Breaking Down Breaking Dawn Part 2

Was it seriously a year ago that I posted my review of Breaking Dawn Part 1? I can't believe how quickly this time has gone, it felt like a year was unbearably far away when we left off. And here it is, the final installment of a franchise that, like it or not, has changed the face of cinema. And hell, does it bow out well.



These are the most decent posters out there. I always hate how much they photoshop them, there's nothing wrong with the way any of them look normally!

For the record, I'm going to try my utmost to make this spoiler-free - or as spoiler-free as an adaptation can be - because I'm so happy I didn't know what they had changed. I'd advise anyone who doesn't already know the big twist to really try to not find out before they see it, because the impact will be so much more massive.

For those of you who don't know (i.e. non-fans or those who have been living in a cave), Breaking Dawn Part 2 begins immediately after Part 1 leaves off: Bella has awakened as a vampire and is living happily with her new husband, hybrid baby and the baby's boyfriend, until a big misunderstanding puts the whole family in danger of elimination from the vampire head honchos, the Volturi. They therefore need to gather as many "witnesses" (a slew of new, previously unmentioned vampire characters) to come and fight with them. Then shit goes down, and surprisingly, it's brilliant.

Having seen it now four times, with a further two cinema trips planned, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this film is the best of the series, and it is my favourite. What is absolutely astonishing is that they were able to make an utter turd of a book into a very enjoyable, engaging and emotional film. Every part of  the film is at the peak of its brilliance, whether it be the acting (impeccable), the effects, the music, and actually, the story. This is one of those very rare occasions where the film is better than the book. Seriously.

We'll start with the acting. The central cast have had five films now with their characters, and the polished performances really shine through. Everyone seems a lot more relaxed, and that's probably because of the more light-hearted nature this film takes. Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart again showcase their chemistry and give their best performances of the series, probably because they're actually allowed a whole range of emotions (happiness, for example). Even Jacob gets to calm down and, excluding the weird paedophilia (try and explain it all you want, it's still not okay), he's actually quite amusing. I can't imagine Team Jacob will be too impressed with his comparitively limited screen time (Jacob's a wolf for a lot of the film), but to be honest, I didn't really care, I'm not a huge fan of his anyway, as you well know. Also, Michael Sheen is back! Yay! And he's even more mental than he was in New Moon. I'm a big fan of his anyway, he always puts so much into his work. He's ridiculously camp and creepy and wonderful, and deserves awards. And that laugh! You thought the one in New Moon was creepy... just wait. All the supporting cast are good too, but no-one really stands out, save for maybe Peter Facinelli (Carlisle). But you can tell everyone is giving their all and making the most out of their small roles. Finally though, I have to give a special mention to Billy Burke, who has played Bella's father, Charlie, so well for five films. He always makes me laugh so much and he can also make me cry, and he's just so lovely in this. I'm just sad we don't get to see more of him.

Without trying to sound pervy, I'd have liked to have seen more sex. It's mentioned a lot in the book, and I just don't understand how anyone can think that one scene would suffice, when they're meant to be at it like rabbits constantly. One scene fifteen minutes in and then tantalising teases throughout disappoints me slightly. And whilst I'm at it, another thing that annoyed me was the complete dismissal of the love triangle that's been going on for four films. I get that Jacob now has something new to obsess over (it's a baby! It's still creepy!) but seriously, there's only one very subtle reference about the fact that not two days ago (in the time of the plot) he was completely in love with his new love-interest's mother! I'm not saying that they had to keep bringing it up, but really, they needed to mention it in some way.

One of the things I was most nervous about before I saw this was how they were going to introduce the abundance of new characters in this film. I've never liked that aspect of the book, and seeing all the promotional posters for each individual new character (there are lots) made me wonder how on earth it was going to work. But actually, I was mildly surprised, in a good way. I thought they were all going to be badly underwritten and underdeveloped spare parts, which most of them are, to be fair. But they have some stand-out additions who I'm sad we won't actually get to see more of. In particular Garrett, played by the lovely Lee Pace (can he be in more stuff, thanks), who brought some nice humour and became one of the very (very) few new vampires we actually care about. I see potential for a spin-off with him if Lionsgate decide to actually go ahead and make more Twilight films (please God don't do that). But overall, not a bad job. Yes there are blatant racial stereotypes (the Irish are ginger and wear green, one of the Romanians looks and sounds like the Count from  Sesame Street and the Amazonians are accompanied by tribal music). And no, you won't even remember 90% of their names but actually it doesn't really matter; they're no more than glorified extras. It's just a little frustrating that these people take up screen time that could be spent on others (read: Edward and Bella).

