Wednesday, 5 January 2011

Harry Potter 7, Monsters and Love and Other Drugs

They weren't children anymore ,and I guess that's why I found Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1 to be superior to all the previous films in the series. The acting from the three friends was possibly a little less wooden than before, or is it that they compare so poorly with the string of British actors who grace these movies. The direction by David Yates is as sharp as ever and mostly the pace fills the 2hours 20 minutes so we are never bored. If there is one flaw for me it is that it takes forever to find a way to destroy the locket that is one of the Horcruxes. But all in all the movie does well to set up the final episode.

Monsters was a bit of a disappointment after the rave reviews. Made on a shoestring by British writer/director Gareth Edwards, I found it could not overcome it's feeling of cheapness. I wish I had not known that he used locals instead of proper actors as the lead couple travel across Central America to escape the aliens. There are some exciting moments and occasional dramatic twists that would not have disgraced a Hollywood blockbuster. It will be interesting to see what Edwards can do with a proper budget.

I only went to see Love and Other Drugs as it was the only grown up movie on show since I last visited the cinema THREE weeks ago. However I was pleasantly surprised. A very modern romantic drama for grown ups, it was more than a vehicle for leads Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway. It was good to see that director and part writer Edward Zwick has matured from blockbuster thrillers to more intelligent movies such as Blood Diamond, Defiance and now this. It was surprisingly explicit in the first half for this type of movie, but so many relationships start this way, that it was almost refreshing to get that over with and to then explore the trials and tribulations of what is a difficult love story. The participation of Josh Gad as Jake's brother almost ruins the film, but it is rescued by the two stars, some reasonable dialogue and a great soundtrack. Regina Spektor sings "Fidelity" over the closing credits. What a great choice.

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