"Better a fallen rocket than never a burst of light."
~ Tom Stoppard, The Invention of Love

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004, PG)

Book three was the first in the series that was more than a passing enjoyment for me, and this film is much the same.  While I like The Sorcerer’s Stone and The Chamber of Secrets, this is just a terrifically-made movie, tons of fun with a lot of character. No, it’s not perfect, but it makes for excellent viewing, and it’s still, for my money, one of the best in the franchise.

The central plot focuses less on our heroes investigating a mystery.  Instead, it’s more personal – notorious criminal Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban, the impregnable wizard prison, and all signs suggest he wants to finish the job Voldemort started 13 years ago (a.k.a. killing Harry).  Harry is bewildered by an early entreaty not to go looking for the vicious killer, but the more he learns about Sirius Black, the more he realizes how unalterably his life is tied to the fugitive wizard’s.  Top-notch new characters, fine intrigue, and serious emotional stakes are all in store.

Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity, y tu mamá también, and my beloved A Little Princess) is the director this time, and it really shows.  More than most in the franchise, this is just a great film.  The dramatic, comic, and action set-pieces are stylishly filmed with a careful hand; Lupin’s Boggart lesson and Harry’s midnight encounter with Snape are just two of the many fantastic sequences.  Small, deft touches give the movie a more lived-in tone, and the use of the Weeping Willow to mark the seasons is inspired.  Also, I love how Cuarón’s wizarding world is jam-packed with casual magic use.  In the first two films, magic tends to be a Big Deal, and each demonstration gets its own specific beat and focus.  This movie, though, reminds us that magic is part of everyday life for witches and wizards, and as such, can occur without fanfare.  Some good examples are the enchanted note Draco passes to Harry, the Gryffindor boys goofing around with charmed candy, and the various ways folks at the Leaky Cauldron use magic for the little things.

But like I said, as great as the movie is, it’s not all it could’ve been.  The screenplay doesn’t match up to the direction – there are some inconsistencies with the established rules of the world, a few plots are foreshadowed a bit too strongly (especially the question of Hermione’s workload,) and it’s a little too cavalier about cutting things.  In particular, the big third-act info-dump is majorly truncated, a sore point for many fans.  I can understand that, the way it’s shot, a long explanation would undercut the dramatic momentum, but I still wish there could be just a bit more of the Marauders.  It could’ve even moved closer to the end, maybe to Harry’s final conversation with Lupin.  Another handful of lines would’ve been enough to tie it all together.

My only other significant complaint is recasting Dumbledore with Michael Gambon.  Even though, with Richard Harris’s unfortunate passing, something had to be done, Gambon just does not work for me, especially after the impeccable Harris.  Other new cast members continue the winning streak, though.  Emma Thompson is a hoot as hippy-dippy Professor Trelawney, David Thewlis brings warmth and intelligence to Harry’s mentor/confidante Professor Lupin, and Gary Oldman gives a tremendous performance as Sirius Black.  I’ve said before that this is the role that made Oldman catch my eye, and watching the film again reminds me how great he is.

Warnings

Scary stuff, some violence, and light swearing.

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