10 Films I Can't Wait To See In 2011

Does anyone remember the last time I did one of these? Reality so often disappoints our expectations, but I'm confidently saying that the ten films mentioned herein will be better on average than the two out of five success rate on my previous picks.

With 2010 done and dusted, what cinematic pleasures does 2011 hold? These are the films I'm most looking forward to at the top of 2011. Think of this as a "Coming Soon" trailer for the next year on the blog, in how it's highlighting the best of what's to come and being curiously unrepresentative of the catastrophic rants in between...

ATTACK THE BLOCK (dir. Joe Cornish, released April 8th)

What's it all about? A trainee nurse becomes embroiled in an alien invasion of Earth when a crashing meteor saves her from council estate muggers. The muggers murder the alien inside the meteor and exhibit it on top of the tower block where they live, attracting extraterrestrial attention.
Why so excited? I'm a huge fan of Joe's work with Adam Buxton, and I've been dying to see what he's been working with while the BBC 6Music Adam and Joe show has been off-air. Hopefully the radio show will return around the time the film comes out too, so there's doubly good news about Cornballs' debut feature film.

THE BEAVER (dir. Jodie Foster, released February 11th)
What's it all about? Toy executive and family man Walter latches onto a prescription puppet after a mental breakdown leaves him estranged from his loved ones. He learns to reconnnect with humanity by speaking through his beaver puppet.
Why so excited? Walter is played by Mel Gibson. Nuff said. It'll be really interesting to see if Gibson will be forgiven by audiences for the real life madness that's hitting the press at the moment. To me, personal life doesn't get in the way of art, even if Gibson off-camera is very clearly in need of help for some of his prejudices. But if you need more persuasion, then you can take a peek at the really very interesting trailer here.

BLACK SWAN (dir. Darren Aronofsky, released January 21st)
What's it all about? Nina is a seasoned ballet dancer who's perfect for the role of the white swan in an upcoming production of Swan Lake, but the lead is traditionally supposed to play the black swan too. Just as a younger rival draws the eye of her director, she finds trouble tuning into her darker nature.
Why so excited? It's not just that Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis are very beautiful women, but the prospect of Aronofsky turning his appreciable talents to a psychological horror film. This one's been earning rave reviews too, and it looks brilliant to boot. And it might have a little bit to do with the beautiful women. And their sex scene together.

COWBOYS & ALIENS (dir. Jon Favreau, released August 12th)
What's it all about? In 1873, an amnesiac outlaw called Jake Lonergan is jailed in a scumbucket Wild West town called Absolution. When an alien invasion (yep, another one) touches down in Arizona, the townspeople face a fight for their very existence, and it could be that only Lonergan can help them win the day.
Why so excited? I hated Jonah Hex. I wasn't crazy about Wild Wild West or The Warrior's Way. However, I do like Westerns, and if there's a fun genre hybrid to be had, it's going to be this one from Jon Favreau. Cutting loose from the Iron Man franchise, he brings a cast that includes James Bond and Indiana Jones to what promises to be a very enjoyable summer blockbuster. If this turns out shit after all, I will be heartbroken.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (dir. David Fincher, released December 26th
What's it all about? Yeah, no one's ever heard of this, right? A journalist about to go to prison for a wrongful libel conviction becomes embroiled in a 40 year old cold case, and along the way he attracts the attention of anti-social computer hacker Lisbeth Salander, who helps in his investigation and beguiles him in equal measure.
Why so excited? I went from dreading this remake when I first saw the Swedish version to really looking forward to it after seeing the sequels. Also, Fincher cemented his position as one of my favourite directors with The Social Network, so I can be relatively certain that we won't get a repeat of Let Me In- I'm looking forward to seeing what he has to bring to this story...

