End Game
I do believe I can comfortably count myself as a genuine fan of the Harry Potter franchise. I’ve read all the books, seen all the films and have yet to find one that I can’t recommend. I may not know all of the prose that J.K. Rowling puts out, but I can say I am devoted. For example, during a moment where the heroes find themselves trapped in a rather crude predicament, my mind was shouting the necessary spell they needed to cast in order to safely escape. Keep in mind that these spells are not real, and the whole situation is manufactured, but I still have that knowledge stored away. As fun as a moment like that is, it can’t hide the fact that this film, while enjoyable to an extent like them all, is seriously over-stuffed and dull at many occasions.
In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade, this is next and penultimate installment in the wildly popular Harry Potter franchise, with the final continuation being released next summer. The light magic world is all but disappeared now, Hogwarts is not even visible here, as Harry, Ron and Hermionie have abandoned school studies in order to find a way to destroy the evil Lord Voldermort.
I wish I could go deeper into what happens in the film, but ultimately it doesn’t really matter. All the film is leading up to the final and epic climax, and while there’s some nice moments of action and tender scenes, a lot of it feels like fan service and useless to the benefit to the overall narrative. If given the choice between remaining extremely faithful to the text or taking liberties with the source material in order to make a crisper film, I’d choose the latter. The screenplay by long-time Potter scribe Steve Cloves is noble and good intentioned, but it fills the movie with many laborious scenes that drag on too much.
David Yates returns as the director, and he shows much of the improvement he made upon himself in the last film, my favorite in the franchise so far. Yates does his best to deliver good on some really exciting action sequences that find the right notes of suspension and excitement. Even in the more quiet moments, he tries to find a somber tone that can pay off on the emotions, and he does that for the most part. The dullness that exudes on so many scenes are not entirely his fault (they were his fault in Order of the Phoenix), but even he can’t save the mess this time.
Other than Yates, I’d put the acting as the real reason this film has any kind of success. We’ve watched Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson grow into these roles for many years, and it’s comforting to see them be able to maintain a genuine, dramatic portrayal. Radcliffe is really fantastic, and I was quite amazed at how he was able to take a character known so well and still put forth a performance that feels fresh and riveting. In complete honesty, if he can keep the same key for the next film, I’d harbor serious award consideration for him. Watson also is lovely in her role, and Grint, while always the most limited one of the trio, gives his Ron a bit more drama to cling onto. Not much more else to speak of on the supporting players (this one’s really about the kids), and the only real standout is a hammy Helena Bonham Carter who I am convinced brought her own clothes and hairstyling to the set.
Even though I’ve been cooler on some of the Harry Potter films than others, I’ve always ended up recommending them. I can’t quite go that distance with this one because it’s only half of a film, and it will more than likely end up being the weaker half. There’s just too much stuffed in here in order to please fans begging for an adaptation slavishly devoted to its source material (didn’t work out too well for Watchmen either). Still, some well conceived scenes here and there, along with some strong central performances pull it out of the gutters entirely. When the final conclusion comes along next summer, I’m sure I’ll join the chorus of praise. Until then, I remain somewhat silent.
B-
Stuck in the Middle With You
Those who know me well know that my affection for filmmaker Danny Boyle is pretty high. Even though I wasn’t completely over the moon for his last film, I still thoroughly enjoyed it, as well as his efforts. As I’ve repeatedly said, Danny Boyle is a man who can film cows grazing for an hour and a half and make it cinematically interesting. That crude example is put to the test with this film. No, it’s not about grazing cows, but it has a premise that is just as immobile: a guy literally stuck between a rock and a wall. However, leave it to Boyle to take that premise and turn it into an exciting and emotional journey that is to be surely remembered.
Some might remember, about seven years ago, a hiker named Aron Ralston who fell in an off-the-beaten-path canyon in Utah when a boulder fell on him. The rock pinned his right hand against the canyon wall, cutting off circulation as well as his ability to move from any other position except standing upright next to the boulder. Ralston was stuck there for five days before finally resorting to amputating his arm to escape.
The real-life Ralston may have conquered mountains, ice tops, mudslides and death itself, but the one obstacle he couldn’t overcome was literature. His memoir Between a Rock and a Hard Place, which the film is based on, is not the most eloquent piece, arbitrarily going back and forth from his past to his present entrapment with very little artistic flourish. Boyle and Slumdog Millionaire writer Simon Beauofy have taken that source and vastly improved upon it. They present a quick story that doesn’t linger too much on exposition, indulges in flashbacks only when provoked, and keeps tight on the much deserved focus, that of the main character. It’s not the most flashy script out there, but it treats its situation with genuine reality.
Still, it is Boyle who makes the great stride here, as his kinetic energy is put to good use, constantly keeping the audience involved in a story that has the potential to turn static. Boyle’s hyped-up, ADD presentation is much appreciated here, and he knows how to spin quite an interesting tale. Some might see this as overcompensating for a story that doesn’t go anywhere, but I’d say it’s more of a reflection of the character’s motives, and I feel they are justified. Boyle can be flamboyant, but he always finds a way to make it work, and this is certainly no different.
A film like this lives or dies on the casting, and whoever steps up for the role better be prepared for a very close proximity. We get very close to James Franco here, and he solidly delivers the best performance of his career. He’s been impressing me for a while now, but here, he’s simply fantastic. There’s not a moment of doubt in his portrayal, and he sells every emotional beat of this character. He captures the cockiness in the beginning well (maybe a bit too well), and then feels so believable as he brakes down in the canyon. It’s a marvelous job that I hope lands him a well deserved Oscar nomination, overdue anyway for his performance in Milk.
I could say that I thought the beginning of the film was a bit rocky (no pun intended), but even that minor hiccup started to feel like it flowed with the rest of the film later on. It can be a tough movie to sit through, but it’s worth it to find something that’s as wonderful as this. Franco’s performance is superb, Boyle’s kinetic direction is enthralling, and the whole thing delivers as an emotional roller-coaster that manages to haunt endearingly. It’s certainly one of the best films of the year, and I hope others can take note of it as well.
A
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