Goblets and Gillyweed

Yes, I saw Harry Potter 4 last weekend, in a giant theatre, with stadium seating, surrounded by fans who hissed at Draco and cheered when Hermione dressed up for the Yule Ball, who hid their faces from the scary-ass mermaids and cried along with Harry when…

Oh, screw it. You people who haven’t read the book, and so don’t know what has happened had better step off right now. Giant SPOILER WARNING. Begone, the lot of you. I’m talking to the rest of us, to those who have read all six of the released novels and who aren’t going to freak out when I say that Cedric Diggory was murdered in a small and offhand way that just proves the abject cruelty of the people involved here. And you won’t be freaking out, because you’ll have been waiting to see that moment on screen for about four years now.

I think the movies keep getting better and better. Sailor Boy is correct when he argues that they are companion peieces to the novels, rather than stand a lone films — if you haven’t read the book, you’d be really confused byt eh movie. In the last one, they never did get around to explaining who the hell Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs were, which ruined the punch of the Patronus charm, IMO. And in this one if you hadn’t been checking out your DVD of number one and hadn’t read hte book, you’d never catch that those wispy things talking to Harry inside the Cage of Phoenix Song (which they never do explain, but oh well) are Harry’s folks. And lord help you if you’ve forgotten what Polyjuice potion does, that’s all I have to say. But man, they’re still great.

Always rather thought Daniel Radcliffe was the weak link of the Hogwarts triumvirate, but he’s really come into his own here, I think. I was crying right along with him when they Portkeyed back into the arena. Whereas Hermione was acting mostly with her eyebrows. Maybe they should have left all that S.P.E.W. crap int here, if only to give the poor girl something to do. Though I must admit, Emma won me over at the Yule ball, for so perfectly demonstrating the look of joyous wonder on an unpopular girl’s face on the evening she’s finally, finally having a good date. I’ll forgive the eyebrows. And I’ll forgive Rupert Grint anything so long as he promises to cut his damn hair. Fleur didn’t have the look I’d been expecting, but Krum was PERFECT.

And how about Moody? He didn’t look at all the way I’d expected, but the actor embodied him with perfection. That ferret scene was… brill. The tongue! And another hell-yeah for Mr. Fiennes. They spend a lot of time talking about how handsome Voldemort *used* to be (and hello, that Tom Riddle kid from number two is a total teen poster boy!) but I believed it. Something about those eyes. But then again, he also looked like the English Patient again, so it wasn’t too much of a stretch. Same makeup. And he really sold the vanity and supreme cowardice of Voldemort, to ask to duel with a child, even after admitting that it was no great power of Harry’s that caused his destruction. What a wuss, really. Gambon took A.D. in a new direction, I think. Whereas in three he was still channeling Richard Harris, he’s gone of in his own direction now. Interesting. Is anyone else reminded of the different between Gandaulf the Grey and Gandaulf the White?

And then of course, there’s my honey, my baby, my sweetheart Alan Rickman. Never enough screentime for that guy, I swear, and one of his biggest scenes kept him silent the whole time. ::pout:: But that is the genius of Rickman. He makes even his silent scenes standouts. What a guy.

Speaking of, I think 6 will knock my socks off, or even 5 with the Occlumency lessons, because, as we all know, Diana’s one contribution to film theory: Alan Rickman Makes Everything Better.

I leave you with the following reflection:

“The whole episode — this business of killing off the headmaster — cannot look good on the Professor’s resume. Who’s he going to use for a reference now? Voldemort? And how might one reach a person who cannot be named? Does he also have a daytime phone number that cannot be named?” — Mary Beth Ellis