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART II (dir. David Yates, released July 15th)
What's it all about? After making it around two-thirds of the way through JK Rowling's final instalment in Part I, the Harry Potter saga comes to a close. There are three of Voldemort's Horcruxes left, and all of them need to be found and destroyed before the Dark Lord can finally be killed. Harry, Ron and Hermione bring the fight to Hogwarts, and the final confrontation begins.
Why so excited? Stop asking me that! There's been seven films already! It's going to be hugely satisfying to see this story completed- the end of a phenomenal cinematic undertaking over the course of a decade, with the series' very best director at the helm and an incredible momentum built up by its imminent predecessor. Part I was as close as this series will ever come to arthouse. Now it's time for an explosive finale...

RED STATE (dir. Kevin Smith, UK release TBA)
What's it all about? I'm eager to avoid having one of those blogs that Smith vents his spleen about on Twitter, so I'll quote only from the Red State of the Union Smodcast podcasts. The film is about "three high school boys go in the woods to find sex and instead find God." Yep, it's a horror film from Kevin Smith...
Why so excited? With its interesting subject matter and the great cast, Red State intrigues me in a big way. It's a complete regeneration on Kevin Smith's part- I'm a big fan of his work, and I'm sure there are many film fans who'd love to see a favourite director take on an entirely new genre as Smith has done with this film. The hype does seem to be coming largely from Camp Smodcastle, but I'm actually rooting for the "no pandering to press/critics" approach to pay off in marketing and selling this film.

SOURCE CODE (dir. Duncan Jones, UK release April 22nd)
What's it all about? Colter Stevens wakes up in a body that is not his own, on a train travelling place to place, putting right what once went wrong, and hoping that the next leap is the leap home. OK, it's not actually Quantum Leap, and Stevens relives the same eight minutes in the mind of a victim in a bombing attack. His mission is to find out who the bomber is, but can he also change the past and save the train?
Why so excited? Aside from the really good trailer and the intriguing premise, it's Duncan Jones' follow-up to Moon. Moon was one of my favourite films of 2009, and so Jones' name on the director's chair builds up my expectations in all kinds of ways- if it's anything like as intelligent, as moving or as inventive as Moon, Source Code will be one of my favourites of 2011.

TRUE GRIT (dir. Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, UK release February 11th)
What's it all about? More of an adaptation of the original book than a remake of the 1969 John Wayne version of the story, the Coen brothers give their spin on the tale of Mattie Ross, a 14 year old girl whose father is murdered by one of his hired hands. Mattie hires an alcoholic US Marshall, Rooster Cogburn, and travels outwards to track the killer and avenge her father.
Why so excited? I'm there for whatever Joel and Ethan Coen decide they want to do next, and as I've already mentioned, I'm always happy to see a good Western. And this film has Jeff Bridges in it. There couldn't possibly be any more ways to sell me a ticket, and I'm really dying to see this one when it finally gets its UK release next month.

YOUR HIGHNESS (dir. David Gordon Green, UK release 24th June)
What's it all about? In a fantasy land, Prince Fabious is adored by his people while his younger brother Prince Thadeous sits at home getting stoned on wizard's weed. Thadeous is spurred into action when his father threatens to cut him off unless he helps Fabious on a quest to rescue his betrothed.
Why so excited? It was the trailer that eventually sold me, but let's not forget that Green was also responsible for Pineapple Express, which merged action and comedy better than any other film in recent memory. Now that he's aiming to fuse fantasy with comedy, we could end up with something really special. A dirtier version of The Princess Bride is going to be a sight to behold, either way.
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Have I missed any of your own personal picks for 2011? Why not share them in a comment below? Unless you're looking forward to Transformers: The Dark of the Moon. In which case, we don't welcome your kind here.

I'm Mark the mad prophet, and until next time, don't watch anything I wouldn't watch.

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1- Review

This review is spoiler-free as far as Deathly Hallows goes, but may contain spoilers for the previous six films.

At the top, I'm going to say this. I disagree with the decision to break up Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows into two films. The major achievement of David Yates' contributions to the series is the sense of vitality in his films, making one of the better, shorter films out of the weakest and longest book, The Order of the Phoenix. However, I will also say that for a bad idea, this is the best film it could possibly be.

