A Balanced, Faithful Potter Adaptation
by Joe Hackman

After the overly-compressed and ultimately dissapointing fifth Harry Potter film, I was not terribly content with director David Yates. He was no David Lean in his treatment of the epic, brilliant source material (not that they should really channel Laurence of Arabia, but the film felt ultra-condensed). However, I am proud to inform you that Yates has taken a step in the absolutely right direction; with Half-Blood Prince, Yates has created a perfect mixture of tone, story, humor, and action, all distinct and important elements of Rowling's novels.
Not overly moody like the book had the tendency to be ("Sirius Black is dead!" Harry would repeatedly lament in one form or another), the film uses visual contrast and well-placed comic relief to establish a tone that is more faithful to the ultimate tone of Rowling's novels. Cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel creates some absolutely beautiful imagery around the castle in contrast with often dark skies to create a sense of imbalance. Although grey is the color which most readily comes to mind, there are some very warm colors thrown into the fray. In addition, Hogwarts is shot more widely, making the halls and grounds feel bigger which, consequently, intensifies the sense of paranoia and urgency that is so prevalent in the story.
You see, Harry returns to his sixth year at Hogwarts in the midst of what is a new war of the wizards. Voldemort is hiding out, but his Death Eaters are carrying out his wishes, the first of which is to break into Hogwarts. What they will do there and how they will get there, only Harry and friends can speculate. Add this tension into the mix with the usual teenage drama that will inevitably happen, teenage or not, and you get yourself one stressed out group of young wizards and witches. Yates does a good job at cutting the pork out of the story and maintaining (and staying true to) the important details. Perhaps the mistake I made before seeing the 5th movie was reading the book right before watching the movie (I was re-reading the series for the impending 7th book at the time), but the story in this movie felt more effortlessly told - the essentials are there and there is not the feeling that a lot is being left out.
However, despite all the drama, there is an impressively executed and well-placed sense of humor in this film. When I was younger, my mom would always remark how much I would laugh while reading the books (I probably still do) and the Rowling brand of comedy is skillfully transferred into The Half-Blood Prince - my friends and I laughed throughout (sometimes at remarks we would make to each other). There is a really hilarious scene in which Harry takes an elixir of luck and Radcliffe skillfully (in other words, not over-the-top which would have been easy) plays a basically high Harry. He is giggly, happy, and jumpy. There are other very funny moments, such as Luna Lovegood's Lady GaGa-esque Christmas gown, Ron's obsessive girlfriend, and typical interaction between the three leads.
Speaking of which, something hit me while watching the movie - the acting is really good. This is in part testament to the director and casting crew, but a lot of credit is due to the actors. Radcliffe is really a talented actor, and Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have both come to an impressive ability to blend comedy and drama. I thought about how much a crapshoot it must have been, just about ten years ago, casting young children who would grow up with the role and maybe or maybe not end up being good actors/actresses. There is a big difference between being able to play 11-year-old Hermione and 16-year-old Hermione and the three leads have come into their respective roles quite nicely. In addition, the adult cast is just great. Alan Rickman continues to be one of my favorite actors, making a line like "Mr. Potter" a symphony. His moments are sublime and the understanding that Rickman conveys is brilliant. Helena Bonham Carter really lets loose with this movie and her scenes are deliciously twisted, while the actress who was originally cast as Bellatrix Lestrange (Helen McCrory) is now playing Narcissa Malfoy. The scene between her and Rickman in the beginning contains some really excellent acting. Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent (hilarious), and Julie Walters all do expectedly excellent jobs with their roles.
As the action unfolds, the movie feels just long enough and the balance is spot-on. Screenwriter Steve Kloves spreads out the action sequences, each one building on the next. There is one scene outside the Weasley's that is shot geurilla style which really adds to the tension and another scene in a cave with fireballs that would make Michael Bay weep. It's this balance that I keep mentioning, this equilibrium which makes the sixth movie of this series the best. I can't say it was my favorite book (Harry was too winey), but it was, in fact, better than even Alfonso Cuaron's Prisoner of Azkaban. If you are fan of the Potter series, book or film, or if you just like well-crafted stories, I would recommend that you go out and see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

So, I had a moment where I was really proud to be with friends. I was at my friend Bowman's house with like 4 or 5 other people and we decided to watch Religulous and he's tearing apart these religions and everyone was like, "Fuck yeah!" It was brilliant, because with most other people in Cincinnati, they'd be like, "This guy is offensive!" It was cool. I like my friends, haha.

