Entertainment :: Movies
Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix by David Foucher
EDGE PublisherFriday Jul 13, 2007 Everyone grows up; unfortunately, Harry Potter has the unenviable task of doing so right in front of a billion overeager, highly-captivated faces. In the cinematic version of Book 5, wherein danger, deception and war arrive in the heretofore relatively lighthearted world of the boy wizard, the transition will feel to fans not unlike puberty: it’s gangly, confusing, and undeniably exciting. And thus for much of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," audiences will grapple with the evolving sensibilities of Harry’s new world even as they delight in the continuation of the tale. What worries me about that, frankly, is the fact that this film, in an attempt to cover the massive story of its source material, may have left some of its audience behind. But for those of us who yearned for Harry to step into the dark world of his nemesis and finally develop fangs, it’s an enjoyable translation.
The story picks up, as usual, with Harry in the summer clutches of the Dursleys, where he longs for news of Lord Voldemort’s (Ralph Fiennes) return. When rogue dementors attack him in plain sight of his muggle cousin, Harry fights back - and thanks to his unauthorized use of magic, is summarily called to defend himself at the Ministry of Magic. He is exonerated thanks to Dumbledore’s (Michael Gambon) well-timed defense, but the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry then takes to ignoring the lad. In the interim, witches and wizards are disappearing from sight as Voldemort’s clutches on the wizarding world begin to close - but closer to home, the meddling Professor Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) makes life difficult for Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint). A self-professed Ministry of Magic crony, Umbridge uses Ministry decrees to restrict the goings-on at Hogwartz, laying off teachers, limiting student’s movements, and - worst of all - refusing to teach students how to properly defend themselves against the Dark Arts. In response, the students, led by Harry, Hermione and Ron, form a clandestine fighting group named Dumbledore’s Army in order to prepare for the battle ahead.
Director David Yates was perhaps a brilliant choice to helm this fifth film in the Potter series; most known for his work directing British television, he brings a grittier, more realistic tone to the film. The script, penned by Michael Goldenberg, leaves much on the table - it had to - but carries the primary thrust of the novel effectively (although a few alterations to the plot seem to present unique challenges to continuing plot elements in Movie 6). And technically, the movie completely overshadows its predecessors; digitally and organically, the film is breathtaking in its visuals and soars with a non-derivative musical score.
In previous reviews, I would commend the primary teenage actors for great efforts; but here, thanks largely to Yates’ ability to inspire performances, they prove mature, capable thespians willing to dig deeply into their character’s motivations and fears. Radcliffe in particular sells his portrayal of the boy wizard; there is a moment in Dumbledore’s office when Harry stops all conversation with a shout to be heard, and in a sense, it’s Radcliffe asserting his place in the world. Watson, for her part, deftly bridges Hermione’s assertive smart-girl personality with her impending softer side. And Grint, although he has less to do in this film, manages to begin the process of inserting a backbone into Ron’s character. For the adult actors, Gambon reclaims some ground since his somewhat lackluster performance in "Goblet of Fire" - and Staunton will be heralded for her delightful turn as Umbridge. Oddly, I was most impressed by Gary Oldman, who, in a few short scenes with Radcliffe, manages to pull off what J.K. Rowling couldn’t in the book: forge a significant emotional bond between Harry and Sirius Black.
Watching the film is an exercise in slight confusion; gone are all remnants of the childish work of Chris Columbus, who delighted youngsters but bored adults in the first two films. Missing is the compensating sizzle of Alfonso Curaon, who truly masterminded Harry’s visual world, but who was saddled with the most convoluted plot of the series in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." And abandoned is the action-oriented determination of Mike Newell, who kept us rapt when the "Goblet of Fire" challenges might have challenged our patience. With Yates, Harry Potter is bequeathed a more sinister, serious world largely devoid of humor, British wit, ghosts and Quidditch. In a sense, Harry’s world is lesser for what was left out; and many fans will not applaud those decisions. Ultimately, Warner Brothers may not applaud them either, if those changes manage to disconcert enough audience members to incur a waning of interest in the next (and final) two films. I hope they don’t; for as imbalanced and repetitive as J.K. Rowling’s work tends to be, reading her books - and watching the movies they spawn - is still a great time.
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