So in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows... sigh... Part 1, Harry, Ron and Hermione are left to their dangerous quest. Fragments of Lord Voldemort's soul are secreted within four Horcruxes, seemingly inconspicuous objects that must be located and destroyed. As his Death Eaters overtake the Ministry and impose a dictatorship, Voldemort pledges that he will kill Harry personally. Harry and his friends have never been more alone.

Many of my quibbles with the fans from when last year's Half-Blood Prince was released are consistent here. You can't expect it to be very accessible if you haven't watched the previous six films, and you can't complain that minor stuff was left out of the books in the adaptation. With this instalment particularly, when more passages are lifted directly from the book than ever before, I'm not taking any of the latter. If you know me out there in the real world and tell me that it was vital to hear about what Professor Lupin's been up to since we last saw him, I'm going to Expelliarmus your face off, with my foot.

The particular reason I'm not going to hear a word against David Yates is because his tenure has been the making of this series. Alfonso Cuaron might have made the best of the films to date, but he didn't stick around to build on his work. Yates has directed four of what eventually stands as an eight-part undertaking. And he's done a stellar job with this one. What I liked about Half-Blood Prince was its fine balance of genuinely funny comedy and properly scary horror, but with only half a book to work with, he has to be a little more workmanlike.

I can imagine another of the Potter directors thus far, like Chris Columbus or maybe Mike Newell, doing a lot less with the split. Let's be clear- Part 2 of the story, due out in July, will clearly be an action extravaganza. It's the grand finale. Many would be content to skimp on Part 1 a little. Instead, Yates foregrounds our three leads, taking them out of the thespian-filled halls of Hogwarts and pitching them into a road trip full of dread, isolation and desperation. Having balanced comedy and horror so well in the previous instalment, the jokes seem funnier this time around even though they're weaker than before. Levity is so welcome at these points because the dread is so all-consuming.

The romantic aspect of Half-Blood Prince takes on a new intensity in this instalment. That film was about discovery, delivering on the promise of the minor romantic comedy interlude from Goblet of Fire- teenagers huddling in dark corners of Hogwarts to make out. Outside of Hogwarts' walls, we get an installment that's more about sex. In one terrifically intense scene where Ron's soul is bared by Voldemort, we're given the steamiest scene we're ever likely to see in the family franchise, and it feels like a totally natural development- these aren't schoolkids we're watching. Not anymore.

And to say that it's not as action-packed as other instalments makes me really look forward to the final battle even more. What action scenes there are are amongst the best we've ever seen in this series, from a heart-stopping airborne chase to the climactic magical melee with Voldemort's subordinates. It all looks phenomenal too, with cinematographer Eduardo Serra creating some really fantastic sustained shots that really eke out the highest possible amount of tension.

I normally set some time aside to talk about actors, but the performances have never been the most notable aspect of this series. Daniel Radcliffe actually seems to coast through this one a little more than before, but Rupert Grint and Emma Watson prove their mettle throughout. As I said, it's just those three for great lengths of the film, and you feel like they've earned it, as performers. Amongst the usual new arrivals, Peter Mullan and Rhys Ifans leave the biggest impression, with Bill Nighy shamelessly but necessarily relegated to a couple of cameo appearances. Elsewhere, Helena Bonham Carter continues to steal the show, and there's still not nearly enough of Alan Rickman. This must be rectified in the final part.

