Admission

Admission
March 22, 2013
Focus Features etc.
Comedy, Drama
DVD
B

Based on a book I've never read, this has a refreshingly not-quite-resolved ending.  It is happy, in a bittersweet way, but not all the problems have been solved.  I was on the fence about the grade, whether B- or B, because I'm not sure how much of my fondness for the film is for its cast, particularly those I've tagged.  Tina Fey is of course a soft-hearted Type A and Paul Rudd is an amiable, boundary-crossing idealist.  It's good to see them work together, but their romance is too much in the background for this to be a rom-com, or even a dramedy-com.  (Their relationship, in the sense of how they relate, matters, but not the romantic side so much.)  Perhaps needless to say, Wallace Shawn, as Fey's boss, and Lily Tomlin, as Fey's mother, are perfect, giving the roles much more than expected.  (The details are great, too, like the vintage late '70s picture of Tomlin on the back of her character's feminist classic, The Male Mistake.  Or her Bella Abzug tattoo.)  The supporting cast is good, too, notably Michael Sheen as Fey's ex that thinks she's not over him, and Gloria Reuben as Fey's rival.

The blend of humor and drama generally works and I felt like even the more exaggerated scenes (like a cow giving birth) rang true on some level.  At the time (two and a half years ago), I saw this shortly after Warm Bodies, and probably would've ranked that a bit higher, but now I find that this is the movie that stays with me more afterwards.  Warm Bodies is entertaining, but this one made me think more, even if it doesn't quite live up to its potential.  And, yes, I need to read the book someday, although I hope it's better than the print version of Warm Bodies.

Alex Hartman, who's a Princeton Applicant here, would be '80s Dancer Party Guest in Rudd's They Came Together, while Barbara Vincent, who's a Birthday Party Guest here, would be a Football Player there.

Yes, I didn't say anything about the whole "Is this kid her son?" plot.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
November 11, 2010
Warner Bros.
Fantasy, Action, Drama
DVD
B

The Harry Potter regulars this time (* means newbie who will be back for the finale):

1. Afshan Azad as Padma Patil
2. Arben Bajraktraj as Antonin Dolohov (formerly playing an unidentified Death Eater)
3. Scarlett Byrne as Pansy Parkinson
4. Jessie Cave as Lavender Brown
5. Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid
6. Louis Cordice as Blaise Zabini
7. Warwick Davis as Griphook (new to the role)
8. Francis de la Tour as Madame Maxime
9. Amber Evans as Twin Girl #1
10. Ruby Evans as Twin Girl #2
11. Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy
12. Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort
13. Michael Gambon as Professor Albus Dumbledore
14. Brendan Gleeson as Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody
15. Domnhall Gleeson as Bill Weasley*
16. Richard Griffiths as Vernon Dursley
17. Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley
18. George Harris as Kingsley Shacklebolt
19. Guy Henry as Pius Thicknesse*
20. Josh Herdman as Gregory Goyle
21. Rod Hunt as Thorfinn Rowle
22. John Hurt as Ollivander
23. Stanislav Ianevski as Viktor Krum
24. Ralph Ineson as Amycus Carrow
25. Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy
26. Toby Jones as the voice of Dobby
27. Isabella Laughland as Leanne
28. David Legeno as Greyback
29. Georgina Leonidas as Katie Bell
30. Katie Leung as Cho Chang
31. Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom
32. Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood
33. Angelica Mandy as Gabrielle Delacour
34. Helen McCrory as Narcissa Malfoy
35. Harry Melling as Dudley Dursley
36. Nick Moran as Scabior*
37. Devon Murray as Seamus Finnigan
38. James Phelps as Fred Weasley
39. Oliver Phelps as George Weasley
40. Clémence Poésy as Fleur Delacour
41. Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter
42. Adrian Rawlins as James Potter
43. Anna Shaffer as Romilda Vane
44. Fiona Shaw as Petunia Dursley
45. Geraldine Somerville as Lily Potter
46. Timothy Spall as Wormtail
47. Freddie Stroma as Cormac McLaggen
48. Natalie Tena as Nymphadora Tonks
49. David Thewlis as Remus Lupin
50. Suzanne Toase as Alecto Carrow
51. Emma Watson as Hermione Granger
52. Mark Williams as Arthur Weasley
53. Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley

Also, Miranda Richardson appears in photographs as Rita Skeeter.  Rhys Ifans appears as Luna's father Xenophilius, and Bill Nighy as Minister Rufus Scrimgeour, both very different roles than in Pirate Radio.  Other regulars who've done others of my films are under the tags.

My review of the book is here:  http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2014/01/harry-potter-and-deathly-hallows.html.  The movie isn't as good but it is as solid as most of the series.  I think both the action scenes and the more dramatic scenes work, as do the moments of humour, such as the Seven Harrys transformation.  The sets and costumes, including at the wedding, are just right.  The most impressive visual aspect, however, is the animation for "The Tale of the Three Brothers." The central trio are all at the top of their game, which matters since much of the movie is about just the three of them, and even when they interact with others their dynamic matters.  Ironically, one of my favorite sections is the Ministry raid, where they've been Polyjuiced into middle-aged adults (Emma Thompson's sister Sophie among them).

What doesn't work?  Well, no offense to Nick Moran, but I don't see why the character of Scabior is built up here and in Part 2, when there are other Death Eaters (including Greyback) who could've been used more.  Also, with all the plot threads to be tied up in the finale, giving Harry the fragment of Sirius's mirror without explanation is odd.  And other details are rushed through, such as the eye on Umbridge's door.  Still, these are quibbles and this is the better half of Hallows onscreen.

Daisy Haggard is the voice of the Ministry Lift, as she was in Order of the Phoenix.   Elliott Francis is again a Slug Club Member, as he was in Half-Blood Prince.  Ifeoma Oboko was in Gryffindor in Prince but is just a School Child here.  Sarah Jane O'Neill is a Ministry Wizard here but would be a Wizard Parent in Part 2.   Paul Davies is a Death Eater, as he was in Goblet of Fire and Prince, and would be again in the finale.  Graham Duff, Emil Hostina, Tony Kirwood (who was Finckelgruber in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Penelope McGhie, Ashley McGuire, Peter G. Reed, Granville Saxton, Judith Sharp, and Bob Yves Van Hellenberg would all return as Death Eaters.

