Just the Beginning of the End

Rating: 10/10 (11 December 2010)

"just the beginning of the end". That is what the first part of the final chapter in the Harry Potter says to me. With the first six films being a mere premise to the last two films of the franchise, to think about coming end to the cherished series cause me a bit of sadness. Being a die-hard Harry Potter fan, this particular "Part One" did not disappoint.
This film opens with an epic struggle for survival as seven "Potters" attempt to smuggle Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) out of his Aunt and Uncle's house given his upcoming birthday. The dynamics of the scene give an immensely powerful first statement for the film. The screenwriter Steve Kloves does a brilliant job in my opinion of manifesting the action from the novel on the screen. Throughout the movie we see a different turn from previous Potter movies. We see a lot more of the dynamics in the characters relationships with each other. We see a little bit more romance, lightly played but obvious. We see present well within the movie the idea of Harry's dependence on Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint). We see a lot of team work present and suiting the feel well, the story begins to slow down allowing bit more room for back story explanations. This time the feel of the film is one of a slower pace, which in my opinion serves well to ease the audience into the films inevitable end. I whole-heartedly agree with the decision made to split the film into two parts. I think that it gives more space for the storyline to spread out and really capture the whole big picture, as is illustrated well in Rowling's book. Plus it brings even more money to the franchise.
The actors also have done an amazing job throughout the whole decade that this film has taken to rise to its current and immense glory. We've had the privilege to watch as Daniel Radcliffe, brilliantly portrayed as the scrawny bespectacled boy we grew to love in the first book and movie, to the mature, beastly looking hero, taking an even greater leap from the books' descriptions and making the change from Daniel to Harry on screen all the more powerful and beautiful. Watson also grew from slightly annoying and cute little girl to a smoking hot, mature British woman, despite her recent hair change. Rupert Grint even did a bit of growing up. He's gotten a deeper voice, but remains that endlessly loyal companion to Harry throughout all the films. The actors and actresses have always played their given parts brilliantly. It surprises me that most of the whole cast and crew have been there from the beginning (except for the directors). It's further touching to reflect on the brilliant family these people have become in the production of this amazing franchise.
In retrospect there are some things that I do wish had been done better. Like some of the finer ends of the movie were a little left out. But I think overall David Yates did a great job with this film, as he has with the previous films he's directed in the series. He definitely seems to me the most familiar with the tone of the movie and though shaped the film in a way that suited him, his taste suits the novel and the rest of us just fine. I definitely look forward the final installment of the franchise this upcoming summer. It will be a bittersweet birthday present, considering I began my journey with Potter on my birthday nearly 10 years ago. I recommend this movie to any who'll watch. It will not disappoint.