PoA movie

[pauraque_bk]

keladryb and I saw PoA last night.

First impressions, in no order whatsoever:

-The sequence at the Dursleys was flawless. And I was wrong -- they let her say "bitch" after all. The audience gasped.

-I was delighted to see that Cuaron had done a complete re-imagining of the world, not worrying about making it continuous with the other books. He was making *his* movie. Maybe this will drive home for fans that the movies aren't canon -- they're merely interpretations.

-I loved the way they all seemed like *real kids*, laughing, shoving, uniforms messed up -- it was so much more natural and realistic, and made it seem like a real school.

-Crookshanks got nothin'.

-Snape got less than Crookshanks. We don't understand why he hates Lupin. We don't understand why he wants to kill Sirius. To someone who hasn't read the book, it would seem that Snape was taking revenge on behalf of Harry.

-Revealing that Peter is alive earlier was a very smart way of cutting down the exposition in the Shrieking Shack. Also, he confessed more or less right away, so there's less question of Sirius's guilt.

-The scene of Harry beating up on Draco in the snow had a purpose in the book. In the movie, it was useless.

-McGonagall or Rosmerta or whoever says that Peter followed Sirius around, not James. No point to that, afaik.

-THE CLOCK TOWER. YES YES YES. ♥

-Though the Shrieking Shack scene was almost painfully short, it did allow for a Time Turner sequence that actually worked and wasn't exhausting, which is an improvement over the book. The emotional climax shifts to the moment when Harry realizes he saw himself.

-Sirius is much less scary and dangerous. He bites Ron's leg instead of breaking it. The second break-in, with Sirius wielding a knife, is not included. We are more willing to accept his innocence, and Harry's sudden love of him (which is more obviously tied to his love of his parents).

-Remus/Lily, apparently.

-Okay, here's the thing about the Shrieking Shack. I knew they wouldn't have time for both Snape and Peter to have their moment, and they picked the right one to keep. But if they were going to do it that way, it was actually not necessary for Snape to be there. If they weren't going to explain what the hell Snape was doing, I would rather have had him not be in the movie at all.

-Much less of a sense of the four friends. Sirius is friends with James, Peter follows Sirius, Sirius and Remus know each other, Remus was friends with Lily... We don't know why they're Animagi.

-I refuse to pronounce Animagus with a hard G. It will never happen.

-Peter. I think it's hard when you LOVE a character, because no matter what, it'll never be what you wanted. That said, I can accept movie!Peter. It's more of an evil!Peter characterization (not as cringing and hysterical and pathetic), which probably worked for the movie. He got to say all his important lines, at least. (No "I let you sleep in my bed", which was probably just as well, as the scene lacked the gravity that makes that line work in the book.) I did like how ratty he was. Ew fingernails! Disgusting. ♥

-Remus. This is such a hard character to pin down. Thewlis played it more "up" than book!Remus, less reserved. I liked him, though. He worked as that awkward-yet-cool science teacher who really likes his subject, sometimes gets embarrassingly overenthused. The phonograph was a nice addition.

I'm going again with my mom and my brother, and there are some things that I need to see again before I comment... so, more stuff later.

keladryb's thoughts are here, and are more coherent than mine.

Comments

[muridae-x.livejournal.com]

Maybe this will drive home for fans that the movies aren't canon -- they're merely interpretations.

Yes, exactly. This was Cuaron's Harry Potter fanfic, just as the LotR movies were Peter Jackson's Tolkien fanfic. A treat to watch, and a nice way to get a different perspective on the original material, but Not Canon.

[keladryb.livejournal.com]

keladryb's thoughts are here, and are more coherent than mine.

You know, it's really kind of sad that my thoughts were more coherent than yours.

[pauraque]

Geez, that was a mean thing to say. :P

[keladryb.livejournal.com]

I didn't mean it meanly! I just meant that-- well, you're smarter than me, and more eloquent, usually. So it's sad that-- Oh, hell. ::gets out the shovel and starts digging her way out of a hole::

[pauraque]

I thought you were saying it was sad that I couldn't do better than someone who was writing at 3am, as you were. Now I see that you weren't saying that at all. Pardon my misunderstanding! ♥

(ps - lycoris has a Peter/Ron plotbunny. The madness, it spreads!)

[keladryb.livejournal.com]

You just want to think I'm insulting you, don't you? First I'm calling you arrogant (okay, so I kinda, sorta actually did that, but I explained myself), then I'm saying you can't do better than a 3am groggy person... Next thing you know I'll be saying that, um. Something. Okay, I'm shutting up now, because clearly, my ability to be coherent is gone.

(ps - lycoris has a Peter/Ron plotbunny. The madness, it spreads!)

Whoohooo!

[pauraque]

You did call me arrogant, but I didn't actually care. :D

Next you'll be accusing me of writing sick stories about horrible rat people forcing themselves on unwilling young boys!

Er.

[keladryb.livejournal.com]

You did call me arrogant, but I didn't actually care. :D

No, I called the idea arrogant. It's different. Subtly different, but different.

Next you'll be accusing me of writing sick stories about horrible rat people forcing themselves on unwilling young boys!

Come to think of it-- Man, you write some sick stories about... And yet, I will not shun you for Peter/Ron.

[pauraque]

*is not shunned*

Will call in a few.

[turtlespeaks.livejournal.com]

Maybe this will drive home for fans that the movies aren't canon -- they're merely interpretations.

Thank you, someone else who thinks this!!! Really, the movie is a beautiful illusration of the book. *grins*

I pretty much agree with everything you wrote. I was very much impressed, this movie went far and beyond what I thought the movies capable. I'm still upset that they cut so much back story, but I have hope for the deleted scenes.