As much as I've stressed that it's the best film you can make out of half a book, it's still not flawless. As with the original text, the momentum meanders a little in the second act, and as a result, the third act and makeshift resolution seem rushed by comparison. I also didn't really appreciate how literal the adaptation was this time around- some of the stuff that's directly quoted doesn't work nearly as well on screen as on the page. All of this said, a certain tragic scene near the end wet my eyes more in the film than it did on the page. A single, leaner film would have cut out most of the ancillary stuff, but then a single, leaner film would probably have had to cut the titular Deathly Hallows, which is more of a flaw with the book than the film.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is a bad idea, executed extraordinarily well. Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves take all of the dread that characterises the first part of JK Rowling's final chapter and they've distilled it in celluloid form. I just wish they'd made a two hour film out of it instead of a 142 minute film- as it stands, I feel many will dismiss it as a prequel when you clearly have talented filmmakers doing their very best to make it work. The adaptation, more rigid and faithful than ever, still won't please every fan of the books, so why try so hard? The film ends on a massive cliffhanger to mask the lack of a climax, and on the whole, it''s more than good enough to have you counting down the days to the conclusion.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is now showing in cinemas nationwide, in 2D only. (hooray!)
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If you've seen the new Harry Potter film, why not share your comments below? If you were led by Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier to expect funnier things from the opening scene with Hermione performing "Forgeticus!", so was I. Sniffle.

I'm Mark the mad prophet, and until next time, don't watch anything I wouldn't watch.

Cos you're gonna see it on every cinema trip anyway...

Yeah, it's another one of those ads! I don't think you can beat last year's Autumn compilation (I think that young man ATE it all, bless him), but I do believe it's worth mentioning.

Why? Because summer's more or less over. The nights are drawing in, sunsets will arrive around 3pm and movie buffs will begin talking about which of their favourite films of the year will be entirely ignored during awards season.

It also falls to me and my ilk to declare which films we're most looking forward to for the rest of the year, so with that in mind, this post is going to be all about the five films I'm most looking forward to seeing in cinemas this autumn. On the evidence of that trailer, one of the highlights is going to be a re-release of a 25-year-old film, but I suppose that's because it's Certifiably Awesome.

But skirting around Jack Black raping literature, babies projectile vomiting on Ben Stiller for recycling the same joke for a whole movie (again) and Jackass 3D, here are some of the gems in that trailer I'm most looking forward to in what remains of 2010.

THE SOCIAL NETWORK


Whozat? It's "That Facebook Movie", and I was highly sceptical that it would be any good until I saw the trailer embedded above.

Why? Aside from Jesse Eisenberg continuing to set himself apart from his similarity to Michael Cera, it'll be the first big acting showcase from both the new Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield, and Rooney Mara, the new Lisbeth Salander. David Fincher's directing, and with the early reviews and previews, I'm hoping for a critique on a generation, closer to Fight Club than to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Expect... a metric fuck-ton of "like" and "poke" wordplay from reviews across the board.

DESPICABLE ME


Whozat? Like Megamind, the other big CG-offering in that trailer, it's a film told from a supervillain's perspective- in this case, one who plots to steal the Moon with the help of a bunch of chattering yellow midgets he's created to serve him.

Why? Unlike Megamind, it looks kooky and different enough to have piqued my interest. It also got rave reviews when it came out Stateside earlier in the summer, and has the voice talents of Steve Carell, Jason Segel and Russell Brand behind it, to name a few.

Expect... something along the lines of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, would be the best case scenario. Worst case scenario... well, Megamind.

RED


Whozat? Based on the DC graphic novel, it's about a band of retired CIA assassins who club together when one of them comes under fire from their old employers. Carnage ensues, and Helen Mirren takes control of a gun turret. That never happened in The Queen.

Why? I've seen that trailer many times in the cinema and I'm always happy to see it. After the embarrassment of Jonah Hex the other week, it's nice to see John Malkovich actually having fun instead of slumming it to pick up a cheque.

Expect... the Academy to be intensely confused that a film they'd consider so low-brow features so many of their favourite people. Maybe it's hoping for too much that the stalwarts here would get acting nods at the Oscars.

LET ME IN


Whozat? The English language remake of Let The Right One In. No, no, no, hold on. It actually looks quite good if you give that trailer a watch. The basic story is more or less the same- a young lad who's victimised by bullies in his school finds a way to fight back when he befriends the vampire girl who moves in next door. 

Why? With the talent involved, I'm being open-minded. Even though it looks like they're playing up the horror angle (something that's largely absent in the original film) the director seems to have the utmost respect for the sources, and he's assembled a great cast too.