So, anyway, the film is Bill Maher's response to, well, religion. Maher, who is the authority on everything (literally!) goes around and interviews a bunch of radically religious people, upsetting them a great deal in the process. Maher holds no punches, and isn't afraid to offend the interviewee, something that's rare in documentaries. But this guy has no shame, so... He only interviews two people who are smart in their faith, though. I go to a Jesuit high school and, while agnostic, I see a lot of people (priests, teachers, fellow students) who have experience-based faiths and who are very intelligent and logical in their faith and theological expression. It was a shame he didn't interview too many smart people - I guess they would have outwitted him and he knew it.

But, as a comedy, the film succeeds, and that's half of its intention, so it gets lots of points there. There were several moments where we were laughing so hard that we had to pause and rewind to catch what happened afterwards (the parts we missed usually inspired laughter as well). It was a cool experience to watch so deeply atheistic a movie with a group of friends and have 0 objections. That was the coolest part for me.

8/10

Kate Winslet took home two Golden Globes last weekend, the first of which being for her fantastic performance in Stephen Daldry’s The Reader. She won Best Supprting Actress, but that’s a very deceiving award because her performance in this film about post-Nazi Germany is most certainly a lead role. Framed by the absolutely excellent cinematographer Roger Deakins (No Country For Old Men among others) with the help of Chris Menges, the film is about a young man (played by newcomer David Kross) in Berlin who winds up in an affair with an older woman (Kate Winslet). Years later, while studying law, he attends her trial for mass murder in relation to her involvement with the SS.



The film earns its R-rating within a matter of minutes, and the first half of the film seems to follow their affair which is mostly Kross and Winslet having sex. I was surprised to learn that Kross (not to be confused with David Cross) is only 18 years old. He looks older, even when he’s supposed to be 15. He looks about 25 in the law school years, so kudos to the makeup department. His performance is interesting - there are poorly delivered lines, but he gives an ultimately nuanced and impressive performance.

Speaking of makeup, Kate Winslet’s makeup is incredible - the department had to make her be 33, 43, and 66 (I believe those are the ages - somebody correct me if I’m wrong) and I think a few ages in between. She truly appears to be these different ages while still maintaining the spirit of Hanna Schmitz. Her performance is a tour-de-force. She is at once touching, troubling, and deeply sensual, a perfect study in morality and loneliness. The trial scenes are compelling, but the most impactful scene for me was the fight between Kross’s Michael and Hanna. She deserves an Oscar nomination for her complete immersion in the role (although I maintain that Cruz should win for Vicky Cristina Barcelona).

The film’s editing is ultimately what hampers its success. There are scenes which could have used tighter editing but instead drag and remove the audience from the culminating emotions and themes. I’m not sure how I felt about the way they edited in Ralph Fiennes’ scenes - he plays older MIchael and his performance spans 20 years or so. Fiennes is, of course, excellent - he’s one of my favorite actors - but the scenes felt awkward where they were placed in relation to the story of his youth. This is one of my only qualms with the film, but it’s a pretty bad one to have.

In the end, however, the film asks some very striking and complex questions: who is truly responsible for the crimes committed by the SS? Where is the balance between systemic control and free will? Is it irresponsible for an older woman to partake in an affair with a younger man? What if it was the other way around? These questions and the performances which so subtly ask them are what make The Reader, when all is said and done, a good film. Despite pacing problems, Winslet and her fellow actors create a complex and compelling story.