Now, Renesmee. This was going to be tricky however they decided to do it. Stephenie Meyer famously delayed signing over the film rights to the final book because she didn't believe that special effects in films were developed enough to portray the baby realistically. Well, they still aren't. The baby/toddler just didn't look real, and therefore just looked bloody creepy. It's only when Mackenzie Foy actually gets to play her real age that Renesmee doesn't look like a doll or something even I could have whacked out with Photoshop. But on the plus side, she did a good job having to play so many different ages and be somewhat realistic, so kudos to her. And, if you look at Mackenzie, Rob and Kristen all in a row, it's really scary how much she looks like she could actually be their child; they look so similar! And also, Rob and Kristen are super-cute as parents.

I have to talk about the twist, without talking about the twist so as not to give anything away for those of you who still haven't seen it and haven't found out yet (how either of those things is possible is beyond me). It's really very clever how they manage to make a big event out of the notorious non-finale, and yet they still stay faithful to the book. It's the sort of effect I can only imagine working on screen, in text it just wouldn't have been the same. If you've seen the film, you know what I mean. I bet Stephenie Meyer was over the moon when she found out what they were planning to do since she obviously got bored with the story herself when writing it. But it's very shocking - I sat there the first time I saw it with my mouth agape in shock for about ten minutes, and my friend nearly broke my wrist clutching it so hard. Even second time round, when I knew it was coming, it still managed to shock me again. I'll say no more, but you won't see it coming if you don't already know about it. It's a bold move, and it pays off.

Not really important, but I wanted to mention the opening and ending credits, which I thought were very stylish and emotional respectively. The production team have never done opening credits before, but the little montage of freezing nature ws very beautiful and ramped up the anxiety for just a couple more minutes. And the ending credits were very special, letting everyone who has appeared in the films have their little shining moment to take a bow. And leaving the big three until the end and doing something even more extra-special for them was pretty much the twisting knife that lets you know it's really over. Sob.

As ever, I talk about the music. I've always championed the soundtracks and I think that people who don't even watch the films should listen to them because they're brilliant, and I think this one is my favourite. There isn't one song I dislike on it, even the one by Nikki Reed and her husband, who I was livid got on there in the first place. I can actually listen to the soundtrack and picture the scenes and cry because I get so emotional about them ("Ghosts" by James Vincent McMorrow and "Speak Up" by POP ETC are the two that get me every time). And of course, the score. I love it. I'm so happy Carter Burwell, composer of the first film, came back, and he did such a smashing job with it, and also incorporated the New Moon and Eclipse scores in there too even though he wasn't involved in them. I'm just annoyed that the Higher Powers (darn you, Summit Entertainment/Lionsgate!) have delayed releasing it so I can't have it on a loop as I go about my life.

Last time round, I think I said they did the best with what they had. This time, they took what they had and made it so much better than it is on the page. It may be the best film, but it won't convert any non-fans. But then it doesn't need to. It's just had the eighth biggest US opening ever and the biggest UK opening of an American film ever. It's going to be successful and, as the other films have proved, it doesn't need the approval of petulant, arrogant critics and isn't affected by the petty sniping of haters.

I debated a lot about what rating I was going to give this film, and in the end I couldn't decide. My head is telling me four stars, my heart is telling me five. So I'm going to compromise, and for the first time in the history of this blog, I'm giving it four and a half stars. Or nine out of ten, whichever works for you.

 

 



P.S. If you're a fan, bring tissues. The end is super emotional.

 

Trailer:



 

Also, for those interested, here are two interesting articles.

 

This one explores the aforementioned impact Twilight has had on cinema.

http://www.empireonline.com/features/the-twilight-legacy

 

And this one, by the wonderful Mark Kermode (who I met at the premiere!), tries to defend Twilight from all you haters out there, and he makes some very interesting points.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2012/nov/10/twilight-breaking-dawn-better-than-star-wars?intcmp=ILCMUSTXT9386

 

The Weirdest Film You May Not See This Year

If you follow me on Twitter (emsuckle), you'll notice that I've been going on about Cosmopolis a lot recently. I'll admit that it first came to my attention due to a certain leading man who regular readers know I'm a big fan of, but I followed the news about it and read the novel it was based on, and the intrigue only grew from then on. I've probably delayed posting this review for so long that it isn't being shown in UK cinemas anymore (not that it had a wide release anyway), but I still think people should know about it. But I must say before we begin, I am NOT being biased when I write this. I've already had accusations of this, but I absolutely cannot stress enough that it isn't true.

28 year old billionaire Eric Packer (Robert Pattinson) embarks on a cross-town journey to get a haircut. On the way, he encounters many people, including his wife and colleagues, as he travels in his limo, but a "credible threat" to his life and a deliberate loss of billions of dollars mean Packer is soon re-evaluating and questioning a lot of things in his life.

I can't really give you a lot more plot than that, because it would spoil the film, but it's one hell of a surreal movie to watch.

