Letters to the Editor
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This is what I hate the most about Salon
"Hermione, who makes an entrance in a jaw-dropping satiny evening dress -- a triumph of Jany Temime's costuming, the dress makes her look like neither a dumb ingenue nor a tarted-up performer in a dance recital."
Zacharek could have just said the dress was a triumph, without making harsh insults at the imaginary people in her mind she for some reason feels a driving need to hate and judge.
Why is there so much hatred and judgment in Salon?
I guess hatred and judgment are fun to this generation. It's how they define themselves.
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Judgement is merited
Criticizing a movie reviewer about being judgemental is like bemoaning the fact that Nascar drivers go too fast.
I actually enjoyed Ms Zacharek's carefully calibrated assessments of "The Goblet of Fire" and fully detailed reasons of why such "judgements" were made. The Harry Potter movies and books continue to defy categorization and easy opinions. The review carefully avoided falling into the trap and actually made the movie sound interesting and understandable.
I guess I must be of the same generation..
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I thought it was apt
I thought Stephanie Zacharek's review of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" was lovely - I understood her feelings of nostalgia and sudden awarness of adulthood perfectly. I could almost imagine the characters going through these emotions and I look forward to seeing it onscreen.
As for Name Not Given's complaint, I found Zacharaek's description of Hermione's dress apt and appropriate. It is terribly easy to dress someone just entering adolescence, as Hermione is, either much too young or much too old for their age. Dress them too young and they look like, well, a performer in a recital, dress them too old and they really do look dumb and/or unsettlingly slutty.
But people who have never tried to dress a 14-year-old for a black tie occasion might not appreciate this tight-rope walk, so I thought Zacharak illustration of why the dress is "a triumph" at all was helpful. Name Not Given must be either deeply attached to the dance recital circuit and its attendant costumes, or just looking for a reason to pick on Salon today (I find many letter writers to be often the latter).
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Bogus-Bulgarian name?
"Durmstrang" is a flipped German expression, "sturm und drang," literally "storm and strife." It refers to a literary, musical, and artistic movement centered in Germany in the 18th century. "Sturm und drang" was a reaction against rationalism, emphasizing subjective experience, the creative ability of individuals, and veneration of nature.
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why do people feel the need to trash Chris Columbus?
I'm not saying that #2 was as good as it might have been (though the book had the same weak ending as the movie), but I thought #1 captured the fun of Harry's finding the magic. So I disagree that #1 and 2 were "garishly dumb." And I dislike the washed out color, change of physical setting, and lack of wonder in #3, which was not IMHO "lyrical (and...)beautifully tuned." I will give Cuaron cudos on the whomping willow eating the bird, but I regret that he took out the Quidditch cup, gave us a mess of a werewolf, and almost abandoned the aspects of magic that were magical instead of just moody.
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taking things serious
Zacharek is one of the only (perhaps THE only) person taking some important pop culture moments seriously. Wasn't she the one carrying the torch for Buffy all those years before we woke up and realized Joss Whedon was a frigging genius? I admire her for covering this stuff in a humorous, light-handed way without ever descending to the reflexive can-you-believe-we're-writing-this patronage of something like the New York Times.
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A good review
A very artfully written review that successfully imparted a pure sense of this movie. My 2 cents.
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loved the movie, enjoyed the review
I saw the movie last night and it was the first in the series I truly enjoyed and loved. The opening scenes filmed at the quidditch world cup were exhilarating and funny and then terrifying, and the whole movie continues in the same vein. For the first time, nothing felt tacked on and too cutesy, it all seemed essential and so was much more deeply enjoyable.
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great review
That was a really great review. It really makes me want to see the fiml, whereas before I wasn't so sure. Cheers!
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Overcooked review
I just cannot wait for my nine year old to read this!Is the film for kids, or not?
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HP4
I'm not always a fan of Stephanie Zacharek's review - or perhaps it's simply that I don't often agree with them - but for me she got this one spot on. There is an awful lot in this movie. The pacing was, at times, a little overwhelming although a good effort given the size of the book. As for whether it's for kids or not, I would say it's not for small children any more than the book was for small children. If your kids are of an age that they can read and appreciate the book without undue trauma, then I would say they would handle the movie quite well. It is dark and suspenseful, though, so maybe a vetting would be in order?
- CS
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Cuaron's "Great Romatic Fantasy" Failed the Book
I am not sure how far I can trust Zacharek's review, give her opinion on the first three films. While Columbus may be criticized for a too-straightforward translation of the text to the screen (though "garishly dumb" is a little harsh), his films captured the spirit of the books far better than "Prisoner of Azkaban". Cuaron was so determined to put his personal touch on the movie that he replaced essential plot elements with needless slapstick, talking shrunken heads, and endless panoramic shots of school grounds, leaving those viewers who have not read the book confused, and HP afficionados disappointed.
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Enough with the Columbus bashing!
I'm no fan of Chris Columbus, but give the poor guy a break. True, the first two films pale before Azkaban and Goblet of Fire, but then, so do the first two books. And as is clear from looking at the overall progression of the saga over the last six books, this is very much by design. I suggest that anyone who finds the first two films garishly dumb go back and re-read the books. The plot, style, and characterizations are drawn in the same bright, simplified colors that Columbus uses in his adaptations. As the series has progressed, the books have grown up, and that same growth is evident in the way the film series is developing. Columbus may not be a talent on the level of Alfonso Cuaron, but he understood the books far better than people are giving him credit for.