The experience is not unlike being taken to a lavish all expenses paid three course meal and, just before dessert is served, you are told that you have to leave. Worst of all, we are forced to wait an additional eight months for our just desserts.

In addition to the unfortunate wait, it goes without saying that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is not a word for word recreation of JK Rowling’s exquisite books. Instead it is a artistically thoughtful recreation.

However, just like Harry Potter and the Half-Blood prince, this is by no means a bad thing.

With this latest movie installment of the Harry Potter series, the visual cinematic flair is once again flush with the book. Following the tone set in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood prince, British director David Yates has managed to capture, almost perfectly from page to screen, the progressively dark and emotional themes found in the later books of the Harry Potter series. Furthermore, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint are spectacular in this film with each actor showcasing how much they have grown over the last nine, almost ten, years. The onscreen chemistry between these actors is phenomenal and they perform their roles with absolute aplomb.

Without a doubt Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is a visually stunning movie. However, therein lies the problem.

Although I am sincerely happy that the creators of this beautifully crafted movie took the time and energy to divide the last book in the Harry Potter series into two parts, I cannot help but feel that they short changed the audience by wasting a lot of time showcasing how beautiful the United Kingdom’s countryside is. Look, I thoroughly enjoy cinematic shots of sweeping vistas and unbelievably spectacular vantage points, some of my favourite scenes in the movie revolve around those shot in the country side with just Harry and Hermione left to their own devices. However, given the two movie split, all these exquisite scenes served to do was draw out what will inevitably become a rushed story. Let me explain.

In contrast to the previous movies in this series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 comes across as a fully fledged drama, sparsely sprinkled with elements of adventure and action. Given the source material, I can understand why this change was necessary. However, what perplexes me most is the way the movie was executed. Essentially two and a half hours is dedicated to the characters dealing with the fact that Dumbledore is dead and that they now need to find the Horcruxes in order to defeat Voldemort. Even though the movie was loaded with references from the past books/movies, which fans will enjoy, I cannot help but feel that this final story was split in two purely for monetary reasons. After all, they managed to fit the longest book in the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, into a single movie.

Given the running time of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, I personally feel that they could have better explained the story featured in the 470 odd pages before (highlight to reveal) Dobby  meets his untimely demise. This is especially true for those who have not read the books. Instead this movie is merely used as an arbitrary and visually delightful precursor of what is to come in the ultimate finale. As a result, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 feels unnecessarily, yet beautifully, drawn out. A lot of build up with little payoff. Understandably, the movie is only one half of a full story, but the fact of the matter is that the movie could have been made to stand on its own. Those who have read the books all know how richly detailed the Harry Potter universe is. No doubt the epic finale will be a non-stop thrill ride, but my fear is that this forthcoming sequel will feel rushed. However, only time will tell if this should serve to be the case.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Despite my grievances with the sparse story elements; the screenplay, acting and production values for the movie are simply fantastic.  In fact, I would go so far as to say that they are some of the best in the entire series and more than make up for the arguably inadequate use of the source material. The movie makes use of spectacular visual effects and awe inspiring camera work which, truthfully, makes the two and a half hour runtime fly by (true fans can never get enough of being immersed in the Harry Potter universe). 

Compared to other movies in this series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is an intense drama, and rightfully so. If you are an action fan, you are out of luck. Despite the excellent action scenes, they far and few between. Nevertheless, I do believe that almost all audience members will find themselves, at some point, laughing aloud with joy, cringing with fear, swooning with understanding, sobbing in sorrow and asking for more. I know I did.

Fans, young and old, will enjoy this latest ride into the world of Harry Potter. Just bear in mind that the movie does end on a bit of a sour note with a cliffhanger that would leave even the happiest of people feeling slightly morose. Do not worry though, as that feeling will subside around the 11th July 2011 when Part 2 is released! As long as you can accept that you will only be watching one half of a story, you will thoroughly enjoy Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.

The Red Carpet gives Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1: 7/10.