And Rose Keegan was Emma Pagent in Grint's Driving Lessons, while she's Red-Haired Witch here.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
July 15, 2009
Warner Bros.
Fantasy, Romance, Comedy, Drama
DVD
B-

Harry Potter regulars this time include (* for newbies):

1. Afshan Azad as Padma Patil
2. David Bradley as Argus Filch
3. Jim Broadbent as Professor Horace Slughorn*
4. Scarlett Byrne as Pansy Parkinson (new to the role)*
5. Jessie Cave as Lavender Brown (new to the role)*
6. Shefali Chowdhury as Parvati Patil
7. Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid
8. Louis Cordice as Blaise Zabini*
9. Warwick Davis as Professor Filius Flitwick
10. Alfred Enoch as Dean Thomas
11. Amber Evans as Twin Girl #1*
12. Ruby Evans as Twin Girl #2*
13. Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy
14. Michael Gambon as Professor Albus Dumbledore
15. Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley
16. Josh Herdman as Gregory Goyle
17. Rod Hunt as Thorfinn Rowle*
18. Ralph Ineson as Amycus Carrow*
19. Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy
20. Isabella Laughland as Leanne*
21. Dave Legeno as Fenrir Greyback*
22. Georgina Leonidas as Katie Bell (new to the role)*
23. Katie Leung as Cho Chang
24. Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom
25. Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood
26. Helen McCrory as Narcissa Malfoy*
27. William Melling as Nigel
28. Devon Murray as Seamus Finnigan
29. James Phelps as Fred Weasley
30. Oliver Phelps as George Weasley
31. Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter
32. Anna Shaffer as Romilda Vane*
33. Geraldine Somerville as Lily Potter
34. Timothy Spall as Wormtail
35. Freddie Stroma as Cormac McLaggen*
36. Natalie Tena as Nymphadora Tonks
37. David Thewlis as Remus Lupin
38. Suzanne Toase as Alecto Carrow*
39. Emma Watson as Hermione Granger
40. Jamie Waylett as Vincent Crabbe
41. Mark Williams as Arthur Weasley
42. Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley

My review of the book is here:  http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2014/01/harry-potter-and-half-blood-prince.html.  And, yes, I consider the movie to be roughly equivalent in quality to the book, although the flaws are different.  As I noted there, the Horcruxes are mishandled in the movie in the sense that Dumbledore says they could be the most commonplace of objects, when in fact this better describes Portkeys (like the "manky old boot") and it's unlikely that Voldemort would entrust pieces of his soul to worthless objects.

One flaw is that, as in Order of the Phoenix, a romance is left unresolved, in this case that of Ginny and Dean.  (Poor Alfie Enoch is once again underused, even as a point in a triangle.)  We're told that Ginny and Dean argue, but we never actually see them break up, so when Ginny flirts with Harry at Christmastime and later, it's difficult to know how to take it.  I will say though that the girls and women are less out of character here than in the book, and I think this is Emma Watson's best performance so far.  (When she attacks Ron with conjured birds, he's not actually pecked and injured, like in the book, just frightened.)

My other gripe is that while some of the shots are lovely and/or haunting, too many of them are dark, which means losing detail on a television screen.  On the plus side, Yates turns out to have a gift for comedy, especially when characters are acting drunk or stoned, most notably Daniel Radcliffe's "pincers" moment.  And the Ron-on-Love-Potion scenes are everything they ought to be, with Radcliffe a fine straight man to Rupert's loopiness and handsiness.

Paul Davies is again a Death Eater, as he was in Goblet of Fire and would be again in both Deathly Hallows movies.  Tabatha St. Vincent was an extra in Order of the Phoenix as well.  Nathan Clarke is a Gryffindor Student, as he was in Order.  Neil Findlater was a Ministry of Magic Panel Member there and is a Wizard Teacher here.

Ifeoma Oboko would again be a Hogwarts student in Hallows I, although not specifically Gryffindor.  Elliott Francis would again be a Slug Club Member there.  Ninette Finch is an extra here but would be Augusta Longbottom in Hallows 2.  Arthur Bowen, who's Boy at Chestnut Stand, would be more prominent towards the very end of the series, as Albus Severus Potter.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
July 11, 2007
Warner Bros.
Fantasy, Drama, Action
DVD
B

Harry Potter regulars this time (* for newbies):

1. Afshan Azad as Padma Patil
2. Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange*
3. David Bradley as Argus Filch
4. Shefali Chowdhury as Parvati Patil
5. Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid
6. Warwick Davis as Filius Flitwick
7. Alfred Enoch as Dean Thomas
8. Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy
9. Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort
10. Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore
11. Brendan Gleeson as Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody
12. Richard Griffiths as Uncle Vernon Dursley
13. Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley
14. Robert Hardy as Cornelius Fudge
15. George Harris as Kingsley Shacklebolt*
16. Josh Herdman as Gregory Goyle
17. Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy
18. Katie Leung as Cho Chang
19. Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom
20. Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood*
21. Harry Melling as Dudley Dursley
22. William Melling as Nigel
23. Gary Oldman as Sirius Black
24. Robert Pattinson as Cedric Diggory
25. James Phelps as Fred Weasley
26. Oliver Phelps as George Weasley
27. Devon Murray as Seamus Finnigan
28. Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter
29. Chris Rankin as Percy Weasley
30. Adrian Rawlins as James Potter
31. Fiona Shaw as Aunt Petunia Dursley
32. Geraldine Somerville as Lily Potter
33. Timothy Spall as Peter Pettigrew
34. Natalie Tena as Nymphadora Tonks*
35. David Thewlis as Remus Lupin
36. Emma Watson as Hermione Granger
37. Jamie Waylett as Vincent Crabbe
38. Mark Williams as Arthur Weasley
39. Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley

My review of the book is here:  http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2013/12/harry-potter-and-order-of-phoenix.html.  At the time this movie came out, it was mixed in with the feelings of the pending release of the final book.  Moments like when Voldemort tells Harry, "You're a fool and you'll lose everything," gave me shivers because we really didn't know how this was all going to end.  Also, coming after the disappointments of the fourth movie, this seemed like the best entry after Azkaban.

