerous.
Danger comes to Hogwarts. Is this the first time or does the past repeats itself? Tom Riddle was once a star student at Hogwarts. One of the most profound moments in this film is Harry watching a vial of memory with Tom Riddle in it. The profoundness is in the question. Memory can mislead anyone, it can be planted, it can be a lie. Combine all this with the darker side of so called love turning into stalking, and the complicated relationship between growing pupil, Harry, and his teacher and you get a whole new take at what dangers we all face.
Albeit, the film is uneven, even jerky. David Yates’ strength is not creation of dark fears and Guillermo de Torro, who is known for such ability, refused the offer to direct Half Blood Prince. Despite the length of the film many of the obvious questions remain unanswered. Sorry, but if the Millennium Bridge collapses in London would there be no repercussions? Nobody notices the growing interlacing of Muggle and wizard’s worlds? Even if the Death Eater’s vapors are invisible to human eyes, the results are not, why is there no outrage? Draco’s mission involving the Vanishing Cabinet is so convulsed that his mother asks Snape (Alan Rickman) for help, and Snape is scoffing, (Rickman is good at that) but doing, why? What about the poisoning? Harry rummages in a drawer, comes up with an unpronounceable medication and Ron is saved. Just like that? "Thank goodness you used the hoojamaflip," comments Dumbledore; and we are done. Just like that.
By Linda Winsh-Bolard
When Luna Lovegood, played by Evanna Lynch, appears in a Lion Head talking gibberish, I could not find why. All that, and Tom Riddle, takes up 90 minutes.
With that behind us, battle lines are taking shape and the film finds better footing.
There is plenty of magic, indeed magic is there all the time saving the heroes like a deus ex machine. Harry's responsibilities for defending the wizard and the Muggle worlds are growing.
When he and Dumbledore embark at the ill fated journey to a cave deep inside a forbidding sheer cliff clearly the power is shifting as well. Their pursuit is ill defined, yet the episode creates a false climax, an opening for the real confrontation between Dumbledore, Malfoy and Severus, with Harry as a witness. Dumbledore has forbidden his involvement. This is the open door to the next tow sequels but for the audience it is anticlimactic.
Composer Nicholas Hooper, cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel and designer Stuart Craig deliver strong music, visual and digital effects blended vey nicely. Yet the feelings is of overstretched fabric leading to the expected be a battle between good and evil, Harry and Voldemort, where the tension is hard to maintain. The dialog is at some moment truly wooden: Follow my orders. Ask no questions??
Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) is an adequate shadowy character, as a returning former potion s professor. Helena Bonham Carter, as Belatrix, appears in wonderful fire and seems thoroughly enjoy herself as the evil woman with power. She is accompanied by truly well executed shadows of the dark, the Death Eaters All the special effects came out nicely. It’s just that visuals can go only that far.
I have not read this book. I stopped by the third. So, I cannot judge if this is true rendition of the original. I am sure if you love Harry, you’ll find enough of him here to be happy. If you want more than Radcliffe (not in buff) you’ll have to wait.