The movie was screened in the Il Grande theatre at NuMetro cinema’s inside Monte Casino, Johannesburg. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 releases nationwide on Wednesday 24th November 2010.

Once you have watched the movie, why not cap off the evening with an almost perfect Butterbeer recipe. Go on, try it!

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

I found out that not only were the Aussies releasing the movie a full week before South Africa (18th November vs. 27th November), with midnight premiere and all, but I would also have the opportunity to share the experience with my cousin Terrence (who is currently studying in Melbourne via Monash University’s Study Abroad Program). In essence, everything worked out as planned.

As you may have guessed, I am a self confessed fan of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight Saga. I firmly believe that this ‘saga’ offers a long overdue reintroduction to the classic kind of love story made popular by Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliette. Granted it does have a supernatural element to it, but that is what gives the story such a fantastic 21st century spin. Not to mention the fact that the story has action, Vampires and Werewolves in it, thus allowing for guys, like myself, to pick up the books without too much ridicule.

I could attempt to offer an unbiased review of the film, but considering how much I enjoyed the books and the first movie, an unbiased opinion is not impossible, but it is highly unlikely. Consequently, I will merely offer a few thoughts on the film as a whole and focus this post more on my overall experience of the event.

I watched the film at the Hoyts cinema complex in Chadstone – which is apparently the biggest shopping centre in the southern hemisphere. To say that the complex was packed, is a gross understatement. There were so many people that one could be forgiven for thinking that the event took place on a blockbuster making Friday or Saturday night. Not on a Wednesday evening after 23:00 (11 pm).

Our $40 (R280) ticket included access to the movie, a free’ Girlfriend’ Magazine *yawn*, a large bucket of popcorn, a large soft drink of your choice and a plastic foil laced collectors edition drinking flask – which is actually pretty cool. If you were lucky enough to obtain an $80 (R560!) ‘La Premiere’ ticket (which, as crazy as the price was, I tried getting but they were sold out), not only were you given access to the ‘La Premiere’ seating and ‘in-cinema’ food menu, along with everything else, but you would have also scored yourself a New Moon T-shirt valued at $20 (R140).

On a quick side note, it is worth mentioning that the Aussie girls are very ‘friendly’ and know what they want. Which my cousin can more than corroborate, often jesting how the Aussie girls often “rape” guys if they are not careful. Suffice to say, while I was waiting in the queue to enter the cinema, I managed to strike up several ‘enlightening’ conversations with the girls around me. Five minutes more and I am pretty sure that we would have both been ravaged by the Vampire hungry Bella’s! Ha ha! Seriously though, Melbournians are very welcoming and open people. You could talk to anyone and feel as if you have known them for years. A great quality!

The movie is actually quite good. It is not a perfect rendition of the story, but book to movie translations seldom are. With that said, despite a few ‘what the heck’ moments, the movie is reasonably close to the original story outlined in the novel. Thus fans of the books will know what to expect from the film. Ultimately though, if you enjoyed the first movie, you will undoubtedly enjoy the second. However, it is worth noting, for those not familiar with the story,  that the second film is more of a dramatic love story than the first. With more of an emphasis on the main characters and the love triangle which begins to emerge between them. Contrary to what the trailer would have you believe.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon receives a fanglorious 8/10.

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I think that around 80 percent of the audience were female. How do I know? Easy. Courtesy of the deafening screams and ooh’s and ah’s which prevailed the first time Edward and Jacob made their on screen appearances *rolls eyes*. Not to mention the scenes in which they each take off their shirts for the first time (thought I was going to go deaf from the screaming). I have got to give it to Taylor Lautner though, that kid has an amazing body for someone so young *self-consciously sucks in boep a little more*. Usually I find audience participation within a cinema to be off putting. However, this time around it merely contributed to the overall experience and ‘buzz’ of the event. All in all a fantastic time was had.