Now I'd put it on a level with the first two movies.  It generally doesn't wow me, although Evanna Lynch is amazing as Luna, Imelda Staunton makes Umbridge even creepier than in the book by making her "nicer" on the surface, and the Dumbledore vs. Voldemort battle kicks arse.  It's a good, solid entry.  My two main quibbles are that new director David Yates has overdone pulling everyone back from overacting and made some of the lines too soft-spoken (Yates himself is soft-spoken, quite a contrast to blustering Newell); and not only has Michael Goldenberg's script (or at least the editing) lost much of the book (this is always noted as the longest book turned into the shortest movie) but there are stray lines and even subplots that are just left hanging.  Most notably, Harry and Cho's romance, which is less awkward than in the book, fizzles out because of a misunderstanding that's never resolved.  Still, kudos for Yates in getting at the emotional core of the series in a way that no one other than Alfonso Cuarón managed.

Siobhan Ellen Williams was in Hufflepuff in Goblet of Fire but is now in Gryffindor.  Paije Richardson is also in both movies, as an unidentified student.  Sarah Harrison was a Schoolgirl in Goblet and here.  Nathan Clarke is in Gryffindor here and in Half-Blood Prince.  Christopher O'Shea was an unidentified extra in Chamber of Secrets and this one, while Tabatha St. Vincent is an unidentified extra in this and Prince.  Peter Best was the Executioner in Azkaban and is a Death Eater here.  Natalie Hallam was Professor Sinistra in Goblet and seems to be reprising it here, although she's uncredited.  Neil Findlater is a Ministry of Magic Panel Member here and would be a Wizard Teacher in Prince.  Rusty Goffe would again play a Goblin in Deathly Hallows 2.  Arben Bajraktaraj is an Azkaban Death Eater here and would be specifically Antonin Dolohov in Deathly Hallows 1.  Daisy Haggard would again be the voice of the Ministry Lift in Hallows 1.

Richard Cubison was the Head Waiter in Wilde and is a Death Eater here.  John Atterbury was Merriman in Gosford Park and plays Phineas Nigellus Black here.  Sam Beazley was a Very Old Man in Bridget Jones 2 and is Everard here.  Brigitte Millar was a Journalist in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and plays Emmeline Vance here.  Samuel Gaukroger was a Child at Church in Grint's Driving Lessons and plays a Hogwarts Student here.

Driving Lessons

Driving Lessons
September 4, 2006
UK Film Council etc.
Comedy, Drama
DVD
C

While this has some good performances and lovely scenery (particularly in Scotland), it's hampered by Jeremy Brock's writing and direction, which manage to be both cliched and nonsensical.  The film still has some curiosity value as the movie that Rupert Grint and Julie Walters made where they weren't playing Ron Weasley and his mum.  American Laura Linney does a fine job as the mother here, although it's hard to know how to take her or most of the other characters.  And I wish Grint, as Ben, wasn't so passive through most of the movie.  For what it's worth, more enjoyable than Grint's Wild Target (2010).

There are some other, more minor, Harry Potter connections.  Jim Norton, who plays Mr. Fincham, was Mr. Mason in Chamber of Secrets.  Samuel Gaukroger, who's a Child at Church, would be in Order of the Phoenix as a Hogwarts Student, while Rose Keegan, who's Emma Pagent here, would be Red Haired Witch in Deathly Hallows, Part I.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
November 18, 2005
Warner Bros.
Fantasy, Comedy, Drama
DVD
C+

This time the Harry Potter Regulars include (with * for newbies):

1. Afshan Azad as Padma Patil* (new to the role)
2. David Bradley as Argus Filch
3. Shefali Chowdhury as Parvati Patil* (new to the role)
4. Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid
5. Warwick Davis as Filius Flitwick
6. Frances de la Tour as Madame Olympe Maxime*
7. Louis Doyle as Ernie Macmillan
8. Alfie Enoch as Dean Thomas
9. Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy
10. Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort*
11. Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore
12. Brendan Gleeson as Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody*
13. Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley
14. Robert Hardy as Cornelius Fudge
15. Josh Herdman as Gregory Goyle
16. Stanislav Ianevski as Viktor Krum*
17. Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy
18. Katie Leung as Cho Chang*
19. Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom
20. Angelica Mandy as Gabrielle Delacour*
21. William Melling as Nigel*
22. Devon Murray as Seamus Finnigan
23. Gary Oldman as Sirius Black
24. Robert Pattinson as Cedric Diggory*
25. James Phelps as Fred Weasley
26. Oliver Phelps as George Weasley
27. Daniel Radcliffe
28. Clémence Poésy as Fleur Delacour*
29. Adrian Rawlins as James Potter
30. Charlotte Skeoch as Hannah Abbott
31. Geraldine Somerville as Lily Potter
32. Timothy Spall as Peter "Wormtail" Pettigrew
33. Emma Watson as Hermione Granger
34. Jamie Waylett as Vincent Crabbe
35. Mark Williams as Arthur Weasley
36. Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley

Shirley Henderson returns as Moaning Myrtle, again impacting the plot and flirting with Harry.  And Miranda Richardson plays Rita Skeeter just right.  Unfortunately, she's one of the few.

My review of the book is here:  http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/search?q=goblet.  Like I said, this was at the time my favorite book in the series, and the previous movie entry had set the bar very high.  So imagine my disappointment when I saw this mess!  OK, the movie isn't terrible-- none of the HP movies are-- but it took me a long time to reconcile myself to this one.  Over the years, I've gone back and forth on it, as I have on Chamber of Secrets, but on this viewing the things that have bothered me (and many other viewers) over the past almost decade all stood out.  And I'm going to place the blame where I have usually placed it, on director Mike Newell, despite my fondness for Enchanted April.

