Disappointing and lacks Cuaron's magical vision

Rating: 4/10 (10 January 2006)

I had high hopes for this latest instalment of the Harry Potter series, most especially after the superlative production of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban with Alfonso Cuaron at the helm. Cuaron's film was a genuine cinematic treat, often visually stunning, darkly atmospheric, strongly-acted, emotionally satisfying with a realistic central theme charting Harry's personal growth and his evolving sense of identity. Emma Watson was excellent here as Hermione, and her scenes with Daniel Radcliffe (Harry), most particularly during the brilliantly directed Time Turner sequence were a stand-out. There were multiple visual clues, gags, motifs, clever filmic transitions to delight during this film, ensuring a multi-layer narrative - more than mere popcorn action and trite adherence to the book.
As for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - everything I can say about Cuaron's film cannot now be said. Indeed, it is an almost complete reversal. The film is not as impressive visually - indeed, it borders on dull and plodding. The brooding darkness first instigated by Cuaron is still apparent, but has been dimmed to an oddly greenish, medieval hue which pervades throughout. Cuaron's palette was more blues and greys and silvers, to often startling effect. Newell's dank colours stifle and subdue the film. There is abundant use of silver at the Yule Ball, but even this episode lacked vitality I felt, which is a big shame as Newell was most surefooted when tackling material which pertained to the teenage angsty relationships - basically human interest stuff was handled pretty well, and often to mildly comic effect. As a result, Rupert Grint as Ron, and Matthew Lewis as Neville, came off best in this production. I have not been impressed with Grint in particular in former films, but here he put in a strong performance - I guess Newell was more secure and at ease in handling Grint's major material.
The same could not be said for Emma Watson, who was shrill and annoying - much more so even than her character Hermione who can herself be hugely irritating in the book (albeit lovable). Gambon's hysterical Dumbledore was quite dreadfully overplayed - in Cuaron's version Gambon just about managed to maintain an even keel - here, Newell allowed him to melodramatically fall overboard. In truth, precious few performances had much to recommend themselves. Maggie Smith was competent as always, ditto Rickman's Snape (although horridly underwritten). Barty Crouch Snr and Jnr were much less effective (this saddens me as fan of David Tennent). Gleason's Mad Eye Moody was a wasted opportunity, and his eye decoration was simply ludicrous and not in the least bit disturbing.
The narrative flow was episodic and clunky. The early stages of the film actually dragged: The World Cup debacle resulted in a completely disproportionate and unwarranted apocalyptic landscape, the introduction to the TriWizard tournament was wrecked by egregious over-acting from Dumbledore. Events mildly picked up during parts of the tournament itself, and the dragon sequence was particularly impressive. The bathroom scene with Moaning Myrtle was well-done (again, back into safe semi-comic Newell territory) and although much was lost from the original which would have boosted the suspense factor considerably, the maze had its moments. The final graveyard sequence, however, was OTT rubbish, almost completely devoid of suspense and emotion. I had looked forward to the recreation of Voldemort, but this was one hell of a letdown. Fiennes deserved better.
I did wonder though if Newell had been slightly handicapped by the book too in this respect - the evocation of Voldemort was always going to be tricky to handle. Perhaps Cuaron was lucky in not having to handle this aspect of Harry Potter at all - events, fears were grounded in reality - and frankly the Dementor's kiss, and indeed, the ghastly spectral Dementors themselves, feasting on our fears and phobias, are probably the most frightening inventions in the entire series to date. Voldemort is a bit too much of a cartoon figure - the personification of evil is probably better left unstated, left to the imagination, the subjective. As a mind-possessing force in the next instalment (The Order of the Phoenix), Voldemort is more sinister, more terrible. Perhaps then we will get a better film.