*Spoiler: Do not continue reading if you have not read or watched past New Moon*
Before I end this post, I just want to share something that I finally realised after watching New Moon for the second time. I finally ‘clicked’, that Bella wanting to become a Vampire is essentially a metaphor for losing her virginity. However, the metaphor does not end there. It is extended through to when Edward insists that he will only ‘turn’ Bella once they are married. Thus enforcing the notion of ‘no sex before/until marriage’. An arguably good, yet partially unrealistic, message to be sending out to the youth of today:

“Save yourself, for everlasting love”!

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

Like most book to movie conversions, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is, unfortunately, not a visually literal word for word transfer; but that was to be expected. If a literal conversion was what you were hoping for, then I am afraid that you may be sorely disappointed.

What people fail to remember, is that the movie is only based on the book. As a result, for better or worse, a certain degree of creative freedom was bestowed on the director and screenwriters. Consequently, the movie is rather different when compared to the original telling of The Half-Blood Prince, with several ‘what were they thinking’ moments. However, for what the movie is, an artfully driven visual gateway into the world of Harry Potter, the movie was, in my humble opinion, magnificent!

With this latest movie installment of the Harry Potter series, the visual cinematic flair is flush with the book. It is the first time that one of the Harry Potter movies has managed to effectively capture the progressively dark themes found in the books. This is, no doubt, in part due to the maturation of the target audience and the actors, who now have a broader and more refined range of acting skill. In this sense the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie is the closest, in feeling and atmosphere, to any of the books in the Harry Potter series, thus far.

Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince is a dark, magical, funny and charming adventure that is both gripping and spellbinding. This is how Harry Potter should have been adapted from the beginning. David Yates takes the fantasy from the heights of a broomstick-flying romantic comedy right down to the depths of a bone-chilling adventure. The whole mix of genres is perfectly balanced, shifting from one foot to the next as the audience is introduced to a new facet of the story, each chapter as funny, exciting and scary as the previous one (Spling Movies, 2009).

The screenplay and production values for the movie are spectacular. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will make you cringe with familiarity, jump in your seat with fear, laugh out loud with joy and cry with sorrow. The movie is splendidly well rounded and an absolutely fantastic journey from start to finish, for both the young and the old. Furthermore, the movie has spectacularly noteworthy special effects, amazing camera work and a visual flair that will make any audience member dry eyed.

Although fans of the books may be disappointed with the overall translation from text to screen, it is important to enjoy the movie for what it is: a visual smorgasbord of Harry Potter goodness, no matter how off base the movies are to the books. That said, fans brought up on the movie renditions of the books will naturally love this movie.

I consider myself to be a true Harry Potter fan, having read all of the books multiple times, owning various pieces of memorabilia (see the above photograph) and having many intense late night discussions, with friends and family, about Harry’s inevitable fate. Even so I thoroughly, no, immensely enjoyed the movie and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well produced action and adventure movie!

The Red Carpet gives Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 8/10. The movie is a must see!

The movie was screened at the Il Grande theatre in Monte Casino, Johannesburg. On a side note, I would like to mention that the evening was a ‘magical’ success, with only one discrepancy. Toward the end of the evening, members of The Red Carpet made their way to Cafe Fego, in Monte Casino, for the after movie discussion. Upon settling the bill, with a fairly generous 10% tip, and just as the group was about to depart, our waiter turns to us and asks if everything was to our satisfaction. To which we replied that it was. He then proceeded to ask for a bigger tip indicating that what we had given was not enough. Have you ever heard of such insolence? A tip is not mandatory; it is merely a showing of good will. To have the audacity to ask for more is not only unprofessional but ungrateful. Consequently, Cafe Fego has lost several customers for the foreseeable future. What is the moral of the story? Take your change and tip well where it is appreciated, either at Seattle Coffee or Mugg & Bean.

*UPDATE*: For an almost perfect Butterbeer recipe, click here.

Until the next time “Milieunairs”!

This evening my mom, myself, Mathilde, Romuelle and Mireille decided to go and watch a movie. The movie in question? Twilight! Yes!