I've heard a few people complaining about the fact they "didn't get it"and walked out, but in my honest poinion I think that they just didn't give it enough of a chance, or focus enough. It's challenging, especially with the amount of dialogue and the not-so-coherent plot. I don't think it matters if people don't understand it - Robert Pattinson and David Cronenberg have been very open about the fact that they don't really get it. Also, it's Cronenberg, people! He makes strange films and I don't know why people are surprised that this was weird. I didn't see A Dangerous Method, but I've heard that comparitively Cosmopolis is much more his style, not to mention a lot better than A Dangerous Method, which received very lukewarm reviews.

Dialogue is a major aspect of the film, and every word out of the actors' mouths sound like poetry. A lot of people who have seen it have said that the dialogue was nearly incomprehensable, and I kind of see why they would say that - it's very dense, and admittedly there is a lot of it, so if concentrating on speech isn't your cup of tea then this maybe isn't a film you will enjoy very much. I seem to be the only person in my screen who followed it, which probably meant that I didn't get the film at all. But hey ho, I still absolutely loved it; it's so different to what I've come to expect in modern cinema - it feels like a film made for intellects, and not for general wide audiences. Yes, that sounds pretentious and elitist, which to some extent the film in general is, but those who get it will really appreciate it, and it's challenging, which is refreshing. Every sentence is carefully structured so it doesn't really sound like normal speech, it's far more stylised. But this synthetic way of talking only heightens the audience's awareness that nothing is natural, yet at the same time beautiful, just like the dialogue itself. But don't miss the humour. There's a lot of it; it's dark but it's there. I think people missed some of it because of the complexity of the vocabulary and the strangeness of the film, but it's something that should be appreciated about the film. (I apologise for all this analysis - I feel like I'm writing an essay - but these are all the thoughts I had whilst watching it. It's probably something to do with the way an English student's mind works.)

Every member of the cast is brilliant. What has annoyed me a great deal in both my excitement in the build up and the reverence post-viewing is how everyone assumes I'm being biased, but genuinely, Robert Pattinson was brilliant. He's in every scene, which is unusual for a leading actor in films right now, but the charisma he gives off proves he was a fine choice in casting. As Packer, he fantastically pulls off the mean feat of appearing to be cool and aloof to every aspect of his life, but also carefully calculating and energetic under the surface. There are a lot of subtle nuances that may go unnoticed to some people, but they are the difference between looking wooden half the time and actually producing an excellent display of acting ability. The few times he shows strong emotion are actually a bit of a shock, because it's such a contrast to how he is for most of the film, aside from the end where he is clearly full of joy and excitement at having his life threatened. I'm not even joking. From casual twitches to sweeping changes in facial expression, and, later in the film, frenetic energy and carefully placed body movement mean that he totally owns and carries the film. I hope that after seeing this people will stop judging Robert Pattinson solely on his appearances in Twilight, and accept that he actually is not only a very capable actor, but one who has the potential to be brilliant. This is definitely his best performance in a film so far, and I know a lot of you haters will be thinking, "Well, that's not hard," but actually just give him a chance. If people would stop hating and judging him so harshly only because of the franchise that made him famous, they would be able to see that he actually is a very talented actor. And get used to it, because after seeing this I'm thinking he's going to be around for a long time. David Cronenberg clearly thinks so, since he's reportedly cast him in a couple of his upcoming projects and publicly stated how much he enjoyed working with him - Pattinson is basically the next Viggo Mortensen, and that is by no means a bad thing. I spy the beginning of a beautiful partnership.

As brilliant as I think Pattinson is in this, he doesn't overshadow the other big names in the film. Samantha Morton was a stand-out for me, I'd like to see her in more things, and the banter between her and Pattinson was endlessly watchable. Sarah Gadon, playing Pattinson's detached wife, was another highlight for me, and I predict good things for her in the future. Again, their conversations were wonderful to watch, and their chemistry was great; they were both very convincing in their roles together. There were others like Juliette Binoche and Mathieu Amalric who were just glorified cameos, but that's not to take away from their performances: every single person who appeared in the film for more than 0.3 seconds contributed to it, and it's one of my favourite ensemble casts in recent times, if you can even call it that considering there are only about three or four characters who appear for more than ten minutes in total. All of the different actors, no matter how brief their appearance, made an impact and had the chance to shine.

I need to give a special mention to Paul Giamatti, who was absolutely superb. I've written about his other work before, and after seeing this I respect him even more as an actor - I think he's seriously underrated and he needs to be in more films, and more people need to be aware of his amazing talent. He and Pattinson are excellent together; they have such a rapport and the last 15 minutes with their one-on-one interaction is definitely the most engaging, helped obviously by the fact that it's the climax of the film and it builds to a massive crescendo. They bounce off each other flawlessly, and watching it, it's even more inconceivable that it was done in only a couple of takes, because that just proves how outstanding they both are in this scene. I shall be watching this scene on repeat a lot when I finally get the dvd.

Considering the novel on which it was based was written twelve years ago, it's quite eerie how well this film reflects modern times, even mirroring one real-life event. During promotion for this, Cronenberg said how one particular pie-throwing scene was filmed around the same time as Rupert Murdoch's pie-in-the-face incident, which was quite amusing. But really, it says a lot that a novel written a relatively long time ago can comment so accurately on our society today. It's a film that asks more questions than it answers, which I understand may annoy people, but it makes a lot of statements about the world we live in and the consumerist lifestyles we lead.

