I have been a huge fan of Harry Potter since I was in 8th grade, which is when I started reading the first three books and saw the first movie soon afterwards. I have been hooked into the magical fantasy world dreamed up by J.K. Rowling since then. You can tell it's a fantasy world for two reasons: They have wands, and good triumphs over evil. Because of this, I was of course very excited for the movie. I am proud to say that I was not disappointed. I had wished that the last few books had each been split into two movies, which had been discussed as a possibility for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, so I am glad that this book was split into two so that all the action could be retained and the film was not rushed. This was the first movie that I thought really did justice to its source material instead of being a rapidly moving, "greatest scenes" version of the book. I was impressed that 75% of the movie actually took place at Hogwarts with an elongated battle sequence, as if the filmmakers were making up for the omission of the Battle of the Astronomy Tower from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
It has been great to see Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson grow up because they have embodied the characters well and have such a great chemistry with each other. Hermione and Harry especially have developed a great brother-sister relationship. I look forward to seeing them in other flims, and it would be great to see them in a non-Harry Potter film together.
I have always felt that the teachers and adults in the film series have always been given short shrift, and this film was no exception, but the balance was evened out a little bit. Alan Rickman gave a great performance as Severus Snape, showing a different and much more human side to the character that gave him another dimension. Seeing Maggie Smith on screen is always wonderful as well, especially in a leadership role. Robbie Coltrane's Hagrid doesn't show up until the end of the film, but he's always a welcome presence. Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, and Jim Broadbent make brief appearances as well, all of whom should have had more scenes in the last few films given their character's roles in the books. Only Ralph Fiennes gets significant screen time. Helena Bonham Carter also has a few scenes as his main lackey. The problem is that there are so many wonderful characters that it's hard to showcase them all correctly in the 2 1/2 hour spans of each film, so characters often make brief or background appearances.
The actual battle is quite physical and all-consuming, at times a bit tough to follow. There are a few changes from the book as well. The final image of the aftermath is the main three characters standing on a bridge looking back at the building that has been the centerpiece of their lives for the last seven years. The movie then concludes with an Epilogue taking place 19 years later that is a complete shift in tone, showing the next generation of Hogwarts students, the progeny of our main characters, who have been aged to be in their late thirties, although still played by the same actors. Rupert Grint's transformation makes him look a bit like Mark Williams, who plays Arthur Weasley. The final image of this scene, and the whole saga, is a closeup of our three heroes as adults. I hope that the film and book series doesn't go out of style and will remain popular with future generations of readers and moviegoers, because this universe is too vibrant to fade away.
Showing posts with label harry potter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label harry potter. Show all posts
Monday, July 25, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying- Al Hirschfeld Theatre, Broadway
Welcome back! I haven't written as many blog posts lately, and I am going to try and fix that and do more posts over the next few weeks to catch up on all the topics I wanted to talk about.
The first post is a review of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, now in previews at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on Broadway. Incidentally, this is the Broadway theater where I have attended the most performances, having previously four other shows at the venue.
I enjoyed this show and this production quite a bit. I wasn't sure what to think, as the show curtain looked a little tacky and I was thinking this production would be similar to Promises, Promises, in that it would be good but not spectacular and would be a little too slick and commercial, getting away from the show's heart. I was pleasantly surprised in that this show was much better than I expected, even with a dated book. Seeing Daniel Radcliffe sing and dance in white shirt and teal bow-tie as J. Pierpont Finch was pretty wonderful. He really carried the show from his first entrance, rising from the orchestra pit on his window-washing scaffold. It's fun to watch him weasel his way to the top through a mixture of lies, half-truths, and carefully placed words. He still reads a bit young for the part though, as if he was an over-zealous and ingratiating summer intern who refuses to leave. And when you look at the secretarial pool, you wouldn't want to leave either.
His love interest is Rose Hemingway as the earnest and idealistic Rosemary, who is quite fantastic in her Broadway debut. She is throughly likable as the sweet and wholesome ingénue who falls in love with Finch at first sight and dreams of their life together in New Rochelle where she keeps his dinner warm as he works his way up the corporate ladder, and doesn't give up when Finch doesn't always pay much attention to her. She aided in her schemes by Mary Faber as Smitty, who is saddled with a pair of ugly white glasses which nevertheless helps indicate the 1960's time period.
I also really enjoyed Tammy Blanchard as the boss's mistress and all-around office sexpot Hedy LaRue, who almost stole the show for me. She played the role as a cross between Judy Garland and Marilyn Monroe with a great figure but poor comprehension, dazed and oblivious to most of her surroundings. She does have some ambition and a fairly correct moral compass though. Ellen Harvey is underused as the boss' droll secretary Miss Jones.