So last night, I went and saw Rachel Getting Married at our local art house and it was a fantastic film. The high-definition looked very good on the screen there. I could tell from commercials and clips on talk shows that it wasn't shot on film, but I was able to forget that and enjoy the actually very nice quality and texture of the images, although the handheld got a little obnoxious (my eyes hurt by the end of the thing).

Rachel Getting Married is about a recovering addict named Kym (played by Anne Hathaway) who returns from rehab to attend her sister Rachel's (Rosemary DeWitt) wedding. Family demons unfold and drama ensues. It's fantastic. Anne Hathaway gives a powerhouse performance of which I did not know she was capable. It's really unsettling and haunting. Rosemary DeWitt, as the sister, is equally nuanced in her problems and in character development, albeit not as explosive as Hathaway's character.

But the role that has been haunting me since I saw the film is the role of Kym and Rachel's mother, played terrifically by Debra Winger. There is one scene in which Kym confronts her mother and things just explode. I couldn't move. I was just gripped to the screen. It was absolutely incredible. Winger deserves all the awards on God's green earth for that scene alone.

In conclusion, Lastly, etc.: Rachel Getting Married is a complex, thematically rich, and beautifully acted film about families and all of the subtleties therein.

So the last week of school is often a week of film-watching and not-class-having. In AP French Language IV, we watched the French film Joyeux Noel with Diane Kruger in the lead role. The film felt terribly realistic and close to life because the languages that would have been spoken were. The language barriers and the differences between the Germans, French, and Scottish made the uniting on Christmas Eve all the more moving and powerful. It's a truly well-made film if you haven't seen it. Perfect for the holidays. 8.5/10

In my AP Literature and Composition class, we watched Trevor Nunn's Twelfth Night, which we just finished reading. It was funny and well-acted. Ben Kingsley and Helena Bonham-Carter are truly gifted actors and they handle Shakespeare's language very effectively. Imelda Staunton is also good, playing a different kind of role for her. This is a very faithful and ultimately charming film version of one of the Bard's classic comedies. 7/10

In my American Film class, we also watched a film (as one might expect). We just finished The Godfather last week and our assignment over break is to watch Part II (it's on my Christmas list). However, in the past week we watched Martin Scorcese's Raging Bull, which is fueled by a transformative and hugely powerful performance by Robert DeNiro. Very similar to Milk, DeNiro inhabits the role and you forget who it is. A lot of the problems that I've had with DeNiro's other performances are that it's so obvious that it's DeNiro. The director was trying to say, "This is Robert DeNiro, you guys!" and not "This is Jake LaMotta." or whatever other role he was playing. Raging Bull is obviously a classic, the second best movie of 1980 (second only to another black and white film). 9/10

Speaking of transformative performance, I went and saw Milk this past weekend with my girlfriend and it was a truly excellent film, teeming with hope despite the tragedy that everyone saw coming. It's incredibly relevent, intentionally political, and masterfully executed. The editing is perfect in creating a mood and the directing by Gus Van Sant is probably his best work. Plus Sean Penn, always there for a good performance, gives the performance that I've seen him do. He embodies Harvery Milk, he becomes the guy. It's truly amazing and ultimately moving. If you are not uncomfortable with gay characters or two men kissing or anything like that and if you believe, as I do, that everybody should have the same rights, gay or straight, black or white, tall or short, then go watch this film. It's a great work. 9/10

So the last week of school is often a week of film-watching and not-class-having. In AP French Language IV, we watched the French film Joyeux Noel with Diane Kruger in the lead role. The film felt terribly realistic and close to life because the languages that would have been spoken were. The language barriers and the differences between the Germans, French, and Scottish made the uniting on Christmas Eve all the more moving and powerful. It's a truly well-made film if you haven't seen it. Perfect for the holidays. 8.5/10

In my AP Literature and Composition class, we watched Trevor Nunn's Twelfth Night, which we just finished reading. It was funny and well-acted. Ben Kingsley and Helena Bonham-Carter are truly gifted actors and they handle Shakespeare's language very effectively. Imelda Staunton is also good, playing a different kind of role for her. This is a very faithful and ultimately charming film version of one of the Bard's classic comedies. 7/10