One particular aspect of the film I liked was the fact that 90% of the film took place inside Eric's limo. It made the film very claustrophobic in an almost neo-noir kind of way, and heightened the intensity of what was going on, but also it separated the philosophical conversations going on in the limo with Eric and his various escorts with the chaos and destruction that was going on outside, in society. It also added to how surreal the film was, as the rare times when Eric left his car during the film felt strange, that he didn't belong in society, like some kind of demigod. The film is full of contrasts, and asymmetry especially, and the set of the limo is so effective in bringing out these themes and intensifying the action and dialogue.

I don't write a lot of reviews without mentioning the score, one of my favourite pieces of any film usually, and this is no different. As I write this I'm listening to Howard Shore's (who has worked on every Cronenberg movie for the last thirty years) composition, which I downloaded as soon as I got in from seeing the film. (You should all know by now I have no actual technical knowledge of film scores, I just comment on the way they reflect the film and what they add to it.) It's eerie in a lot of ways, and also succeeds in building up tension, but in a very subtle way. It's obviously synthetic as well, not so much in the way a lot of 80s sci-fis were, but in a way that is clearly reflecting on the film's theme of non-naturalism and the way we live in the electronic era. I really enjoy it; I have some of Shore's other work, but this is among my favourite of his, and one of my favourites of the year so far.

Verdict: This is a film you will either love or hate, and I get that. Personally, I loved it. I think people judged it badly because of the complex dialogue and surreal plot, and didn't give it enough of a chance. But there's a reason it was selected at Cannes this year; people who are disbelieving of Robert Pattinson's acting ability must watch this, and Cronenberg has a fine return to form. I could not recommend this more, but this really is a film for the adventurous movie-goers out there.

*****

Trailer: If I can be bothered, I usually only post one trailer. However, for this, you need to see both. The first 30-second teaser one actually took my breath away the first time I saw it, but I watch the second one occasionally even after seeing the film just to remind myself how much I loved it. But I probably wouldn't watch it if I had epilepsy, just so you know.

And just another fun fact for you: they filmed every scene in the limo almost in chronological order, which is almost unheard of nowadays.

Some Films I've Seen Recently...

I know I've been silent for a long time, but I've been away on holiday and been generally busy, so I can only apologise. But I've seen a few films recently, not new, but that deserve a review, so I'm going to do a few short ones in this post.

Attack The Block

I watched this film a few weeks ago and I still crack up when I think about it. It was refreshingly funny; the one-liners were superb, and based on this I think first time writer/director Joe Cornish has a bright future in this industry, and I'm excited to see what he's going to do next.

It was fresh and appealing to a wider range of modern youth, an audience which I don't think is targeted enough. Yes, you have all the franchises and comedies etc, which are supposed to draw in that sort of crowd, but I think a lot of teenagers will actually relate more to this film, mostly due to the fabulous cast and the dialogue, which uses more of the common teenage vernacular, and this use of slang is what is going to make teenagers sit up and take note of films being made if more are done like this.

I'd have liked it to have been scarier, but the original plot and the look of the aliens more than makes up for that slight disappointment. It is a nice revamp of alien invasion flicks, so much so that it sounds actually believable.

As for the cast, I think it was a good idea to have a young, relatively unknown cast, and the biggest name was Nick Frost, who isn't in it a great deal, which is good because I having seen it I'm glad that nothing detracted from the main youth cast. John Boyega (who portrayed Moses, the leader of the gang of yoofs), could have a very nice career if he keeps giving performances like this. (Side note: I feel like I should give a special mention to my good friend and regular commentor on the blog, Garen, who is followed on Twitter by John Boyega. She's immensely proud of this fact.)

****

Trailer:

Young Adult

I watched this on the plane to Florida recently, and had to try really hard to control myself so I didn't burst out in uncontrollable fits of laughter. It's very very dark humour, which suits me fine, but Juno writer Diablo Cody delivers another fine script. It's an interesting premise - what happens to that Queen Bee when she grows up? The answer, according to Cody, is a super-bitchy, self-centred immature creature - essentially an older version of the teenage thing.

Charlize Theron deserved more recognition for her performance as the narcissistic teen-lit author whose writings reflect her own life. I mentioned in a post earlier this year that a lot of people in the industry were confused as to why she hadn't been nominated for awards, and now I can see why - it's probably the best performance I've seen of hers (admittedly, I haven't seen them all, including her Oscar-winning role in Monster). But she gave a better performance than 99% of the other female leads I've seen, and certainly better than at least three of the Oscar-nominated performances this year.

I like as well that this film isn't predictable. I thought I was able to tell what was going to happen from early on, but it has a surprising ending which isn't necessarily pleasant, but it's certainly a good thing that it didn't go down the obvious route and become another superficial flick.