John Larroquette was servicable as the big boss himself, J.B. Biggley. He was amiable and likable enough and believable in the role, but I think he needs to settle into the character and get comfortable a little bit more. His stand-out number was "Old Ivy" with Daniel Radcliffe and the male ensemble. Rob Bartlett also had a great number with those same two co-stars in "Company Way," with some comedic stage business for the principals and some inventive and highly entertaining choreography for the mail-room attendants. The perfect epitome of an office functioning in musical-comedy style. The rest of the principals include Michael Park as Mr. Bratt, the personnel manager and Christopher Hanke as Bud Frump, the bratty and effeminate nephew of J.B. Biggley and the "villain" of the show.
Which brings us to the ensemble, who were truly fantastic. Special mention goes to Cameron Adams, Cleve Asbury, Marty Lawson, Ryan Watkinson, and Charlie Williams. That list is skewed in favor of the men because they had a lot more to do in this show. Rob Ashford gave them great, spectacular, and athletic choreography to perform, particularly in "Company Way", "Brotherhood of Men" and "Old Ivy," although the last one was a bit long and started to stretch the limits of believability, even for this show. Both genders of the ensemble were great in "A Secretary is Not A Toy and especially "Coffee Break." The opening number was reminiscent of Ashford's choreography for Promises, Promises and also featured some wonderful partnering. The female ensemble got a chance to shine in "Cinderella Darling" and to a lesser extent in "Paris Original" which was another highlight of the show.
I enjoyed this production very much and urge you to see it as well. I admit that the show is dated at times and has sexist overtones, but is still an enjoyable experience. If only succeeding in business really was this simple...
The first post is a review of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, now in previews at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on Broadway. Incidentally, this is the Broadway theater where I have attended the most performances, having previously four other shows at the venue.
I enjoyed this show and this production quite a bit. I wasn't sure what to think, as the show curtain looked a little tacky and I was thinking this production would be similar to Promises, Promises, in that it would be good but not spectacular and would be a little too slick and commercial, getting away from the show's heart. I was pleasantly surprised in that this show was much better than I expected, even with a dated book. Seeing Daniel Radcliffe sing and dance in white shirt and teal bow-tie as J. Pierpont Finch was pretty wonderful. He really carried the show from his first entrance, rising from the orchestra pit on his window-washing scaffold. It's fun to watch him weasel his way to the top through a mixture of lies, half-truths, and carefully placed words. He still reads a bit young for the part though, as if he was an over-zealous and ingratiating summer intern who refuses to leave. And when you look at the secretarial pool, you wouldn't want to leave either.
His love interest is Rose Hemingway as the earnest and idealistic Rosemary, who is quite fantastic in her Broadway debut. She is throughly likable as the sweet and wholesome ingénue who falls in love with Finch at first sight and dreams of their life together in New Rochelle where she keeps his dinner warm as he works his way up the corporate ladder, and doesn't give up when Finch doesn't always pay much attention to her. She aided in her schemes by Mary Faber as Smitty, who is saddled with a pair of ugly white glasses which nevertheless helps indicate the 1960's time period.
I also really enjoyed Tammy Blanchard as the boss's mistress and all-around office sexpot Hedy LaRue, who almost stole the show for me. She played the role as a cross between Judy Garland and Marilyn Monroe with a great figure but poor comprehension, dazed and oblivious to most of her surroundings. She does have some ambition and a fairly correct moral compass though. Ellen Harvey is underused as the boss' droll secretary Miss Jones.
John Larroquette was servicable as the big boss himself, J.B. Biggley. He was amiable and likable enough and believable in the role, but I think he needs to settle into the character and get comfortable a little bit more. His stand-out number was "Old Ivy" with Daniel Radcliffe and the male ensemble. Rob Bartlett also had a great number with those same two co-stars in "Company Way," with some comedic stage business for the principals and some inventive and highly entertaining choreography for the mail-room attendants. The perfect epitome of an office functioning in musical-comedy style. The rest of the principals include Michael Park as Mr. Bratt, the personnel manager and Christopher Hanke as Bud Frump, the bratty and effeminate nephew of J.B. Biggley and the "villain" of the show.
Which brings us to the ensemble, who were truly fantastic. Special mention goes to Cameron Adams, Cleve Asbury, Marty Lawson, Ryan Watkinson, and Charlie Williams. That list is skewed in favor of the men because they had a lot more to do in this show. Rob Ashford gave them great, spectacular, and athletic choreography to perform, particularly in "Company Way", "Brotherhood of Men" and "Old Ivy," although the last one was a bit long and started to stretch the limits of believability, even for this show. Both genders of the ensemble were great in "A Secretary is Not A Toy and especially "Coffee Break." The opening number was reminiscent of Ashford's choreography for Promises, Promises and also featured some wonderful partnering. The female ensemble got a chance to shine in "Cinderella Darling" and to a lesser extent in "Paris Original" which was another highlight of the show.
I enjoyed this production very much and urge you to see it as well. I admit that the show is dated at times and has sexist overtones, but is still an enjoyable experience. If only succeeding in business really was this simple...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)