Expect... criticis to close their minds entirely and lambast it no matter what. They're so convinced the original is perfect that it'll be like having a one night stand with someone who looks exactly the same as your long time partner. But hey, I might like it!

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS (Part One)


Whozat? Are you kidding? The only thing I should really need to explain at this stage is how they're splitting the original book into two films to make more money to give the finale room to breathe. It's a move I'm not entirely convinced by, especially as most of the stuff in the trailer above will be from Part 2.

Why? It's the end of a massive cinematic undertaking, or at least the beginning of the end. Under director David Yates, the films are the best they've ever been, with the exception of the series benchmark, Prisoner of Azkaban. This time around, Yates is taking the fairly pedestrian opening of the book and turning it into a paranoid road movie with our three heroes against the world, and even turning on each other...

Expect... half a film. If it exceeds my expectations, I won't come out of it thinking "well I have to wait until summer for all the good parts", but for now I'm keeping my hopes down. Oh, and make sure you don't give any money to the shitty 3D conversion, which is going to hurt how this film is received, in my opinion. Maybe they'll change their mind about the stereoscopy in Part 2.
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All of this without mentioning the myriad 2010 features that don't appear in the uber-condensed trail for the season, but somehow I'm still looking forward to them. Amongst those, Burke and Hare, Monsters, Buried and Jackboots on Whitehall.

Hey, the alternative today was to write a review of Cyrus. You want that? I didn't review it because there's not an awful lot to say about it. That's because it's not about much. It's been misleadingly advertised to people who like actual narrative events. The cast do a fine job, but it ultimately fails to take mumblecore into the mainstream. There, mini-review.

I'm Mark the mad prophet, and until next time, don't watch anything I wouldn't watch.

Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

This blog hasn't been around all that long, so I'll quickly take you through my top five Harry Potter films... of the first five...

5. The Chamber of Secrets- A change in tone from the first film was really needed here, but Chris Columbus is unable to provide it. Though it's supposed to be darker and leaner, the same "throw everything at the screen" approach jars a lot more in this one. It's still enjoyable, but it's the most unwieldy of the series to date.


4. The Philosopher's Stone- Columbus got the tone just right with this one though, to create a modern family classic. This is the kind of film that'll be on telly every bank holiday in 20 years time, but could've benefited from slightly less reverent adaptation of the source material in order to improve the pace a little.


3. The Order of the Phoenix- The worst, slowest and most under-edited book of the series becomes one of the most enjoyable films. David Yates gives us the shortest Potter film, but he knows exactly what the story needs on-screen. He does struggle on account of the lack of actual events in this story, but it's certainly enjoyable.


2. The Goblet of Fire- A lot more action-packed than any other film in the series, and it's probably the most well-received film for that. By the logic of it being as good as the sum of its parts, it ought to be my favourite, starring David Tennant and Jarvis Cocker as it does. It doesn't trump Azkaban, but it's one of the highlights of the series.


1. The Prisoner of Azkaban- Alfonso Cuaron gives us the best film of the series to date. Brilliant, beautiful and memorable- he's not afraid to chop scenes to make the story more cinematic, and it pays off. Brilliantly acted, wonderfully directed- sublime.


So there we are with the films to date. And the biggest thing around at the moment is of course the sixth instalment out of eight (still not sure about them splitting the last book into two films, but there we go), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. For those of you who merely, horror of horrors, skim these reviews to get my opinion (you know who you are!), I've seen the film three times in the week since it opened, so that should give you an idea of how I enjoyed it.

This is the point where I usually warn you that the review contains a spoiler or two, but nothing crucial, story wise. Instead I'm assuming that if you're reading this, you're a Harry Potter fan, and have either seen the film or read the book on which it's based. SPOILERS WILL FOLLOW.