Thankfully Twilight was the ‘French’ movie of choice, since you all know how much I love the Twilight Saga. Consequently, I was able to understand about 90% of all the words within the film. Not too shabby, hey? Regardless of the language, the message is the same. I still found myself becoming enthralled within Bella’s world and wishing, against all odds, that they would succeed, and we all know that they do in the end. Really, I so want to be Edward. I would love to be a Twilight vampire. Not only does he get to ‘mac’ the hot Kristen Stewart, but he is also super fast, strong, intelligent and ridiculously good looking.

Anyway, this is just a quick post because I felt that I needed to share how the movie had reinvigorated me. I feel all giddy and happy on the inside… I am still grinning like a fool on the outside too. I really am a sucker for chick flicks/feel good movies. One of the coolest parts of watching the movie again, especially after having read the entire saga, was that I was able to spot Stephenie Meyer in the movie. I really had no idea that she had made a cameo appearance. Seeing her in the film was just an added bonus and a welcomed surprise.

One thing I have noticed about the French is that they always seem to have to change everything. From what I have gathered, it is a cultural thing… something about being proud, keeping the language true, blah, blah… whatever. As far as I am concerned, they just like to be difficult and always want things their own way. What I do know is that when they do change the title of something from English into French, the original meaning is usually lost. Unsurprisingly, the books in the Twilight series have completely different names in French. Twilight is known as ‘Fascination’, New Moon as ‘Tentation’, Eclipse as ‘Hesitation’ and Breaking Dawn as ‘Révélation’. Interesting translations, don’t you think?

I have included the trailer for the French version of Twilight below, so you can have an idea of what it was like to watch the movie completely in French.

Twilight – French Trailer

While searching for the French trailer on YouTube, I came across this pretty nifty fan made trailer for an Anime version of Twilight. You can check out the ‘what-if-Twilight-was-an-Anime’ trailer here.

I am still working on the ‘holiday’ post but I hope to have it up within the next few days. So stay tuned!

Until the next time Milieu Pals!

As most of you should know, my latest group, The Red Carpet, had its first screening last week Friday (06 March 2009). The movie in question: Watchmen.

For The Red Carpet’s first screening, I decided to go big. How big? IMAX big! If you have not already watched a ‘Hollywood’ blockbuster in an IMAX theatre, then please do yourself a favour, and do so. The sound and picture clarity, not to mention size of the screen, are spectacular in IMAX theatres. The experience is usually breathtaking. Presuming of course you are sitting toward the back of the cinema and not in the second row from the gigantic screen. Which, as Murphy’s Law would have it, is exactly where we were seated.

Courtesy of the ongoing Johannesburg road works and the incapable drivers that are South Africans, we arrived 30 minutes too late for the six o’clock (pm) screening. This was after over three and a half hours, and 150 kilometres, of traffic induced congestion. Note to self: never make plans before seven o’clock (pm) on a Friday if the venue is more than 10 kilometres away. Needless to say, our handsomely reserved tickets had been forfeited. As a result we had no other choice than to accept what was available for the nine o’clock (pm) screening of the movie. Best available tickets for a group of seven? Second row from the front.

Have you ever been seated in the very first few rows of a normal cinema? Unless you are inherently blind, it is, in my honest opinion, a less than pleasurable experience. Now imagine that scenario, but for a screen that is over eight stories high. Seriously… we all came away from the experience with, and I kid you not, sore necks, blood shot eyes and pounding headaches. I would equate watching an IMAX film like this to having a mild brain aneurysm or stroke. Despite the less than adequate seating arrangements, the movie itself was very good.

