Delightful adaptation of wizard novel

Rating: Null/10 (26 June 2002)

This was a pleasure to watch. Eager fresh faces, a galaxy of veteran British actors, sparkling photography, a sympathetic main character, a truly brilliant set piece (the Quiddich match), plenty of action, a pleasing combination of the real and the fantastic in set design and plenty of appropriate special effects. It was amusing to see the absurdly pompous ground floor of Australia House in London as the banking chamber of Gringott's Bank. I'm afraid to say the people behind the counter in real life are just as unsympathetic as the goblins of Gringott's. It must be the architecture.
It's always nice to see British acting veterans getting well-paid for once, though no doubt none of them will do as well out of this film as Alec Guinness did out of 'Star Wars'. Most of them give value for money here, even when, as in the case of Leslie Phillips, they appear as voice only, or, in the case of John Cleese, are allowed only a ghostly presence. Richard Harris is rather restrained as Headmaster Dumbledore but Maggie Smith gives us a suitably stern but kind Professor Mc Gonigall. Alan Rickman is splendidly twitchy as the suspect Professor Snape and the lesser-known Ian Hart is subtle and effective as Professor Quirrell, keeping his real role in the proceedings concealed until almost the end. I guess if David Warner had done the part we would have twigged right away. Robbie Coltrane is delightful as Hagrid. I was going to say 'unrecognisable', too, but his bulk does rather give him away. Hagrid has a fluid job description , but his role seems to be that of school porter and all-round friend to the pupils (the school caretaker is no friend to the pupils). Richard Griffiths as the awful Uncle Vernon reminds us that not all fat people are lovable.
The kids are also a delight, though one or two look like they have strayed off a Roald Dahl movie (Harry's cousin Dudley for example). The central three, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emily Watson), bounce well off each other, though I wonder what will happen when Harry's and Ron's hormones rise and they realise how drop-dead gorgeous Hermione is.
I'm not a fan of the private school ethos, and boarding schools in particular, though I admit to consuming boarding school fiction many years ago. The charm here lies in the combination of artless fantasy with the institutional life of a school. I wonder about the social isolation of Hogwarts  all these bright young misfits in one place where they do not feel that they are freaks. There is also the exclusivity and the superiority surrounding their status as wizards, looking down their noses at us muggles. It's all a bit like medical or law school in fact  the arrogance generated is not always professionally advantageous.
Anyway, there are still lots of terms to go at Hogwart's and we can only hope they remain as fresh and as entertaining as this one.