Memory of a fish!

One day I will post a photo of my head post-taxi so that you will all become suddenly more sympathetic to my occasional Scarecrow-like lack of brain.

After my last Happy Birthday message, I thought ... you know, I am sure there is someone else who has this birthday ... I wonder who it could be?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY frayach ! Darling doofus-features, I miss you so! Which is entirely my own fault as I have a long letter that has been occasionally added to over many months, but neither finished nor posted, because, see subject line! Thank you for putting up with my cod-like ways, and I hope that you have been FLOODED with pressies and cakes!

Memory of a fish!

One day I will post a photo of my head post-taxi so that you will all become suddenly more sympathetic to my occasional Scarecrow-like lack of brain.

After my last Happy Birthday message, I thought ... you know, I am sure there is someone else who has this birthday ... I wonder who it could be?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY frayach ! Darling doofus-features, I miss you so! Which is entirely my own fault as I have a long letter that has been occasionally added to over many months, but neither finished nor posted, because, see subject line! Thank you for putting up with my cod-like ways, and I hope that you have been FLOODED with pressies and cakes!

Harry Potter 7, in two parts

The review is in two parts, that is, er, as well as the film ... Part 1 unspoilery! Part 2, under a cut!

We both managed to miss 7.1 at the cinema, I was in England and Italy, Mr B was moping. So we saw that last night and then the second half at lunch today. Goodness, gracious me!

The short version is that I loved all of the first half and most of the second half. Also, Maggie Smith and Helen McRory can do with a tiny inflection what many actors spend their whole careers trying to achieve. Brilliant, brilliant work from both of them!

I have always thought of the films as being secondary artefacts in the Potter tale, illustrations that are about the same story, but often not telling it properly, in much the same way as book covers often have only a tangential relationship with the book inside them. For most of part seven, though, I felt that it was very truthful storytelling, not always exactly telling the exact story of the books, but being very faithful to the spirit of it.

And it was beautiful. From the sets, to the costumes, to the love that each actor brought to their character, it was emotional and as real as possible, and just lovely (especially the little Hufflepuffs).

( Spoilers for 7.1 )

As we walked home last night, we agreed that this might very well have been the best Potter film ever (something that was very easy to think when we were seeing the conclusion of it 13 hours later, we may have thought differently were it eight months, as it did leave off sharply), and not just because we had enjoyed being part of such a keen crowd. It kept so closely to the feeling of the book that it felt as though it had built on the experience of reading, rather than trying to just show scenes from the story.

Today it was back for the second film, and I loved almost all of it. In fact, I'm going to keep the complaints to the end, so that you can feel free to ignore them.

( HP 7.2 Praise and spoilers )

There were some things I was less thrilled with.

( 7.2 Criticism and Spoilers )

At the very end, the words 19 Years Later scrolled up, and a little voice from the front of the cinema said, 'What?!'

Mr B leaned down and whispered, 'Someone hasn't read the book.' I like to think the kid was just EWE.

But it was a wonderful epilogue. The Boy Who Lived went on to have a life, what more could we wish for?

Harry Potter 7, in two parts

The review is in two parts, that is, er, as well as the film ... Part 1 unspoilery! Part 2, under a cut!

We both managed to miss 7.1 at the cinema, I was in England and Italy, Mr B was moping. So we saw that last night and then the second half at lunch today. Goodness, gracious me!

The short version is that I loved all of the first half and most of the second half. Also, Maggie Smith and Helen McRory can do with a tiny inflection what many actors spend their whole careers trying to achieve. Brilliant, brilliant work from both of them!

I have always thought of the films as being secondary artefacts in the Potter tale, illustrations that are about the same story, but often not telling it properly, in much the same way as book covers often have only a tangential relationship with the book inside them. For most of part seven, though, I felt that it was very truthful storytelling, not always exactly telling the exact story of the books, but being very faithful to the spirit of it.

And it was beautiful. From the sets, to the costumes, to the love that each actor brought to their character, it was emotional and as real as possible, and just lovely (especially the little Hufflepuffs).

( Spoilers for 7.1 )

As we walked home last night, we agreed that this might very well have been the best Potter film ever (something that was very easy to think when we were seeing the conclusion of it 13 hours later, we may have thought differently were it eight months, as it did leave off sharply), and not just because we had enjoyed being part of such a keen crowd. It kept so closely to the feeling of the book that it felt as though it had built on the experience of reading, rather than trying to just show scenes from the story.

Today it was back for the second film, and I loved almost all of it. In fact, I'm going to keep the complaints to the end, so that you can feel free to ignore them.

( HP 7.2 Praise and spoilers )

There were some things I was less thrilled with.

( 7.2 Criticism and Spoilers )

At the very end, the words 19 Years Later scrolled up, and a little voice from the front of the cinema said, 'What?!'

Mr B leaned down and whispered, 'Someone hasn't read the book.' I like to think the kid was just EWE.

But it was a wonderful epilogue. The Boy Who Lived went on to have a life, what more could we wish for?