Emotionally charged and faithful

Rating: 10/10 (13 December 2010)

When I was 8 I got Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone for Christmas. I loved it and it got instilled as part of my childhood. Then the films came, others hated them,mainly for omitting key elements of the books but I enjoyed them for what they were: a visual representation of a series many love.
Like others when I heard DH was being split into two films I was cynical to say the least then I saw pt1. Shocked is an understatement.I went with my best friend who had already seen it so knew all the emotional points of the film and looked at me whenever they occurred. She said that for a kid who doesn't show emotions she'd never seen such an erray of emotions.
The tone is darker, as usual.But this time it fits,it's no longer just a gimmick to draw in older audiences but integral to the plot. The books got genuinely darker but the films just felt like it had been shoehorned in. DH though,manages to make it feel naturally darker.Be it from the muted colours,ominous soundtrack or overall sense of desperation JK portrayed in the book.Quite honestly I thought the film did a better job of showing the tension between Harry,Ron and Hermione.The book described it brilliantly but Grint managed to steal the film in my opinion with subtle facial expressions that are paired with love and jealousy culminating into showing what matters most to him Yes things are omitted again but this time it's for the better as they'd probably take away from the atmosphere, things that had been left out before are briefly explained(Greyback attacking Bill in HBP for example) but none of this would have mattered if the actors and special effects hadn't been as amazing as they were. The effects look natural and the actors have really matured.The one scene I enjoyed highly was the Three Brothers tale brilliantly narrated with amazing visuals. The audio too is amazing, the soundtrack subtler and in a surprising move cut out completely during one chase scene which just added to its intensity. The main thing that cemented its status as amazing though was Dobby's death.When he died in the book all I screamed in maths for weeks was 'DOBBY'S DEAD'.The film though actually took me beyond crying, sobbing to a point where my friend had to actually hug me and comfort me. This is from a guy who never cries.The single annoyance for me though wasn't the fleeting appearances of some characters,or the omitance of some scenes or even the feel it's a 'road movie' no all these make the film feel like it should;desolate,desperate and isolated.Completely on edge. No I was annoyed Dobby's headstone wasn't included.Possibly the most poignant moment of the entire series for me but I can forgive them for that as the film was still amazing. It ended where I thought it would and left me wanting more after the 146min runtime literally flew by. If pt2 manages to be this true and amazing Potter fans are in for an spectacular swansong. 10/10 easily. Oh and a note to Twillight fans,actors and directors...this is how true love and friendship is displayed.Not by smouldering looks and a plot thrown in.No instead infuse the plot with natural feelings and you get a true relationship created not the soft-core porn for teenage girls I was forced to sit through.That is all. Cloud932 out.