The biggest flaw is that many of the characters are tonally off.  Even with generally solid performances, like those of Fiennes and Gleeson, there are over-the-top melodramatic touches.  Newell's biggest miscalculation is with Gambon's Dumbledore, who not only has none of the serenity of Harris's, but also none of the whimsy and dry humour of Gambon in Azkaban.  

Oddly enough though, Newell is successful with Wright's Ginny, which was especially important at the time since Half-Blood Prince had come out the previous summer and we now knew she was going to be Harry's love interest.  Wright here transitions well from the shyer, quieter Ginny of the first three films to a girl who is plausibly the sister of the Weasley twins.  Also, Newell merges the Choir Professor with the already established Flitwick, adding another layer to Davis's character, and leading to some funny jokes in the next couple movies, as well as giving him a look that is more consistent with what Rowling imagined than the bearded gnome of Columbus's movies.  Still, this doesn't balance all the characters that Newell gets completely or partially wrong.

The other issue I have with the film, not unrelated, is that there is too much spectacle, particularly in the form of action.  (And why have the very un-canonical dragon chase all over Hogwarts, but omit the Quidditch World Cup?)  Cuarón and to a lesser extent Columbus were able to offer thrills and chills without losing sight of who Harry and the other characters were.  It would be up to David Yates, who directed the second half of the series, to reestablish the importance of emotional authenticity, while still delivering intense chase scenes, fight scenes, and the like.  All that said, I can enjoy this movie in bits and pieces, even if I'm sometimes laughing at it.  (That it lends itself easily to satire is seen in this still funny Soup clip:  http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xgzrx_harry-ron-slash-on-the-soup_fun)

Siobhan Ellen Williams is a Hufflepuff Student here but would defect to Gryffindor in the next movie.  Sarah Harrison and Paije Richardson would also return in Movie #5, as students of  unspecified houses.  Natalie Hallam, who plays Professor Sinistra, would also be back.  Lisa Osmond is a Quidditch Supporter here, but plays a Gringotts Goblin in both Sorcerer's Stone and Deathly Hallows 2.  Paul Davies makes his first of four appearances as a Death Eater.

Lucy-Anne Brooks, a Beauxbaton Student here, was a Factory Worker in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Campbell Graham was Hamish in the Bridget Jones movies and is a Ministry Wizard here.

Dr. Who reveals his nefarious scheme to turn Cedric Diggory into a vampire.

Kinsey

Kinsey
November 12, 2004
Fox etc.
Drama, Historical
VHS (the last in my movie collection)
B-

While I think  Liam Neeson, as the title character, and Laura Linney, as Clara "Mac" McMillen Kinsey, give great performances here, aging convincingly from their 20s into their 50s or 60s, this movie is too depressing (especially in the second half) for me to give it a higher grade.  Furthermore, while the passage of time (not just the characters aging, but various period details) is well done, there is a feeling that the movie tries to take on too much, tries to condense one complex life, and the lives related to it, into two hours.  Still, I have never seen a Hollywood film address such issues as bisexuality and polyamory somewhat sympathetically.  On the other hand, the film is appropriately clinical in its approach to sex, so even the nudity and simulated sex acts are not particularly arousing.  I actually thought the sexiest moment is when Alfred and Mac try not to let his parents overhear them being silly in bed.

Nearly 30 years after The Big Bus, Lynn Redgrave is almost unrecognizable in the small but pivotal role of Final Interview Subject.  And Don Sparks, the Prince in 1978's Fairy Tales, is somewhat recognizable as the Middle-Aged Businessman.  Kate Jennings Grant, who was Kennedy in The Object of My Affection, is Marjorie Hartford here.  Joe Badalucco, who was Construction Foreman in Two Weeks Notice, is Radio Repairman here.  Heather Goldenhersh was Sheila in School of Rock and is Martha Pomeroy here.

Not the usual triangle

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
November 19, 2004
Universal/ Miramax
Comedy, Drama, Romance
DVD
C

The faults of Bridget Jones 1-- notably the manipulative soundtrack and directing choices-- are even stronger here in the three-years-later-made but set-the-following-year sequel.  (And Bridget is now born in '72, which makes her a year younger than last time.)  Renée Zellweger as Jones is back, as are her two men, Colin Firth as Mark Darcy and Hugh Grant as Daniel Cleaver.  And so are a whole bunch of mostly under-used perfomers, among them Jim Broadbent and Gemma Jones as Bridget's parents; James Callis, Shirley Henderson, and Sally Phillips as Bridget's friends; James Faulkner and Celia Imrie as Geoffrey and Una Alconbury; Neil Pearson as Richard Finch (Bridget's boss at Sit Up, Britain); Donald Douglas as Admiral (formerly just Mr.) Darcy; and Dominic McHale as Bernard.  I was pleased that Phillips as Shazzer (looking quite fetching, especially in a Beatles cap) has more to do this time, but at that, even she disappears for chunks of the movie at a time.

What we're left with is a mix of unfunny slapstick and uneven drama.  Although the film is ostensibly (and Austensibly, this time influenced by Persuasion) about what happens after Happily Ever After, it's never really that convincing that Bridget and Mark are happy together.  So it's hard to care when they have a pregnancy scare or break up.  And when Daniel returns, it seems she may as well get off (and go off) with him instead.  I almost went with a C- on this, but I don't think it's bad, just disappointing.  And at that, it's sort of nice to see everyone again, although I wish they'd been given more to work with.  (I've read but don't own the book this is based on, although at the time of my reading blog I thought I did.)