One of the best aspects of the movie would have had to have been the visuals and special effects. I have commented, time and time again since watching this film, that if someone had to take stills of particular scenes in the movie, that you could use those stills as panels within a graphic novel. Thus, in a pure literal sense, the movie perfectly captures the graphic novel from which it is based. Although I have never read the infamous Watchmen graphic novel, I can clearly and vividly imagine what the novel must be like. Furthermore, never have I been more impressed with a pure digitally created and computer generated character, than I have been with Dr. Manhattan. The only tell tale sign that Dr. Manhattan is in fact a digital illusion is apparent when the character speaks. Although his eyes, skin and genitals have all been recreated flawlessly, it is Dr. Manhattan’s mouth, and its flawed motion, which betray this characters true origin.

One of the strongest aspect of this movie would have to pertain to its story. Unlike conventional ‘super hero’ related movies, the characters within Watchmen are multilayered and somewhat believable. Furthermore, the heroes of the story are flawed, and as a result, all is not what it appears to be. My cousin Freddy summed it up perfectly with the following excerpt from his blog: “Watchmen at its core is a look into superhero ethics and morality. It is refreshing to see superheroes from this perspective as this theme is hardly played on in most comic books. You get a taste of it sometimes but never to the extent of realising how a superhero could view right from wrong and how best to serve mankind. Another point that was refreshing was the concept that the superheroes in watchmen aren’t all ’super powered’, they are mostly humans with the agenda to do good. This has been a staple of the ‘dc-universe’ and I suppose the most appealing part of the human ’superhero’ is that it is accessible to anyone. I must say that the ‘origins’ of the characters played an important part in seeing the humanity of the superhero in question”. I do not wish to elaborate further, for fear of spoiling the plot. Simply put, the movie has a rich politically driven and drama oriented feel that is complimented by a love triangle (with obligatory sex scene) and copious amounts of action related blood and gore.

The Red Carpet rates Watchmen: 08/10

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After having an immensely good time at the Slumdog Millioniare Premiere, further fuelling my penchant for good cinema; and because of the success of The Upper Palatte, not to mention my new outlook on life, I have created a group for like minded movie goers called:

The Red Carpet.

In essence The Red Carpet is a group for individuals who enjoy, like yours truly, the cinema going experience – large screens (See More), deafening sound (Hear More) and riveting stories (Feel More).  At present, the group is scheduled to meet once or twice a month to ‘screen’ a newly released mainstream or art house film. After each screening, members will have the opportunity to get together after the movie and socialise – most likely over dinner or at a coffee shop. Furthermore, members of The Red Carpet will be notified of any South African premiere’s which may take place and which they may, subsequently, be a part of.

For Hans’ Milieu, I may increase the scope of The Red Carpet to include reviews of movies I have ‘screened’ whether they be new or past releases. For instance, this week alone I have seen the following films: Changeling, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Role Models, Seven Pounds, The Visitor, The Secret Life of Bees, He’s Just Not That Into You, You Don’t Mess With The Zohan, Pulse, Drillbit Taylor and Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Then again… with the amount of movies I appear to watch… will I even have time to write about anything else? Perhaps, for now, I will just keep the reviews centred on movies screened by The Red Carpet.

For the opening of The Red Carpet, we will be screening the new Warner Brothers movie Watchmen, on the day of release (06/03/09), at the Imax cinema in the Menlyn Park shopping centre. I first saw the trailer for Watchmen this past Sunday when my family and myself went to see He’s Just Not That Into You. Upon first viewing the trailer, I was awestruck by the unique art style and use of clever cinematography. However, what really hooked me into wanting to see this film was the use of the song ‘Take A Bow’ by Muse, which I immediately recognised as it began midway through the trailer (it actually gave me goose bumps). For those who do not know, I have recently become a huge fan of Muse, having been introduced to their music through their influence on Stephenie Meyer and her enigmatic Twilight Saga. I have even gone so far as to purchase all of their available albums and have subsequently labelled their music as hauntingly beautiful.

For your perusal I have included the Watchmen trailer below. If you would like to see a video of Muse performing ‘Take a Bow’ live, please click here. Make sure to tune in again soon for The Red Carpet’s review of Watchmen!

Watchmen Trailer (SA Release: 06/03/09)