****

Trailer:

We Need To Talk About Kevin

Another of the female performances that was overlooked this year was Tilda Swinton's in this, which is even more of a travesty than Charlize Theron. But not just that, every aspect of this film deserved much, much more recognition than it got; it was virtually flawless.

It is a truly brutal and horrific film, but the subject matter is handled well, considering how dark it is. I hadn't read the book so I didn't know beforehand what was going to happen, though I was able to guess the general climax of the story.

Tilda Swinton has never been better, in my opinion, and that is saying a lot considering what a fantastic actress she is. But she was completely convincing and conveyed her character so well. Her supporting cast were also commendable, including John C. Reilly as her husband, who should do more serious roles, as he was a revelation; also, the two actors who played her son at different ages - Jasper Newell as young Kevin gave one of the best child performances I've seen for some time, and Ezra Miller is suitably sinister as the teenage Kevin.

Essentially, the film is perfect, and it's an absolute travesty that not only was it virtually ignored at the awards this year, but also that it hasn't reached a wider audience. I highly recommend that everyone sees this. It's by no means a cheerful film, but it has stayed with me for a long time.

*****

Trailer:

The Descendants

So after all that positivity in my other mini-reviews, I'm closing with highly acclaimed The Descendants, which I did not enjoy by any stretch of the imagination. I went into watching this thinking it must be moderately good based on all the critical acclaim it got, but really, I was incredibly bored after three minutes and it didn't pick up as time dragged on. Yes, it's the hideously pretentious film the academies love, but really, nothing happens. It's slow, without a lot going on, and there's nothing to really engage the audience. The characters are not likeable, the plot is dull as dishwater, and George Clooney is very overrated, as is the whole film.

I can't believe it won Best Adapted Screenplay at the Oscars this year over films such as Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, and films not even nominated such as We Need To Talk About Kevin and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, both of which deserved it more. And as for Clooney winning many awards and nominations for his role, well, it's not surprising since the Academy do like him a fair amount, but a lot of other more deserving actors were left out.

I didn't enjoy it, and personally I thought it was very overrated. I'm glad I didn't spend money going to see it, put it that way, but I'm annoyed I've now lost two hours of my life on this film which I could quite happily have gone the rest of my life without seeing.

**

Trailer:

Ok, that's it for now, but since I'm poor and my social life seems to have dried up I'm pretty much constantly watching films, so expect some more posts soon.

Really Super 8

I wasn't sure if one of the most anticipated films of the summer could live up to the expectations that have been created through the film industry, but Super 8 more than exceeds the hype.

(The usual spoiler warning... yeah yeah yeah. Though saying that, this time I'm not going to say much, because part of the film is a mystery and not knowing is what makes it so intense.)

Set in 1979, the story follows a group of children as they innocently try to film a low-budget zombie movie for a local competition. However, whilst at a late night shoot at an old railway station, our protagonist, 13 year old Joe sees a truck drive onto the tracks just as a freight train is going by, causing a massive derailment. Soon after, their little town in Ohio is plagued by inexplicable occurrences, such as disappearing people and dogs, as well as machinery going missing. The mysterious presence that has been released into the town has something to do with the crash, and footage from the kids' discarded camera at the scene may hold answers...

I have to say from the beginning that I found this film basically flawless, and that it is my favourite film of the year so far, so don't expect much criticism at all in this blog.

I think the main success of this film is down to its young actors. The performances are amazing, even more so when you realise that this the debut feature for most of them, and the chemistry between them is brilliant to watch - they spark off each other so naturally it's as though they really have been friends their whole lives. Particular highlights of the film are when we are merely observing their banter and the camaraderie between them. But what's really good about them is that they don't let us forget that they are young children, not big action heroes (at one point, Charles, the director of the would-be film, shouts out "I don't want to die!", something which you would of course expect a thirteen year old to say). They act like children, not adults, as is so often portrayed in modern cinema, and it's refreshing.

Another brilliant aspect of the film is that although it is essentially a sci-fi, there are moments of absolute humour that had the whole screen in stitches when I saw it. This is again down to the kids, who deliver the one-liners ("Drugs are SO bad!") so well that again we forget that they are just acting and we are not just watching a documentary about a day in the lives of some kids. The dialogue, even when it's not particularly trying to be funny, makes us laugh because of the time setting. Just saying "Mint!" takes us back to an earlier time and makes us smile. It's extraordinary.

I should also say that this is the most tense I have ever been in a film. The sense of anticipation and tension that builds up for the first two-thirds or so is surely down to the fact that although we see the destruction caused by this presence, it goes unseen for a long time, and when we first see it it's only glimpsed and out of focus. There are genuine moments where you forget to breathe because you are there in the action, with the kids, and you don't know what's coming either.

SPOILERS IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH! SKIP IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THE SUSPENSE WHEN YOU SEE IT.