Ray Donn was a Limo Driver in Bride & Prejudice, is a customer here, and would be a Policeman in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Campbell Graham returns as Hamish and would be a Ministry Wizard in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,  while Sam Beazley is Very Old Man here and would be Everard in Order of the Phoenix, and Jessica Stevenson is Magda here and would be the voice of Mafalda Hopkirk in Phoenix.  Tom Brooke, who plays a Production Assistant, would be Thick Kevin in Pirate Radio.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
June 4, 2004
Warner Bros.
Fantasy, Drama, Comedy
DVD
A-

The Harry Potter regulars this time include (*means newbie to the series):

1. Peter Best as the Executioner*
2. David Bradley as Argus Filch
3. Robbie Coltrane as Rubeus Hagrid
4. Violet Columbus as Girl With Flowers
5. Warwick Davis as "Wizard" (see below)
6. Alfred Enoch as Dean Thomas
7. Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy
8. Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore*
9. Richard Griffiths as Uncle Vernon
10. Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley
11. Josh Herdman as Gregory Goyle
12. Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom
13. Harry Melling as Dudley Dursley
14. Devon Murray as Seamus Finnegan
15. Gary Oldman as Sirius Black*
16. James Phelps as Fred Weasley
17. Oliver Phelps as George Weasley
18. Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter
19. Chris Rankin as Percy Weasley
20. Adrian Rawlins as James Potter
21. Fiona Shaw as Aunt Petunia
22. Geraldine Somerville as Lily Potter
23. Timothy Spall as Peter Pettigrew*
24. Danielle Tabor as Angelina Johnson
25. David Thewlis as Remus Lupin*
26. Mark Williams as Arthur Weasley
27. Emma Watson as Hermione Granger
28. Jamie Waylett as Vincent Crabbe
29. Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley

In addition, Emma Thompson joins the cast as spacey Professor Trelawney.  (Which strengthens the Potter-Austen axis of course.)  This blend of old and new, including the shift of director Chris Columbus over to a producer role, so that the director's chair is filled by Alfonso Cuarón, really impacts the series.  As with Thompson's Sense & Sensibility, having a director whose first language is not English seems to both bring out the universality of what is a very British story and add an outsider's view.  

My review of the book is here
http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2013/11/harry-potter-and-prisoner-of-azkaban.html, but you'll note that I don't regard this as a children's movie in the way that that was a children's book.  This is very much a movie about a younger teen and his two best friends starting to really navigate their way through a more complex world.  The switch in directors also contributes to a less wide-eyed, warier tone.

As for that jump from B to A-, well, I thought then and continue to think that this is not only the best film in the series, but the only one that is on a level with The Wizard of Oz.  Everything is better-- the special effects, the acting, and the music in particular.  (Williams captures all the moods, from bittersweet to whimsical.)  Even the closing credits are much more creative than elsewhere in the series.

Radcliffe is making more effort, not always successfully ("HE WAS THEIR FRIEND" is notorious in fandom), but much better than under Columbus, while Grint and Watson continue to be solid, even as puberty complicates their bickering relationship.  And all the Gambon-bashers who are bitter about the loss of Richard Harris should take another look at his work here, which is much subtler and deeper than in the fourth film.  I also have to make special mention of Thewlis, who is just perfect as the avuncular but flawed Professor Lupin.  The only person who seems to be short-changed is poor Bonnie Wright with her one line as Ginny.  And the only one who is oddly treated is Warwick Davis, who apparently had nothing to do as Flitwick this time and so became the Choir Teacher, which would have a long-lasting effect on the appearance and to some degree character of Flitwick for the rest of the series, as I'll discuss under Goblet.

As for the special effects, it's partly that the CGI and other aspects had two and a half years to advance, but also that Cuarón and his crew are being more creative with them, as with the utterly believable Buckbeak, the Hippogriff who expresses everything from anger to affection to, well, defecation.

Interestingly, when I first saw the trailer for this entry, I had almost the opposite reaction to the trailer for the first.  I thought they'd really screwed up this time.  So it was a revelation when I saw the actual movie, which, yes, has a tone that takes some getting used to but is well worth the initial disorientation.  (And that the film starts with a tasteful masturbation joke was part of the surprise.)  I think the movie continues to hold up remarkably well, both within the series and as a stand-alone.  I was always disappointed that Cuarón did not return, but David Yates would make contributions of his own.  As for Mike Newell, well, stay tuned.

Something's Gotta Give

Something's Gotta Give
December 12, 2003
Columbia
Romance, Comedy, Drama
DVD
B-

I bought this movie on accident.  I was thinking it was As Good As It Gets, because they both have forgettable, almost meaningless titles and they're both rom-coms with dramatic streaks and Jack Nicholson.  By the time I realized my mistake, I wasn't sure if I had ever seen this movie.  Possibly but not necessarily.

It turns out I had but it hadn't particularly stayed with me.  Not that it's bad but it's so I don't know, genteel (even in the crude moments), with characters dressed in white and beige (and sometimes black) and spending much of their time in a Hamptons beach house out of a design magazine, that I had blocked it out.  Watching it again, I remember thinking I couldn't imagine any circumstance in which I would choose Nicholson over Keanu Reeves.  It's not just a matter of looks and age.  Keanu is absolutely sweet but not stupid in this movie, and in my head-canon he later hooks up with the heroine's sister Zoe, played by the wonderful Frances McDormand, who's off the screen far too much.

The heroine is playwright Emily Barry, played by Diane Keaton in a deservedly praised performance.  She hits so many emotional tones and it doesn't hurt that she was still a knockout at 57.  I could've done without the way Emily pretty much libelously "fictionalizes" her relationship with Nicholson's character, especially since the things that writer/director/producer Nancy Meyers finds funny, like "the dancing Henrys," just aren't.  It makes the whole thing feel like the sort of wish-fulfillment yet life-inspired fiction you get in the smarter chick-lit, like the works of Marion Keyes or Susan Isaacs.  (See my book blog for examples.)

Getting back to the Nicholson-Keaton romance, I think we're just supposed to accept that they're in love and right for each other, despite their differences, including his general preference for younger women and inexperience at "being a boyfriend."  Maybe it's that I've always found Nicholson a bit creepy and insincere that I just couldn't buy not only his appeal but his change of heart.  That said, I wasn't repulsed, just not invested.  And I do find it ironic that for a movie about people in late middle age, this movie is more "modern" than some of its peers, with IMing, cell phones, and of course Viagra.  Oh, and note, as when Keanu was paired with Barbara Hershey as an older woman in Tune in Tomorrow..., the film ends in Paris.

