Just Watched: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 Harry Potter is back on the big screen for the penultimate time, and this time around the experience is more fulfilling than it has ever been, especially for those who have been waiting for the films to be closer to the books. J.K. Rowling’s writing finally has a good piece of cinema to associate with after six previous outings which weren’t really fantastic, though I’ll admit that I liked parts III, IV and VI. The kids have grown up in this film, and the film is rather dark. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) have done a pretty good job but Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) is more expressive and gives a wonderful performance. However, when it comes to performances, the one that stands out is Helena Bonham Carter’s superb performance as Bellatrix Lestrange. Alan Rickman (Severus Snape) is wonderful in the few scenes he has in this film, and I’m really looking forward to his presence in the second part, where his character is, in my opinion, the most important. Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort) doesn’t really have as much screen time as one can hope for and that was something that something could have been done about. David Yates has done a great job in directing this film by bringing out the best of the characters. Many may question the timing of the ending of the film but I don’t think it will affect the next part in any way; in fact, this will only make the next part more enthralling with the ‘Siege of Hogwarts’ taking up most of the screen time. Not a great piece of cinema but the best Harry Potter adaptation for the big screen without a doubt. A must see for every Harry Potter fan. If you watch it on an IMAX screen, then you’re in for an even better visual treat. Personal Rating: 7.6/10
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Just Watched: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Harry Potter is back on the big screen for the penultimate time, and this time around the experience is more fulfilling than it has ever been, especially for those who have been waiting for the films to be closer to the books. J.K. Rowling’s writing finally has a good piece of cinema to associate with after six previous outings which weren’t really fantastic, though I’ll admit that I liked parts III, IV and VI.

The kids have grown up in this film, and the film is rather dark. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) have done a pretty good job but Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) is more expressive and gives a wonderful performance. However, when it comes to performances, the one that stands out is Helena Bonham Carter’s superb performance as Bellatrix Lestrange. Alan Rickman (Severus Snape) is wonderful in the few scenes he has in this film, and I’m really looking forward to his presence in the second part, where his character is, in my opinion, the most important. Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort) doesn’t really have as much screen time as one can hope for and that was something that something could have been done about.

David Yates has done a great job in directing this film by bringing out the best of the characters. Many may question the timing of the ending of the film but I don’t think it will affect the next part in any way; in fact, this will only make the next part more enthralling with the ‘Siege of Hogwarts’ taking up most of the screen time.

Not a great piece of cinema but the best Harry Potter adaptation for the big screen without a doubt. A must see for every Harry Potter fan. If you watch it on an IMAX screen, then you’re in for an even better visual treat.

Personal Rating: 7.6/10

Just Watched: Alice in Wonderland Anticipation for a Tim Burton picture is always worth the effort, at least most of the time. While the guy keeps employing various visual techniques in each of his films, the style and approach more or less remain the same. Here, in collaborating with Disney, he has all the reasons to make it a visual treat and he does just that. A perfect mixture of style and substance, Burton’s retelling of the Lewis Caroll classic is something that should take the viewer by surprise as it will appeal to him in a way that only few films do. The perfect performances by Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp are the icing on the cake. The voice overs given by Stephen Fry and Alan Rickman are very good too (They voice the Chesshire Cat and the Blue Caterpillar respectively.) Mia Wasikowska has done a pretty decent job. The only major disappointment in the acting department happens to be Anne Hathaway, who doesn’t make too much sense in her role as the White Queen. Everything else in this film is worth every bit of it’s worth (barring a few lines). Magical, truly. “Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” Personal Rating: 8.4/10
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Just Watched: Alice in Wonderland

Anticipation for a Tim Burton picture is always worth the effort, at least most of the time. While the guy keeps employing various visual techniques in each of his films, the style and approach more or less remain the same. Here, in collaborating with Disney, he has all the reasons to make it a visual treat and he does just that.

A perfect mixture of style and substance, Burton’s retelling of the Lewis Caroll classic is something that should take the viewer by surprise as it will appeal to him in a way that only few films do. The perfect performances by Helena Bonham Carter and Johnny Depp are the icing on the cake. The voice overs given by Stephen Fry and Alan Rickman are very good too (They voice the Chesshire Cat and the Blue Caterpillar respectively.) Mia Wasikowska has done a pretty decent job. The only major disappointment in the acting department happens to be Anne Hathaway, who doesn’t make too much sense in her role as the White Queen. Everything else in this film is worth every bit of it’s worth (barring a few lines). Magical, truly.

“Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

Personal Rating: 8.4/10