In my American Film class, we also watched a film (as one might expect). We just finished The Godfather last week and our assignment over break is to watch Part II (it's on my Christmas list). However, in the past week we watched Martin Scorcese's Raging Bull, which is fueled by a transformative and hugely powerful performance by Robert DeNiro. Very similar to Milk, DeNiro inhabits the role and you forget who it is. A lot of the problems that I've had with DeNiro's other performances are that it's so obvious that it's DeNiro. The director was trying to say, "This is Robert DeNiro, you guys!" and not "This is Jake LaMotta." or whatever other role he was playing. Raging Bull is obviously a classic, the second best movie of 1980 (second only to another black and white film). 9/10

Speaking of transformative performance, I went and saw Milk this past weekend with my girlfriend and it was a truly excellent film, teeming with hope despite the tragedy that everyone saw coming. It's incredibly relevent, intentionally political, and masterfully executed. The editing is perfect in creating a mood and the directing by Gus Van Sant is probably his best work. Plus Sean Penn, always there for a good performance, gives the performance that I've seen him do. He embodies Harvery Milk, he becomes the guy. It's truly amazing and ultimately moving. If you are not uncomfortable with gay characters or two men kissing or anything like that and if you believe, as I do, that everybody should have the same rights, gay or straight, black or white, tall or short, then go watch this film. It's a great work. 9/10

So the last week of school is often a week of film-watching and not-class-having. In AP French Language IV, we watched the French film Joyeux Noel with Diane Kruger in the lead role. The film felt terribly realistic and close to life because the languages that would have been spoken were. The language barriers and the differences between the Germans, French, and Scottish made the uniting on Christmas Eve all the more moving and powerful. It's a truly well-made film if you haven't seen it. Perfect for the holidays. 8.5/10

In my AP Literature and Composition class, we watched Trevor Nunn's Twelfth Night, which we just finished reading. It was funny and well-acted. Ben Kingsley and Helena Bonham-Carter are truly gifted actors and they handle Shakespeare's language very effectively. Imelda Staunton is also good, playing a different kind of role for her. This is a very faithful and ultimately charming film version of one of the Bard's classic comedies. 7/10

In my American Film class, we also watched a film (as one might expect). We just finished The Godfather last week and our assignment over break is to watch Part II (it's on my Christmas list). However, in the past week we watched Martin Scorcese's Raging Bull, which is fueled by a transformative and hugely powerful performance by Robert DeNiro. Very similar to Milk, DeNiro inhabits the role and you forget who it is. A lot of the problems that I've had with DeNiro's other performances are that it's so obvious that it's DeNiro. The director was trying to say, "This is Robert DeNiro, you guys!" and not "This is Jake LaMotta." or whatever other role he was playing. Raging Bull is obviously a classic, the second best movie of 1980 (second only to another black and white film). 9/10

Speaking of transformative performance, I went and saw Milk this past weekend with my girlfriend and it was a truly excellent film, teeming with hope despite the tragedy that everyone saw coming. It's incredibly relevent, intentionally political, and masterfully executed. The editing is perfect in creating a mood and the directing by Gus Van Sant is probably his best work. Plus Sean Penn, always there for a good performance, gives the performance that I've seen him do. He embodies Harvery Milk, he becomes the guy. It's truly amazing and ultimately moving. If you are not uncomfortable with gay characters or two men kissing or anything like that and if you believe, as I do, that everybody should have the same rights, gay or straight, black or white, tall or short, then go watch this film. It's a great work. 9/10

So the last week of school is often a week of film-watching and not-class-having. In AP French Language IV, we watched the French film Joyeux Noel with Diane Kruger in the lead role. The film felt terribly realistic and close to life because the languages that would have been spoken were. The language barriers and the differences between the Germans, French, and Scottish made the uniting on Christmas Eve all the more moving and powerful. It's a truly well-made film if you haven't seen it. Perfect for the holidays. 8.5/10