At least he makes her laugh.

But she doesn't look all that miserable with Keanu.

The Cat's Meow

The Cat's Meow
April 12, 2002
Lions Gate etc.
Historical, Mystery, Drama, Comedy
DVD
B-

I don't think it's just that this follows Gosford Park that makes me feel that it's a lesser film.  It doesn't quite work, although it's interesting.  Unlike Gosford, it's based on a real-life mystery, the death of producer Thomas Ince in 1924, possibly on board William Randolph Hearst's yacht.  The main characters are based on real people, notably Hearst, played by 59-year-old Edward Herrmann (who was one of the on-screen "swells" in Purple Rose of Cairo), and his long-term mistress Marion Davies, played quite well by Kirsten Dunst at 19.  Others in the cast include Eddie Izzard as Charlie Chaplin, Joanna Lumley as Elinor Glyn (who came up with the concept of "It" for sex appeal), and Jennifer Tilly as Louella Parsons.  I will say that the costumes, particularly "Lolly's," are much better than in Gosford, where they are either plain (for the servants) or genteelly bland.  The Hollywood setting helps.

Claudie Blakley is almost unrecognizable as Didi the flapper here, compared to her role of mousy but strong Mabel Nesbitt in Gosford.

Gosford Park

Gosford Park
January 18, 2002
USA Films etc.
Historical, Mystery, Drama, Comedy
DVD
B+

As with Monsoon Wedding, it takes awhile to sort out all the characters and their relationships in this movie, but fortunately this film holds up even better to repeat viewings.  Yes, it's a mystery, but the whodunnit is just one aspect of the intricate plot.  I also feel that the various threads are resolved satisfactorily, if usually not thoroughly.  The movie was directed and co-written by Robert Altman, so this "ensemble piece" aspect is not surprising.

The setting is a house party in 1932.  We get to know both "upstairs" and "downstairs," and how they sometimes overlap, sexually in particular.  I'm going to mostly just mention the people who are in other films of mine (some of them of course in the Harry Potter series), although they're by no means the only ones giving strong performances.  The closest to a heroine, and the one who solves the mystery, is Mary Maceachran, played by Kelly Macdonald with a soft Scottish burr and very observant eyes.

• Bob Balaban, who plays Morris Weissman, helped come up with the concept for the film and his character is the most an outsider, as a gay, Jewish Hollywood producer.
• Stephen Fry this time plays Inspector Thompson, the bumbling detective, who adds a more farcical element to the movie.  (Most of the rest of the humour is very dry.)
• Michael Gambon, as William McCordle, is very gruff, with none of the warmth or whimsy of his later role as Dumbledore #2.  (Of course, there are Potter fans who see him as just as gruff as Dumbledore.)
• Richard E. Grant, as George, spends a lot of the time sneering at people, but it works much better than when he was sneering at the Spice Girls as their manager.
• Tom Hollander, as Anthony Meredith, is the only happily married man in the movie, although he is worried about money throughout most of the story.  His role of the short and insecure man is not unlike his role in In the Loop at the other end of the decade.
• Jeremy Northam is understated but pivotal as Ivor Novello (the only real character), since he shows the importance of pop culture to "low-class" people, while the upper classes look down on him and it.  He also sings well as Novello.
• Maggie Smith, as Constance Trentham, not surprisingly comes closer to stealing the film than anyone does, making the most of her wonderful lines.  Yet there's a poignancy to her role, since she, too, worries about money.  (And, yes, there's a certain retroactive irony to McGonagall pleading with Dumbledore.)  She would of course go on to the television series Downton Abbey, which was created by one of the screenwriters here, Julian Fellowes.
• Geraldine Somerville as Louisa Stockbridge (the red-haired sister) is very different than in her saintly role as Harry Potter's dead mother.
• Sophie Thompson, as Dorothy, gives one of the messages of the movie, on the importance of loving someone, whether or not the love is returned.

Note:  John Atterbury, who plays Merriman, would be the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

It's so exhausting training new servants.

Monsoon Wedding

Monsoon Wedding
January 4, 2002
Mirabai Films etc.
Comedy, Drama, Romance, Musical
VHS
B

This film was embraced internationally.  (The release date I chose is the one for the UK, on the theory that that is the first country it appeared in that I could've hypothetically seen it in, although it was actually a few months later that I traveled there.)   With all the code-switching between English and Hindi, the viewer has to both listen and read subtitles, as well as watch facial expressions.  And the music on the soundtrack weaves in and out, so although this is by no means "Bollywood," I think it is fair to describe it as a musical.  It is also visually dazzling, with bright colors on fabrics and flowers in particular.  (You may never think of marigolds the same way again.)

The story of an extended family in the days leading up to and including the wedding of the title, it can at times be a little overwhelming.  Once you sort out who's related to whom, you may find that not every plot thread is resolved, the main weakness of the movie.  That said, the blend of drama and humor (sometimes within one thread) is generally well done.  The movie is also interesting for its blend of modern (including email and cell phones) and traditional.

A kaleidoscopic film

Different Strokes

Misleading video box.  There is no threesome, despite Jack's hopes.  There is a picnic though.

Different Strokes
June 25, 1998
Coastline Films
Porn, Romance, Drama
VHS
C-

This was released less than a year before Dana Plato died tragically at 34.  And, yes, the title is a cash-in on her sitcom (which was "Diff'rent").  So, yes, even watching the movie feels like exploitation.  That said, it's not as terrible as you might think.  OK, the sound recording is awful, the budget is low, the acting ranges from godawful to passable (sometimes within one performance), and the writing is, well, porn-level.  But there's something almost endearing about the cheesiness of it all, whether it's Jill #1 and Jill #2 (Plato) cavorting naked like dolphins in the swimming pool, or Jill #1's boyfriend Jack setting photos on fire in the BBQ grill after she's rejected him for Jill #2  (no one even mentions the negatives), or Jack calling Jill #1 a "muff-diver" and her retorting, "Takes one to know one!"

