A perfect set-up for the finale of this fantastic franchise.

Rating: 8/10 (12 January 2014)

With the first part of the last film in the Harry Potter franchise, every detractor of the infamous book splitting is silenced, as the plot has to be told extraordinarily quickly, regardless of the two and a half hours running time. This is simultaneously one of the film's gravest downsides and greatest features with a major scene, important exposition, or character introduction happening every ten minutes and the moments for breathing being sparse. If you've read the seventh book and are in an attentive state of mind while watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, you can just sit back and enjoy a rather felicitous amalgam of action, thrill, and drama. If you are a stranger to J.K. Rowling's novels, however, watching this film will definitely be a highly confusing experience for you.
Since I belong to the first category, it's difficult to elaborate on this, but Deathly Hallows 1 sure feels rushed and the franchise's regular screenwriter Steve Kloves didn't do the best job in the admittedly very challenging adaptation of the novel. This also pertains to the dialogues, with some of them blatantly serving the sole purpose of moving the story forward, and the relations between the characters. But enough of the grumbling, because David Yates has hereby realised yet another marvellous chapter in the life of the now grownup Harry Potter, for which he surely deserves some praise.
The visuals have always been one of the greatest assets of the Harry Potter films and this doesn't change at all in Deathly Hallows 1. Much more, the whole crew did a phenomenal job in giving the penultimate instalment in the series a most interesting look, whether it's for the lovely new sets, such as Godric's Hollow, the Lovegood house, and the Malfoy Manor, the visual effects that play a substantial part in making the film's action scenes as entertaining as they turn out to be, or the gritty cinematography, showing Harry's desperate situation in fittingly dark shades. However small a scene in these films might be, there's always minute focus laid on its staging, which is, in my opinion, what lets you forget some of the sloppier plot segments.
The film may be too complex to grasp the first time watching it and also doesn't exactly spare clichés and silly exposition conversations, yet is still a rich and multiply-layered film that succeeds in including all the necessary genres and making it seem genuine. All of this is due to a top-notch crew and a huge gathering of immensely talented British actors, this time expanded by Bill Nighy and Rhys Ifans above others. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 is intense, moving, and highly entertaining and serves as a perfect set-up for the finale of this fantastic franchise.