Sushi said I should bug you. . . sooo. . . ummm. BUG!

[pauraque]

I really wonder if anyone who hasn't read the book can possibly understand it. I mean, on what basis would they be able to?

Sushi said I should bug you. . . sooo. . . ummm. BUG!

Oh, you're visiting her, aren't you? Give her a hug and a kiss from me.

[turtlespeaks.livejournal.com]

Well. . .that is interesting. Unfortunately I don't know anyone who hasn't read the books. This should probably looked into.

[pauraque]

I'm taking my mom, who likes the movies, but hasn't read the books. I'll definitely share her reaction.

[mimine.livejournal.com]

-I refuse to pronounce Animagus with a hard G. It will never happen.

But there's a "u" after the "g". Don't you kind of have to? At least from all the pronounciation rules I've learnt (as much as an insane language like English has such rules) it's a soft g before i and e and a hard g before a, o and u.

[asphodeline.livejournal.com]

the movies aren't canon -- they're merely interpretations
Yes, precisely my thoughts and having more than one (or indeed two) directors for the whole series should reinforce this further.

-Remus/Lily, apparently
actually, it sounded a bit like Lily/anybody!

-I refuse to pronounce Animagus with a hard G. It will never happen
Yeah, you too!!! I like the soft G regardless of any linguistical reasoning!

and 'yes' to the rest, looking forward to the 'coherent' version (!!!!) - off to jump in that hole with keladryb !

[serriadh.livejournal.com]

Doesn't the soft 'g' preserve the echo of 'mage', which I presume is the whole point of the word?

[asphodeline.livejournal.com]

It should really be a hard 'g' but for some reason the first time I read it I heard it differently and it stuck and I like it!!!!!

[slinkhard.livejournal.com]

The scene of Harry beating up on Draco in the snow had a purpose in the book. In the movie, it was useless.

Word. Well, it made Harry look like an asshole, if that was their intention. (And stealing Neville's candy? What was that about?)

Peter. He got to say all his important lines, at least. (No "I let you sleep in my bed", which was probably just as well, as the scene lacked the gravity that makes that line work in the book.)

I really like Timothy Spall, I was hoping he'd get used more than he did. And that he'd use his Brummie accent, but that's just me. I was glad they kept 'I was your faithful pet'.

Heh, I'm a Draco fan primarily, although Peter is without question my favourite Marauder; so I sympathise with the 'my favourite character wasn't exactly how I pictured!' (Not that I have any problems with cowardly!Draco, since it's y'know, canon; but I doubt he'd cringe at Hermione threatening him, considering that he doesn't seem ruffled by *Harry* threatening him previously.)

[maria-futura.livejournal.com]

But did you see the Petunia-glare? Did you? Did you? *squee*

[pauraque]

The what, now?

[maria-futura.livejournal.com]

If you watch it again, pay attention to Petunia Dursley.

[sedesdraconis.livejournal.com]

Doesn't the soft 'g' preserve the echo of 'mage', which I presume is the whole point of the word?

But "mage" comes from latin "magi" the plural of "magus", from Greek magos. It is only in after the word comes into old english that there is a "soft g". Magi/mage takes the "soft g" because of the following vowel, "magus" wouldn't in the original, generally wouldn't even as an English word, either. Though the "soft g" also appear in Church Latin, but even there, it would be hard g before a 'u'.

McGonagall or Rosmerta or whoever says that Peter followed Sirius around, not James. No point to that, afaik.

Really? I think I remember hearing "followed James and Sirius around". But I can't swear to it.

Other than that, yeah, what you said.

I was glad they kept 'I was your faithful pet'.

Yes, for a second I thought they had left it out, cause it was after the cut from the Peter's previous pleadings. But then he said it, and I was content.

... Draco [...] I doubt he'd cringe at Hermione threatening him, considering that he doesn't seem ruffled by *Harry* threatening him previously.)

Ah, but it's the Black Rook that takes White Bishop ;)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_hannelore/]

I just saw it tonight, so I'm still digesting all the "they cut it out!" and "that's what I wanted to see" bits. I feel like it's still too early to tell how I feel on the whole, but I feel like I enjoyed and admired the movie separate from how I love PoA.

I loved the way they all seemed like *real kids*

Yes! Everything seemed a bit too stifled and perfect in the earlier two, here it's as if a bit of fun fanfiction was able to bring some dorm life to life. That was truly wonderful.

Snape and Crookshanks did get shafted and that made a lot of things not work, I thought. I sort of had these "argghh!" moments such as where the Firebolt is delivered with a Buckbeak feather. I realize he had to try to connect the two without the material, but...

I mentioned this elsewhere, but I didn't feel the Remus/Lily like so many others did. To me, it felt like Remus was talking about Lily as someone who understood and listened, maybe someone who was a bit more serious than his prankster friends. Perhaps it's just personal as well, that one can talk quite lovingly about a member of the opposite/same sex and not be a couple/item/crush. If that makes sense.

I was hoping for more of the Peter/Ron connection as well, there wasn't that look of utter horror in Ron's face that I was hoping and expecting to see. I did like that sly/evil little wave Peter gives as he disappears.

...it did allow for a Time Turner sequence that actually worked and wasn't exhausting, which is an improvement over the book. The emotional climax shifts to the moment when Harry realizes he saw himself.

I was also impressed how it did work, particularly up to that climax. It was painful to watch Harry's eagerness, how he expects to see his father and Hermione's faint "you're dying" seems so very telling.