Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban: B+
BY NEIL FAUERSO
I’M STILL A LITTLE STUNNED the first two Harry
Potter movies did so well. I fully understand the juggernaut Harry
Potter is (when
a book sells 10 million in two weeks, there is no other word), but the first
two films are so, so abominably long. David Lean in the desert long, Kevin
Costner in the post-apocalypse long. Each clocked in at around 165 minutes,
and in each I fell asleep no less than three times.
How then did these Merchant-Ivory-styled renderings keep little kids’ attentions?
Luckily, that question doesn’t need to be answered for the third
filmic installment. Out is director Chris Columbus (Home
Alone) and his
Norman Rockwell wet-nurse approach to the source material; in is Alfonso
Cuaron—previously known for his beautiful (if over-vamped) erotic
road movie Y Tu Mama Tambien.
This was a true gamble—to let an untested adult-oriented indie filmmaker
helm the most successful book and film franchise in the world—and
it paid off. Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban is the best film
yet. Zippy (a relatively trim 142 minutes), filled with wonder and menace,
and truly beautiful, it is arguably the most successful blockbuster of
the year thus far.
The film picks up immediately. Harry is living with his awful muggle family
during the break from Hogwarts. But when it’s time to go back, the
homecoming is a little less ebullient. A killer, Sirius Black (Gary Oldman),
has escaped from Azkaban prison and is coming after Harry. Hogwarts must
be guarded by horrifying apparitions called Dementors that seem to have
a particular affinity for Harry. Then there is the new professor Lupin
(David Thewlis), who specializes in defense against black magic, a name
that keeps popping up, and Hermione’s (Emma Watson) uncanny ability
to be in two places at once.
What makes this film superior to the previous two is that doesn’t
walk timidly in the shadow of the books. It follows the novel close enough,
but doesn’t feel obligated to include and explain everything. By
not explaining all minutiae, Cuaron infuses a beguiling sense of mystery
to the project.
All the actors are beginning to settle into their roles impressively.
The three young leads—Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), Rupert Grint (Ron),
and Emma Watson (Hermione)—have come to really own their characters
and are quite naturalistic in their performances. Michael Gambon, who replaces
the late Richard Harris, creates a bouncier Dumbledore, while Thewlis and
Oldman add additional pedigree to the film.
However, the most noticeable improvement of the new film is the visuals.
Where the previous two had a static quaintness, Azkaban revels in the space
and spectacle of its surroundings, both real and computer generated. Cuaron
uses dynamic, quick camera work: expansive reverse zooms and dramatic long
shots. The film feels far more epic and urgent, and some scenes—as
when Harry rides a winged bird/horse over a lake—are flat out gorgeous.
The Harry Potter series is truly anomalous. Most franchises
of such astronomical monetary worth would play it safe and crumble
into mediocrity, but J.K. Rowling never did this and the producers
have the sense to follow her.
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