In my AP Literature and Composition class, we watched Trevor Nunn's Twelfth Night, which we just finished reading. It was funny and well-acted. Ben Kingsley and Helena Bonham-Carter are truly gifted actors and they handle Shakespeare's language very effectively. Imelda Staunton is also good, playing a different kind of role for her. This is a very faithful and ultimately charming film version of one of the Bard's classic comedies. 7/10

In my American Film class, we also watched a film (as one might expect). We just finished The Godfather last week and our assignment over break is to watch Part II (it's on my Christmas list). However, in the past week we watched Martin Scorcese's Raging Bull, which is fueled by a transformative and hugely powerful performance by Robert DeNiro. Very similar to Milk, DeNiro inhabits the role and you forget who it is. A lot of the problems that I've had with DeNiro's other performances are that it's so obvious that it's DeNiro. The director was trying to say, "This is Robert DeNiro, you guys!" and not "This is Jake LaMotta." or whatever other role he was playing. Raging Bull is obviously a classic, the second best movie of 1980 (second only to another black and white film). 9/10

Speaking of transformative performance, I went and saw Milk this past weekend with my girlfriend and it was a truly excellent film, teeming with hope despite the tragedy that everyone saw coming. It's incredibly relevent, intentionally political, and masterfully executed. The editing is perfect in creating a mood and the directing by Gus Van Sant is probably his best work. Plus Sean Penn, always there for a good performance, gives the performance that I've seen him do. He embodies Harvery Milk, he becomes the guy. It's truly amazing and ultimately moving. If you are not uncomfortable with gay characters or two men kissing or anything like that and if you believe, as I do, that everybody should have the same rights, gay or straight, black or white, tall or short, then go watch this film. It's a great work. 9/10

Slumdog Millionaire is British director Danny Boyle's film about life and suffering in a modernizing India, a tale that is both unrealistically (but effectively) uplifting and classically appealing. It is a very good film - the cinematography is top of the line and the acting is excellent - and it is surely a crowd-pleaser, but it is difficult to see how Boyle shot amidst those endless mazes that are Indian slums and still came out with a happy, positive tone. In the film, the slums are not a metaphor for the endless maze of poverty but a sort-of launching pad for Jamal, the ambiguous and charming main character.

Perhaps Boyle saw hope in the slums - perhaps there is a humanity there that one can't see from a wide angle shot. When Salim is sitting on an in-construction building looking at the new development where the slums used to be, it is implied that the ghetto has been moved. It doesn't just go away. And yet it seems that Boyle forgot this, but there must have been one for him to shoot in. Slumdog is cock-eyed in its optimism, but that doesn't make it any less of a visual and aesthetic accomplishment. Great performance from newcomer Dev Patel and from seasoned actors like Anil Kapoor.

In many ways, the movie is a fairy tale. It is a visually stunning, corporate, modern fairy tale that does a whole lot to charm its viewer (and succeeds a whole lot). My friends liked the movie, and so did I. As the credits roll, you can't help but smile. It's uplifting, it's rooted in hope. I guess I was just expecting a downer for some reason - but don't get me wrong, I wasn't disappointed by the movie. It's a great film and surely an awards contender.

I feel like I should note that this is the first movie that I've seen in theatres since Vicky Cristina Barcelona (or was it Hamlet 2?). Australia is a sprawling, long, romantic, long, and visually enticing film by the guy who directed Chicago. It was okay, nothing terribly special. Hugh Jackman was good and Nicole Kidman, despite being somewhat difficult to look out (especially on that big of a screen), had a few excellent scenes. I wish they would have killed of Nulla, though - I wanted to see her handle a truly difficult acting scene.

It deserves a cinematography nod come Oscars, but that's the only thing I can see it deserving - maybe Art Direction. It's a pretty movie, it's just too long and too theatrical for film. This has an audience, I think - I'm just probably not of that crowd. 6.5/10