Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 1

♣♣♣♣/♣♣♣♣♣

As a standalone movie, it will seem boring and will not make a lot of sense, at least for those who really have no background about Harry Potter (Do such people exist! Seriously?). However, as part of a whole this movie is probably one of the best among the series. It serves its purpose well as the breather before the climax.

What is admirable about this film is the contrast. There are a lot of scenes that are silent, as if intentionally done to prep the audience for a bigger action-packed scene, of which this movie has only a handful. This mood is maintained all throughout the film’s two-hour run. It is a good decision to split the material into two parts in order to build excitement, be more faithful to the book, and give time for the fans to review the books before everything ends. Seven months for seven books would do, even at a rather slow pace of one book a month before July 2011 comes.

The sight of Hogwarts’ walls, or the thought of being inside them, gives one a sense of relief. Since the school is barely shown here, there is just that looming sense of uncertainty that hounds you, even if you are just a part of the audience and not in the scenes yourself. Perhaps this is what makes it different from previous films in the franchise.

Wait a moment, is that Bill Nighy? Cool to see random Brit actors come and go in the Harry Potter world. It is a bit awkward though, I was half expecting him to suddenly break into a song (Christmas is All Around, maybe?) while handing out Dumbledore’s inheritance. Ha ha ha.

While it is true that Emma Watson has grown up to be a fine young lady, it is just weird how people say that of the three she was the one who aged gracefully as if she just turned 60, although one easily gets what they actually mean to say. How old is she anyway, 20? Is she even planning to pursue an acting career post-Harry Potter? If that is the case, then hopefully she finds a way to break away from the Hermione character she has portrayed for the last ten years or so.

The ending is a cliffhanger, which makes the last film more worth the wait. Since all the bloody magical battles are concentrated on the second half of the book it is almost a guarantee that this series would end with a bang.

All around the world there should be at least one person who as a high school teenager turned to Harry Potter to escape from the real world. JK Rowling, you witch. I would like to thank you in advance for sharing Harry Potter and his world to all of us. And as the movies come to a close, all I can say is that you deserve all the millions deposited in your bank account.