You've probably noticed by now that my porn collection, such as it is, is not exactly based on eroticism, but I found the sex scenes, well, hotter than in the X-rated Pinocchio or Fairy Tales.  There's both straight and lesbian, including a totally gratuitous (as in its relationship to the plot) scene of Jill #2's girlfriend cheating on her.  There's also a lot of eye-sex (long lingering glances), as a substitute for character development.  We do learn that Jill #2 is a feminist and Jill #1 is shy, but that's about the extent of it.  I may have more to say about this movie when reviewing the authentically lesbian Better Than Chocolate, but then again, how much is there to say?

The Object of My Affection

The Object of My Affection
April 17, 1998
Fox
Romance, Comedy, Drama
VHS
B+

Based on a book, this is smarter and more complex than the average rom-com.  Yes, it has a happy ending (for just about everyone), but the journey there is different than you might expect, particularly in a mainstream film (even of the late '90s).

It's tempting to say that straight guys got Chasing Amy, and straight girls got this movie.  That is, in the former an apparent lesbian falls in love with and has sex with a man (only to have their romance threatened by his inability to deal with her bisexual past), while this film has a straight (and pregnant) woman get lots of ballroom dancing, talk, laughs, and cuddling, as well as a potential "mate" to raise her baby with that she gets along with much better than the baby's father.  Their romance is broken by the realization that he will never be sexually and romantically involved with her, although they love each other dearly.

The thing is, George is arguably bi as well, since he does seem aroused when he and Nina make out.  He may well be more oriented towards men, but it's not as if he doesn't have feelings for women, or at least Nina.  The issue is complicated by the undeniable chemistry between 29-year-old Jennifer Aniston  and Paul Rudd (a couple months younger).  The two would pair up again, as a married couple, many years later in the disappointing Wanderlust, but they remain a believable "couple" in this movie.

The script and direction never quite resolve this, but ambiguity is OK.  As for that happy ending, George is (six years later in the epilogue) a sort of uncle figure to Nina's daughter, and George and Nina are still good (maybe best) friends.  He's with the younger man he left Nina for, while she's with the sympathetic black cop she met after what has to be the mildest mugging in film history.  (The one in Clueless is more of a nail-biter to watch!)  True, the young man's sort of lover Rodney seems to be romantically alone, but he's still part of this "family."  (The daughter's father is happy, too, and not really villainized in the movie, which is refreshing.)  Rodney is well played by Nigel Hawthorne, who brings out the poignancy of what it's like when the Object of Your Affection cannot return that affection as you'd like.

Other notable supporting cast members are 38-year-old Allison Janney as Nina's stepsister Constance, the first of at least three does-amazing-stuff-with-this-role characters that Janney plays in my film collection  Her dry delivery is a treasure!  She's paired with Alan Alda, at 62 (and 20 years after Same Time, Next Year) too old for the role (especially since he's playing the father of Nina's six-year-old niece), but still fun in his name-dropping.  And there's a fairly early role for 30-year-old Steve Zahn as George's repeatedly engaged brother Frank.

Todd Stockman was an Audience Member in In & Out and plays a dad here.  Alba Albanese was a New Yorker in As Good as It Gets and is Woman in Central Park here.  School Child George Gearhart King III would be RV Son in Two Weeks Notice, while Iraida Polanco is Carmelita here and would be Rosario there.

Good Will Hunting

Good Will Hunting
January 9, 1998
Miramax
Drama, Comedy, Romance
VHS
B

This is generally well-written and well-acted by real-life best friends Matt Damon (as the title character) and Ben Affleck (as Chuckie Sullivan).  They are ably supported by Minnie Driver as love interest Skylar, Ben's brother Casey as Morgan O'Mally (providing much of the comic relief), Stellan Skarsgård as Prof. Gerald Lambeau, and of course Robin Williams as Sean Maguire, the tough but kind therapist.  This film got much acclaim (including awards) on first release and it holds up well.  But there's just something missing that keeps it from crossing over into greatness.  Maybe it's the way that the therapy is presented as an act of both friendship and rescue.  Maybe it's that we're never actually shown the reunion between Will and Skylar.  Or maybe it's that awful title.  No, really, even at the time, I thought it was dumb, like it's about the hunt for goodwill, or Goodwill.  And do we need to be told that Will is good?  I guess if it was just Will Hunting, we'd think it was about an inheritance.

Daniel Olsen was a Wounded Soldier in Little Women and is an MIT Student here.  Steven Kozlowski is Carmine Friend #1 here and would be Lump in Holes.

Two guys from Southie

As Good as It Gets

As Good as It Gets
December 25, 1997
TriStar
Drama, Comedy, Romance
VHS
B-

Although this won critical acclaim and I remember it as being pretty well liked, including by my almost 30-year-old self, it has, in a different way than Spice World, not aged well.  Not that it's embarrassingly '90s or anything, but I just think the whole idea that a man whose obsessive-compulsiveness is the least of his problems can be cured by love and friendship is a bit much.  I could sort of buy him turning human under the influence of one of the all-time cutest movie dogs (a Brussels Griffon), and I could even believe that he would be changed by getting to know a single mom waitress and his gay artist neighbor.  But when he starts playing Santa Claus and winds up with the girl, plausibility is stretched to breaking point.  And that's ignoring the facts that the "hero" is not only about 25 years older than the girl, but an incredible bigot.

That said, the performances remain strong, not just by the three leads-- Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, and Greg Kinnear-- but by such supporting players as Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Yeardley Smith as Kinnear's friends, and Shirley Knight as Hunt's mother.  And, yes, the three dogs playing little Verdell are incredibly expressive.

Frank Slaten had been a henchman in Johnny Dangerously and is Miffed Partygoer here.  Alba Albanese is a New Yorker here and would be Woman in Central Park in The Object of My Affection.  Oriana Nicole Tavoularis is uncredited as a Restaurant Patron here and would be uncredited as Rocker Girl in 200 Cigarettes.  Maya Rudolph who has a very small role as a Policewoman here would have a major role in Bridesmaids, as Lillian.  One of the other waitresses in the cafe is played by 25-year-old Missi Pyle, who would go on to be the one and only Alexandra Cabot in Josie and the Pussycats.

