A Fitting End for a Lucky Generation

Rating: Null/10 (15 July 2011)

This will never happen again, this kind of film series, made with such attention to detail, care, and love, and brought to such a stunning breath-taking, emotionally satisfying conclusion. The generation that were brought up on these films can count themselves blessed.
This is by no means a perfect film but who cares when the cinematography, acting, costumes, directing, soundtrack, effects, and plot are so brilliant? Radcliffe is genuinely astonishing in this film, the breadth and depth of emotion he brings to the screen is unsurpassed. The whole cinema was in floods of tears in the forest scene and many others besides.
Alan Rickman delivers a huge performance, revealing Snape's secrets with poignancy and a moving, horrific, death scene. All the adult cast step up to the plate. Ralph Fiennes makes Voldemort's remorselessly agonising demise and psychopathology seem terrifyingly real, Helen McCrory excels in her few key scenes, and there are nothing but superb performances from all the young cast, the standout one being Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom, who managed to be awkward, courageous, and funny in one fell swoop. Wright was a rock as Ginny, Lynch superb as Luna, Felton outstanding again as Draco, there wasn't a single weak link amongst them.
But its the direction and cinematography that make this film deserve the epithet classic. The glorious imagination, the visual ambition, the sheer scale of the film took real nerve and supreme skill. Yates gets the most outstanding performances from all the cast. The battle scenes were superbly conceived and choreographed and even on the periphery of the screen duels between individuals are played out as though the actors very lives depend upon it. The special effects are at last on a par with the rest of the film, which is a blessed relief.
The attention to detail remains as acute as ever despite it's being applied on an insanely grander scale. The Death Eater costumes alone were sublime.
But in the end this film belongs to Radcliffe, Rickman, and Fiennes on the acting front, and the status of the trio (both Harry, Ron and Hermione as well as Radcliffe, Grint and Watson) as icons of our age is secured forever in the final scenes. This really is an exceptional film on every conceivable level. I've seen it three times including on IMAX and on each occasion the audience came away elated, exhausted, moved, astonished, entertained, and best of all, satisfied.