The special effects in this film must too be applauded. It shows what surely must be the most detailed train crash in the history of film, one which lasts for minutes and literally leaves you breathless, as you too feel like you are running with the kids away from the carnage. There's also the "monster", which is one alien I approve of. It's not the sort of alien you often see in films nowadays, which just look like humans but green, or a little distorted. It doesn't look like anything I've ever seen, which gets a huge thumbs-up from me. But this also brings me to my one and only quibble: the eyes of the alien. I won't spoil it too much, but the eyes distract from what is otherwise one of the best aliens in recent cinema.

But it's the human moments that really make this film shine. As well as the humour that often occurs in the film, there are also genuinely sad bits that made me cry, such as when Elle Fanning's Alice and Joel Courtney's Joe have a conversation about the death of his mother and the neglect of her father. I even cried at the end, just because it was cathartic, and I haven't done that in a really long time. There's also the love-triangle between Joe, Alice and Charles ("Production value!"), which is just the right amount of angsty to be realistic for thirteen year old boys fighting over a girl. It's moments like this that make the film so special, and reflect real life enough to make you forget it's a sci-fi at times.

Verdict: In my opinion, it's the best film I've seen so far this year. I want to see it get Oscars. JJ Abrams is one of my new film heroes and, bearing in mind he wrote it, produced it and directed it, I want to see him get the acclaim he deserves and I look forward to seeing his future work. It's original, could not have been better executed, has a brilliant cast and crew, and outshines anything else this year so far. If you see one film this year, make sure it's this one.

*****

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCRQQCKS7go

50 Greatest Harry Potter Moments: 40-31

And it continues! Also, forgot to put it on the last post, but you can check out Lucy's version here.

As usual, the spoiler warning applies.

40. The Duelling Club - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

The Situation: In the crisis of students being Petrified, new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart, sets up a Duelling Club to teach the students to fight. Um, there was only one session, which should give some indication of how well it went...

Why we love it: Because the best part of the whole second film is Lockhart, played by the fantastic Kenneth Branagh. We see more of his cocky attitude in this scene (and he wears a cape!), until he promptly gets knocked down - literally and figuratively - by Snape. We are also treated to some Harry/Draco sparring, which is always brilliant to watch... until, as ever, it turns a bit sinister and Harry freaks everyone out by talking to a snake.

39. Dumbledore's Army - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The Situation: Because of the lack of decent teaching they are getting in Defence Against the Dark Arts by the hideous dictator Umbridge, our rebel friends decide to set up their own club in the Room of Requirement where Harry can teach them to defend themselves instead. It's a rather broad topic, I know, but we love all that it entails.



Token black guy


Why we love it: The kids are fighting back! Particular highlights include the Inquisitorial Squard (basically Umbridge's posse) and Filch trying to infiltrate the Room of Requirement and failing, multiple times, as well as the forming of the DA in the Hog's Head and the actual lessons themselves. These include Ron and Hermione's mini-duel where Ron gets his arse kicked, and Neville finally disarming someone in a moment which heightens the love for him even more, if that's even possible.

38. Detention in the Forest - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

The Situation: Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco are given detention for being out of bed after dark, and serve it by helping Hagrid track down a unicorn killer. Little do they know that it's actually something even more macabre than everything else in the forest...

This is generally how I feel about most people


Why we love it: Way back when they were just little fresh-faced, prepubescent children, already they are being mentally tortured by Filch as he escorts them down to Hagrid's, who describes the physical punishment he used to inflict on students (including one of the best lines from the whole film: "God I miss the screaming..."). Another highlight is Malfoy running away like the coward he is when he and Harry find the mysterious killer - it's hilarious to see him running around like a headless chicken in the background as the cloaked figure advances upon a helpless Harry. It's nice too, to see Harry's rescue by the centaur Firenze, who gives some nice background information to the situation but is sadly not seen again.

37. Umbridge's Evil Quill - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The Situation: Being the sick and psychotic woman that she is, Umbridge inflicts what is surely the most twisted of all punishments seen at any kind of educational institution - students are forced to write lines with a quill which carves their words into the backs of their hands.

Why we love it: It really is cruel, twisted, and essentially Umbridge, and this really reminds us why we hate her so much. She's one of the most evil characters in the whole series, famously described as "the most evil fictional character since Hannibal Lecter". Shudder.

36. The Wedding - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1

The Situation: Pretty self-explanitory, really - Bill Weasley and ex-Triwizard champion Fleur Delacour are getting married. Nawww.

Why we love it: It has no real bearing on the plot, but it's a lovely way to remind everyone that real life still carries on despite the war brewing in the wizarding world. Bill and Fleur wed in the Weasley's back garden and there is much merriment, until, of course, it's ruined by the Death Eaters. Can they not let them relax for one night? Evidently not. Just a little aside... nobody finds it a little weird that Ron's brother is marrying the girl who was once the object of his affections. Except us.

35. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The Situation: It's the scene which gives us the first (and sadly only) look at Fred and George's fantastic joke shop, which they have set up since ditching Hogwarts (look out for future posts regarding that little gem!).

Why we love it: It's not a long scene, but a nice look at the twins as well as introducing Cormac McLaggen. There's some playful banter between the twins and Ron, and if anyone else watches Behind the Magic religiously every time a film is released... Ben Shepherd's cameo! He should have had one in the last film.

  How much for this?
 
5 galleons.

How much for me?

5 galleons.

I’m your brother!

10 galleons!

34. The Destruction of the Locket - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1

The Situation: Ron returns from his angsty absence, and his first act is to save Harry from being choked to death by the locket-Horcrux and then promptly destroy it, but not before it does a little torture on him.

Why we love it: It was NOT chosen for the creepy Harry/Hermione incredibly creepy nakedness (well, maybe a little, since it did provide some incredibly cringe-worthy accidental humour), but instead for the reason that this is the first time the three have actually destroyed a Horcrux intentionally (not including the diary in Chamber of Secrets, that wasn't the same). It's a big moment really, where we finally feel like we're getting somewhere on our journey to destroy Voldemort.


33. Godric's Hollow - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1

The Situation: It's Christmas, and Harry and Hermione, a bit lost as to what to do with themselves, go to Harry's former home of Godric's Hollow in the hope that they will find something to aid them on their quest.

Why we love it: Like the wedding, this doesn't actually have any real bearing on the plot, but there is a highly emotional bit where Harry visits his parent's graves and sees the house he spent the first year of his life, as well as the meeting with Bathilda Bagshot. It's a shame that Dumbledore's backstory got cut from the final film, as it makes stealing the book from Bathilda's house more or less a complete waste of time. But still, we see that highly disturbing moment of woman-turning-into-snake, and then Harry's wand gets broken in the ensuing struggle. Typical. Nothing ever seems to go according to plan with them...

32. David Tennant - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

The Situation: Not really a moment as such, but he had to be included. David Tennant, before he was well-known, appears as Death Eater Barty Crouch Jr in an incredibly creepy performance.

Why we love it: His rapey tongue motion will stay with you for a while after you see this. He's really just here because he brings another level of sexy to the films, as if there wasn't enough already.

31. The Tale of Three Brothers - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1

The Situation: It's an extremely pivotal scene where we discover the fascination with the wand Voldmemort has seemingly been searching for, as well as being introduced to the concept of the Deathly Hallows. Hermione reads what is considered by many to be a child's story, which is shown in a spectacular way through animation.

Why we love it: It's so well done, and in a surprising fashion for a Harry Potter film - silhouette animation which is a subtle reminder that this story was meant for children (even though it's worryingly dark). It's also a great story, and is a pleasure to watch.

That's it for part 2! Tune in again tomorrow for more. And as ever, leave me a comment, let me know what you think.

50 Greatest Harry Potter Moments: 50-41

Cashing in on the hype of the final Harry Potter film, ITV recently showed their 50 Greatest Harry Potter Moments. Sitting at home and discussing it on Twitter, Lucy and I decided that due to our mutual dissatisfaction with the entries a new one must be made, so we met up over a Subway and sat in a park for four hours creating a new one.

Please understand that this is more of a personal list and many people may disagree with our choices, and also that the last film is included, so if you haven't seen it yet I would avoid this until you have.

 Breaking it down because it's going to be hugely long and take me forever, starting with 50-41.

(N.B. these are just the moments in the film series, and not the books. It would probably be a completely different story if we were bringing the books in...

Also, usual spoiler warning applies, though again, if you haven't seen these films yet, I don't want you on my blog. Find a better way to spend your time and go watch the films.)

So, without further ado, the list begins...


50. "Turn to page 394." - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

The Situation: You know, the time where Snape covers Lupin's Defence Against the Dark Arts class and says that amazing line, multiple times.

Why we love it: It has to be the amazing way Alan Rickman delivers it, in that delicious drawl only he can pull off. It remains one of his most quoted phrases, and with good reason! Plus, it's Snape doing what he does best and intimidating everyone around him.

49. The Slug Club dinner - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The Situation: An often overlooked scene for comedy in which Slughorn hosts a dinner for his "Slug Club", attended by Harry and Hermione among others.

Why we love it: It's a scene of creepy interaction, as Cormac is incredibly rapey (added humour with the fact that he is sitting right next to an oblivious Slughorn), and then Ginny enters, and Harry has a super-awkward moment as he stands up when Ginny walks in. Cute, if not for the fact that she's crying after fighting with her boyfriend and he is not being subtle, displaying his obvious love for her (*coughMummyIssuescough*) in front of a room full of people. It's an unsung moment of brilliance in what is arguably the funniest film in the franchise.

48. "Ron, you don't have a wife." - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1

The Situation: Our three heroes have infiltrated the Ministry of Magic using Polyjuice Potion, and Ron, currently looking identical to Dave Coaches from Gavin and Stacey, is now worried about the wife of the guy he is posing as. And he gets a little confused...