Harold Ramis has a small but pivotal role as Dr. Bettes, while Brian Doyle-Murray is a Handyman here.

Is this as good as it gets?

Wilde

Wilde
October 17, 1997
BBC (among many others)
Historical, Romance, Drama
DVD
B+

This is an adaptation of the Ellman biography, reviewed here:  http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/search?q=ellman.  Yes, this is certainly a case of the movie being better than the book, helped along by strong performances and uncanny casting.  Witty, gay Stephen Fry (then 40) is of course typecast as the title character, but he also brings out Wilde's vulnerability and kindness.  As Bosie, Wilde's great love, 24-year-old Jude Law brings not just blond beauty but a mixture of arrogance and charm.  (Forgive me, but I kept thinking it was like watching Draco Malfoy's great-great-grandfather.)  Jennifer Ehle, who was perfect as Lizzy in the TV adaptation of Pride & Prejudice a couple years earlier, somehow manages to play Wilde's wife Constance without making her a saint and shows us why Oscar did in some sense always love her.  I also must mention Michael Sheen as Robbie Ross, who matures from Wilde's first seducer to a true friend.  (Sheen would go on to the scenery-chewing role of Aro in the Twilight series, which I've watched for the lulz but don't own.)

If the movie has any weakness, it is that there is so much focus on Wilde's love life and not enough on his writing.  Still, there is enough of his works, particularly The Selfish Giant (which becomes a motif for the conflict between his family life and his "nature," i.e. homosexuality), that I can tag Wilde.  (I suppose Wilde was arguably bisexual, but much more oriented towards men.)  Needless to say, this movie is much more explicit than In & Out was, although never pornographic.  However, unlike the Kevin Kline movie, it does end tragically, because Wilde's life ended tragically.

Tom Wilkinson, who's quite good as Bosie's father the Marquess of Queensberry, played a very different father, Mr. Dashwood, in Sense & Sensibility.  Ironically, Gemma Jones is again playing his wife (well, ex-wife here), although they don't have scenes with each other in either film.  She would become Madam Pomfrey in the Harry Potter series, while Zoe Wanamaker, who plays Wilde's supportive friend Ada Leverson, nicknamed the Sphinx, would be Madame Hooch in the first Potter film.

Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility
January 26, 1996
Columbia
Comedy, Drama, Romance, Historical
DVD
B+

My review of the book is here:  http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2011/12/sense-and-sensibility.html.  On balance, I think the movie and book are equal, for reasons I discuss there.  So let me just mention a few things, I didn't cover before, in particular, the casting.  As you can see, I've tagged a heck of a lot of people, three of whom were in Peter's Friends:  Emma Thompson of course, and Hugh Laurie & Imelda Staunton, again playing a married couple, although their height difference is used for more comic effect here.  Everyone of the tagged performers, except the two Hughs and Imogen Stubbs (who is Lucy here and would shortly appear in Twelfth Night with Imelda Staunton), would be in at least one Harry Potter movie, while Grant and Jones would be in both Bridget Jones movies.

This cast cosiness adds to the feel of the movie, which is, as it title suggests, very much about thoughts and feelings.   (And Thompson, whose marriage to Kenneth Branagh was breaking up at the time, would find love with Greg Wise, who plays Willoughby here.)  With the female side of the Dashwood family in particular (Jones, Thompson, Kate Winslet, and a quite good Emilie François as Margaret), we see how much they care, not in a corny way but as if the family is central to their identities, romances aside.  Watch for instance how Edward's proposal is told not through Thompson and Grant but through the reactions of her mother and sisters.  Meanwhile, Alan Rickman gives a performance throughout the film that is more about what he doesn't say than what he does.  (And he already has developed the Snapian pauses by the way.)

The other thing I really appreciated this go-round was the scenery.  It's not as lovely as Italy in Enchanted April, but in its own understated way England (Devonshire especially) is figurative as well as literal background to the mood of the story.

Little Women (1994)

Little Women (1994)
December 25, 1994
Columbia
Drama, Comedy, Historical, Romance
VHS
B-

In thinking it over, I'd actually put this movie at the same level as the 1933 George Cukor version.  Winona Ryder, then 18, does a fine job in stepping into Katharine Hepburn's shoes, with her own equally valid interpretation of Jo.  The other sisters are again neglected, although Marmee's role (played by Susan Sarandon) has been beefed up and made to more closely resemble Alcott's mother.  The sisters do have some nice little moments, in particular 13-year-old Kirsten Dunst as Amy (whom I miss when she's recast for the grown-up Amy scenes), but I would like to see more balance in some version someday.

And at least they have something to do, unlike most of the men.  With the exception of Christian Bale as Laurie, and to some degree Gabriel Byrne as Professor Bhaer, the male characters are either miscast/misinterpreted (John Brooke) or almost nonexistent (Mr. Laurence and Mr. March).  One thing that the '33 version did much better was show how gruff Mr. L interacts with the March sisters, Jo and Beth especially.  And Mr. M seems to have only three lines in this go-round.  Incidentally, I'm using the "romance" tag here although I didn't for the '33 version, because it seems like romance is a bigger deal here, including quite a bit of smooching and almost-smooching.

Of other female characters, I would've liked to have seen more of film veteran Mary Wickes, as Aunt March, since she could've done a lot with the part.  (Wickes died the following year, at 85.)

I will say that the movie moved me more emotionally than the '33 version, although I did find some of the line delivery a little stilted, if less than in the not-far-from-the-silent-era earlier take.  Both remain less than the book they're based on.  (Reviewed here, http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2012/02/little-women.html .)  Admittedly, that's one of my favorite books, but in the first half of the '90s both Enchanted April and Joy Luck Club showed what could be done with adaptations.

Daniel Olsen, who plays a Wounded Soldier, would be an MIT student in Good Will Hunting.