Remembrall's Deathly Hallows Part 1 Review
WB was kind enough to invite The Remembrall to an advance screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 on Tuesday. As the film has now premiered in London (footage coming very soon!) we can now release the review that Alex wrote on his way back from the event. Be warned this will contain spoliers!
Finally the film for fans!
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is the most complete, exciting, funny and visually stunning film to date. By splitting the finale in half, the producers have allowed themselves the much needed extra legroom to “dot off the i’s and cross all of the t’s”, as Producer David Baron put it.
Overall the film is very much a road movie. We see the Trio moving from site to site trying to hunt down and destroy the remaining Horcuxes. The choice of locations are a stunning array of beautiful English, Scottish and Welsh vistas, of particular note, the Pembrokeshire coast used for the setting of Shell Cottage in the penultimate scene of the film. There is also a lot of comedy in this film which had the whole theatre laughing at points. The light relief is needed from what is otherwise quite a heavy story.
Some of the most stand-out scenes include one of the very first where we see Hermione erasing herself from her parent’s memories to protect them, the way she fades from the family photos is particularly solemn. The meeting of Voldemort and his followers is bone chilling, along with the flashbacks to previous story points. We see Godrics Hollow for the first and last time, in Deathly Hallows Part 1. The entire sequence is very moving and book perfect, minus the memorial at the Potters house. Finally, Harry and Hermione shippers finally get their day during the locket destruction scene!
It is of note that this is a film not designed for people with a fear of snakes, such as this particular editor. Nagini has one of the most gruesome scenes, when Bathilda Bagshot dissolves into Voldemort’s reptilian sidekick and attacks Harry.
When the trio are captured by the Snatchers, we are taken to Malfoy Manor where Emma Watson gives one of her best performances whilst being tortured by Bellatrix who is desperate to find out where they had got hold of the Sword of Gryffindor. The whole scene in the Malfoy Manor, including the ultimate demise of Dobby, has been perfectly executed. It is almost word for word to the book, which will please even the most pessimistic followers of the films.
The visual effects in this edition of Potter are once again unsurpassed. Dobby and Kreacher look more realistic than ever before, the 7 Potter transformations and subsequent chase is done amazingly well, and the duels make you feel that they are really happening before your eyes!
There are only a few points that die-hard Potter fans will complain about. The exclusion of Harry’s Birthday, the argument between Harry and Lupin, and possibly the lack of any nod to the planning of the Ministry portion of the film will cause a few quarrels, but overall this film has ticked all the boxes! It is a film for fans of the books, not just movie-goers (possibly due to the fact that JK Rowling is listed as a producer?)
A first for the Potter series is the use of a cartoon to tell the Tale of the Three Brothers. The mixture of ink and pen with 3D graphics creates an almost fluid looking animation whilst Hermione tells the story to Harry and the audience. This effect works remarkably well to convey the whole story without boring the audience.
Alexander Desplats’ score is a key element. It manages to set the tone perfectly for each scene without dominating it. There are a few throwbacks to John Williams original Hedwig’s Theme melody which really cements the fact that these films are a continuation rather than a standalone entity that a couple of the previous have.
The ending to this truly all-encompassing first instalment is with the highly emotional burial of Dobby the house elf and Lord Voldemort breaking in to Dumbledore’s tomb to reclaim the Elder Wand. This split was revealed a few months ago to mixed reviews, but the execution of it can brush all the worry under the rug. The film leaves the franchise perfectly set for the epic finale that will be Deathly Hallows Part 2.
In conclusion, this film is a sure hit for all, even the most strict Potter-holic. Although darker at points, (hence the 12A/PG-13 rating), I cannot fail to see why anyone would not enjoy the whirlwind journey hurtling towards the closing of a story that has enthralled a generation.
Alex Olivier
TheRemembrall.org