Why we love it: It's a tiny moment which provides some rare and much needed relief from the tension. Ron has to be reminded that he's not a middle-aged man and is not actually married, though his concern for this woman he's never met is quite sweet. It's another display of comedy acting, and is loved so much that it has it's own Facebook group. One of the best moments from DH1 for sure.

47. Voldemort takes Lucius' wand - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1

The Situation: It's the beginning of the film, in which Voldemort and the Death Eaters have gathered at Malfoy Manor and are plotting the downfall of Harry Potter (again), and Voldemort casually kills a Hogwarts teacher and lets his snake eat her corpse after basically emasculating Lucius as punishment by taking his wand.

Why we love it: Jason Isaacs plays Lucius brilliantly, and we see the downfall he has had throughout the films - he looks ragged and unkempt, and his confidence is clearly shaken - he looks far cry from the composed and arrogant man we know from previous films. His delivery of lines is excellent, and the way Ralph Fiennes' Voldemort asserts himself over him is wonderful. It's truly sinister. The scene shows how quickly powerful wizards can fall from grace, as well as setting up a theme of the importance of a wizard's wand to him.

46. Ron's Love Potion - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The Situation: Ron has eaten a box of chocolates left by Romilda Vane, a stalkerish admirer of Harry, which has been laced with Love Potion. Ron goes incredibly dopey ("It's beautiful isn't it, the moon..."), irrationally claiming his love for someone he has never met, hitting Harry with the empty box and hugging Slughorn, saying "Hello, darling. Fancy a drink?" Hilarious stuff.

Why we love it: Because who can watch this scene and not crack up every single time they see it? Another of the many comedy moments of the sixth film, performed excellently, as ever, by the wonderful Rupert Grint. It's also a nice chance to see the more playful side of Harry and Ron and their interactions, which is always a joy. Of course, in typical Harry Potter style, the situation then takes a turn for the worse when Ron is really poisoned and starts convulsing and stops breathing. These guys just can't catch a break...

45. Aunt Marge Blows Up - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

The Situation: Early on in the third film, we watch as the hideous Aunt Marge taunts Harry constantly, criticising his dead parents until he loses it and blows her up like a repulsive balloon until she floats away across Surrey.

Why we love it: It's sad really that this is the last time the Dursleys play a major part in the films (Order of the Phoenix aside); they are appallingly underused. There are a couple of funny bits in the build up to the spectacular inflation, where Harry, smirking, claims that he gets beaten loads of times at "St Brutus'", until Aunt Marge takes it too far and she swells like a balloon. Dudley doesn't even notice until he gets whacked in the face by one of her buttons which pops off, and even then the events can only momentarily hold his attention until he goes back to watching something that looks suspiciously like Strictly Come Dancing... To be honest, the hideous Aunt Marge deserves what she gets: she seems like she would be good friends with Dolores Umbridge, and she feeds her dog brandy. Just desserts are served.

44. Filch Dancing with Mrs Norris - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

The Situation: Clearly coming alone to the Yule Ball, there is a brief moment among the festivities and many other couples dancing in the opening of the Ball where we see Filch dancing with his cat. Bless.

Why we love it: It may only last for a couple of seconds maximum, but still makes us laugh for minutes afterwards. Filch is another severely underused character, and this is one of the moments he can shine.

43. "Just because you can do magic now doesn't mean you have to whip your wands out for everything!" - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The Situation: Having turned 17, the legal age wizards can do magic outside of Hogwarts, Fred and George apparate everywhere. This particular occasion, they pop up right behind their mother, scaring the living daylights out of her, and prompting this wonderful line.

Why we love it: Because of the innuendo really, and the fact it's Fred and George, the two greatest Harry Potter characters there are.

42. Quidditch Tryouts - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The Situation: Harry, newly-appointed Quidditch captain of Gryffindor, holds tryouts before the season starts to build a team. It does not go well.

Why we love it: Cormac McLaggen is given one of many opportunities to be a complete arse, asserting his dominance over Ron and making eyes at Hermione, who then takes him down a peg or two by cursing him and making him fluff up his tryout for the team, making way for Ron to show his skill and get the place of Keeper. It's incredibly satisfying.

41. The Fat Lady Sings - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

The Situation: It's their first night back at Hogwarts after the summer and the students want to get into the common room, but are hindered by the Fat Lady's quest to break a glass with her voice.

Why we love it: It's basically Dawn French being amazing. It's a shame she was never used from the beginning and that we don't see her again after this film, but this scene not only brings a bit of humour to the film before the drama kicks in, but also reminds the audience of the daily goings-on at Hogwarts, since people seem to forget about the little things such as the talking portraits. Not to mention the fact that she calls the boys "plebs" for not appreciating her "talent".

And here is a video of it, because it refuses to upload: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLBt_07-Vek