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

Who's in it? Daniel Radcliffe (December Boys... and the last five Potter films), Rupert Grint (Driving Lessons... and the last five Potter films), Emma Watson (Ballet Shoes... and the last five Potter films), Michael Gambon (Brideshead Revisited) and Jim Broadbent (The Young Victoria)

What's it all about? Another year at Hogwarts, naturally, but now we're headed for the climax of the series. Having spent all of the last film being blissfully ignorant of everything that's happened to Harry (Radcliffe), the world can no longer ignore the return of Lord Voldemort, and now they're panicking. Dumbledore (Gambon) decides to take a greater hand in Harry's education, Ron (Grint) and Hermione (Watson) get more and more hormonally charged and a returning professor (Broadbent) has a dark secret. Elsewhere, Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape have secrets of their own...

Any good? The main criticisms levelled at Half-Blood Prince have whinged about two things- how inaccessible it is to newcomers, and how much has been changed from the book. Firstly, this is the sixth Harry Potter film- you can't just wander in and expect to know what's going on at this story-heavy point of the series. While I'm all for franchises that have sequels like Indiana Jones or James Bond, this is an eight-film undertaking, and we're beyond the point of standalone adventures. Secondly... it's the sixth Harry Potter film. If you can't deal with the changes from the book by now, then don't watch them- stick to the books. In any case, that's why a lot of so-called fans disliked Order of the Phoenix, and this has the same director, David Yates. For me, Yates is the right man to round off the series (and he will be), and many of his changes are perfectly sensible.

That said, the two major additions could have been executed better, in my opinion. The book has vague mention of a bridge being destroyed by Death Eaters before the narrative begins, in a scene where the Minister for Magic talks to the Muggle UK Prime-Minister. The film shows the bridge collapse, but omits the PM scene, which has the consequence of a barn-storming opening that seems to have little or no consequence on the rest of the film. Likewise, the attack on the Weasleys' house at Christmas adds a nice little action beat to a story that's largely cerebral, but seems ultimately pointless. Yes, it shows that Harry isn't safe anywhere, but readers will know that the house has to be repaired by the start of the next film. Such additions seem unimportant when you consider that the title is The Half-Blood Prince and certain details are cut from the final revelation that will leave people who have only seen the films wondering what a Half-Blood Prince is and why Snape is one. This is trifling when you see how the filmmakers focused on the bigger plot elements, and the fans would surely have been up in arms even more if the title was changed to take significance off that subplot?


While Chris Columbus introduced the story eight years ago with brightly lit corridors and whimsical loveliness at Hogwarts, Yates has followed JK Rowling's path of maturing with the initial target audience by toning down the lighting considerably for this one. Be that to emphasise the darkening world as wizards prepare for war or to provide hiding places for the adolescent fumblings of the now sexually mature students, the cinematography is, as ever, beautiful to look at. But this darkness only makes the comedy even more impressive- that Yates has counterbalanced the comedy and tragedy of Half-Blood Prince speaks volumes for his suitability to direct the ending of the series. Because I will say it, Half-Blood Prince is a very funny film, funnier in fact than some of the lamer comedies out this year. You'll laugh more at this for instance than at, say, 17 Again.

While it certainly has many comedic parts, it's considerably more scary than any of the other films in the series thus far, and with the exception of a couple of scenes in the last book, I can't see the next two films getting any scarier. It doesn't balance comedy and horror in the same way as Sam Raimi's Drag Me to Hell, in which the scares are funny, and so I picked the picture above from a scene that illustrates the balance well. It's the midpoint between two very different scenes- the three friends have just left the local pub, and Hermione's stumbling down the snowy lane looking very tipsy indeed, her arms round her two best friends. A scream shatters the moment as just ahead of them, one of their classmates becomes an accidental victim of dark magic and is thrown into the air like a ragdoll, there to levitate in a wide-open silent howl. The tone changes within a second from funny to scary with much more effect than your bog-standard horror movie jump scare, and it's brilliantly directed. Yates also really gets comedy- this isn't the comedy you got in the first few films that was distinctly mawkish and "Oh, isn't Ron a pussy? Let's hear him squeal amusingly at mortal peril!"


