Deathly Hallows Part 1

Okay, so we all go into this expecting a reasonably well illustrated companion to the novel, trimming details that would turn the 5 hour epic into a 20 hour miniseries. And since this is only half the concluding novel we know they have to choose a breaking point which is a cliff hanger.

So how did it measure up? Sure a lot of details are trimmed, but we are left with the essentials of the story. The pacing is cinematic and also faithful to the spirit of the text. This film is also truly not a little kids film, following the maturity curve of the novels.

I will limit myself to a few high-points and a few low.

{Spoiler alert}

As Hermione reads the tale of the three brothers, from Beadle the Bard, we are treated to a wonderful animated illustration of the text. It is reminiscent of "The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello". The director for this sequence was Ben Hibon, I shall be looking for more of his work.

The tension between the famous trio during their travels in exile is well acted, and Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe do show good acting ability. Their despair and misery is not quite as absolute as in the book. Also we miss the scene where the other group of renegades camp alongside our heros and let slip that Bellatrix does not have the real sword.

The breaking point is well chosen. Anyone who decides to see Deathly Hallows as their first Harry Potter film and don't notice the "Part One" will be surely miffed at the conclusion, Dobby's death and Voldemort seizing the elder wand from the dead Dumbledore.

On the whole there was little to complain about, but the loss of Hedwig and Mad Eye get shrugged off a bit quick. These were serious losses in the book. Still as I said this one alone is 2hrs 17 minutes, the second half should be as long.

Also in Godrics Hollow, Harry starts talking to Nagini (disguised as Mathilda Bagshot) in parceltongue, I thought it was done naturally and well, Harry does that without noticing, but a fellow audience member (who also didn't know Dumbledore was dead, and surprised when the film stopped) didn't quite get that, and asked "what did she say".

If you haven't read the book, and you don't want a cliff hanger looming over you for 9 months, go and see the double bill next summer (you know there will be all day marathons for the series somewhere). This penultimate Potter was very well executed.