On the contrary, the comedic side of things is achieved in no small part by the fantastic performances on show in this instalment. Daniel Radcliffe continues to be the one with the best acting chops of the three young leads, but Rupert Grint has become a formidable comedy actor. His timing and delivery is hilarious to watch throughout. The weak link is Emma Watson again, but she's become distinctly less stilted as the films have gone along, and she's about the only one of the trio I can't really see continuing to blaze a trail in acting once the films are over. Also problematic amongst the more prominent younger actors was Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley. It feels natural that Harry should be attracted to her in the book, but there's a distinct lack of chemistry between Radcliffe and Wright, so it just seems sudden and out of place. I do blame this on a lack of foresight when initially casting her in the first film- Emma Watson is the one whose beauty is raved about, whereas the original characters had Hermione more on the plain-Jane side of things than the more popular and attractive Ginny.

Amongst the adult cast, the performances are terrific as expected, and Jim Broadbent is brilliant as ever, bringing two dimensions to Slughorn- the bumbling socialite who gleefully hobnobs with the best and brightest at Hogwarts, and a washed-up old man who's out of touch with all his old buddies and left trying to repent for his biggest failing in life, a secret he's kept for 50 years. As for the rest of the cast, the series' veterans, such as Dame Maggie Smith, get a lot more to do. Michael Gambon makes it count with his last proper performance as Albus Dumbledore. Everything I enjoy about his portrayal as opposed to Richard Harris' is brought to the fore in this one as he finally takes centre-stage. And as assassins gather all around him, Alan Rickman is another brilliant actor who takes a larger role here- his performances as Snape thus far have been consistently brilliant but increasingly thankless, but it's marvellous to watch him at work here.


However, the real revelation amongst the film's performances is Tom Felton's- no longer the sneering stereotyped bully, Draco Malfoy is a fully-rounded human being assigned to a mission he cannot possibly bring himself to complete. His performance here is just marvellous, and the audience will care about Malfoy in a way they might not have from reading the book. Specifically I'm talking about two scenes. Firstly, the scene where Malfoy sees that a classmate he inadvertently cursed while on his mission for Voldemort has made a full recovery, and flees to a bathroom to have a nervous breakdown, believing she'll name him and he'll be discovered. The intensity of this scene is the first time you really properly sit up and take notice of Tom Felton's acting, and it picks up for the second of the aforementioned scenes, after the big death in the film. Having been unable to finish his mission, he's led from Hogwarts, his home for most of the last six years, by the Death Eaters, as Helena Bonham Carter's delightfully deranged Bellatrix Lestrange gleefully smashes up the place. There's a shot that shows Malfoy watching her, and we see that he knows he's chosen his side in the wizarding war, and that there's no way back from this. Neither scene has any dialogue, but he acts it absolutely brilliantly.

There's a lot I want to mention about the film but haven't- the curse of being a real Potter-head whose favourite book of the series is the one on which this is based. Even though I'm winding down without mentioning the actor who played Gryffindor jock Cormac McClaggan, the terrific direction of the Pensieve scenes and the way the film finally makes Quidditch interesting beyond the novelty value of the special effects, you can take it as read that I really enjoyed this film. It doesn't trump the watermark of the series to date, Prisoner of Azkaban, but Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a film that consistently ups the stakes in anticipation of the inevitable final battle, and balances comedy with horror and tragedy better than any other film I've seen this year.



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Here's the part where I normally tell you what's coming next for the blog- that revamp is still on the way, pending the completion of artwork, but that aside, I can't really tell you what's left to review at present. This week's new releases, The Proposal and Bruno- Snipped (the version of the recent comedy that's been cut down to get a 15 certificate) don't particularly appeal to me, because both will instil me with a sense that I've seen them before, albeit for different reasons.

I know that next week we have G-Force, The Taking of Pelham 123 and Land of the Lost, all of which I will be reviewing, but that's next Friday. So at a guess, I'd say my post-mortem of the summer season will be next up on here. But who knows?

Until next time, don't watch anything I wouldn't watch,
Mark

Thanks to Fearn Sobers for MovieGoat artwork- visit fesoes.net for more of her artwork.