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I want a three brothers icon now
I saw the first part of Deathly Hallows! Now, my relationship with the Harry Potter movies is a bit weird and fraught; almost none of the characters are anything like they are in my head, the aesthetic took forever to grow on me at all, and my enjoyment of the films is inverse to my enjoyment/memory of the books -- so, although I know Prisoner of Azkaban is objectively a good movie, if a bit light on necessary backstory, I really don't like it much, and somewhere around Goblet of Fire I started liking the films a lot more, because they did lots of necessary editing. I realized around Half-Blood Prince that I honestly didn't remember which stuff they'd kept in and which they'd taken out; I mean, I know they cut Voldemort's backstory and that Hermione's throwing-of-birds enchantment was a lot less horrific than in the book, but that is it.
So in the spirit of that, hey, I really enjoyed Deathly Hallows! I remembered enough salient points to not be lost when they sacrificed backstory, but mostly I didn't know what was supposed to happen when or if they'd just skipped a huge chunk of something. Probably camping. Anyway. It was good fun!
I think what I loved most is that the trio were finally, finally the trio to me. I've been fond of Dan Radcliffe's Harry for a while, actually -- like, he makes me actually care about Harry's inner life, and is a teenager without being too much of a dumbass! it's pretty great -- but they finally, finally gave Ron a few things to do besides make hilarious faces, and my god, Hermione. I love that having to Obliviate her parents was tearing her up inside, that she had a consistent emotional thread, that she got shit done anyway. I think I enjoyed the trio bits so much because -- well, one, if it's a lot of camping, that does give you room to do the necessary character work, and two, the kids have really grown into their acting. It was nice to see them carry the film.
Re: doing character work, my favorite scene might have been the cute awkward dancing Harry and Hermione did. See, this is why I love movie!Harry to pieces. You sweet well-meaning dorkface! I also -- well, the films have been trying to get me to ship Harry/Hermione for years, usually at the expense of shoving Ron into a corner, but I have belatedly discovered that I just want all the Harry/Ron/Hermione. This did not occur to me when I was a wee one in Harry Potter fandom! Actually, this movie made me want quite a lot of fic, which has never happened before; and the delightful thing is that, any pairing or scenario I might think of, someone has already written it. Bless HP fandom.
Let's see. I loved the aesthetic. I loved pretty much all the character choices, and that even if characters were only around for a short bit of time (Neville, Snape) they got to be awesome for that little while. (I am not a fan of CAPSLOCK REMUS, but I gave up on movie!Remus forever ago.) I actually was not as delighted with the animated Tale of Three Brothers as everyone else seems to have been, but I think that's because it was the one instance in which knowing something ahead of time worked against me, because I had time to imagine what the animation could look like; if I'd seen it without warning, it would have been phenomenal. As was, it was still pretty cool.
Things I really actively did not like are limited to Grindelwald actually fucking telling Voldemort that the Elder Wand is in Dumbledore's tomb. Him being a more badass Dark Lord than Voldemort and also respecting his boyfriend's memory was the best goddamn part of the DH book, okay. I mean, I understand why they did it -- purely for time, and also because, even though I am holding out the precious hope that we'll get a proper Dumbledore's-family flashback sequence, I seriously doubt we're going to get The Love And Betrayal of Dumbledore and Grindelwald in any depth. Siiiiigh. I am glad I was warned about that bit.
And finally, a discussion with my parents! My mum, for reasons unknown, came with me to see DH; afterwards, my dad wanted to know how it had been. He also, bless him, has become really obsessed with seeing whether things pass the Bechdel test, even though he still can't remember it's called the Bechdel test half the time.
DAD. So did it pass that test?
ME. The main character and guy who's on screen most of the time is Harry, so ...
[pause to actually think about this]
ME. Well. There was one scene. Where two women were talking. About something other than a man.
MUM. [somehow psychic enough to think of the same thing, starts laughing]
DAD. What?
ME. There was a scene where Bellatrix tortures Hermione for information about the whereabouts of a sword? I guess that passed.
...Yep. Let's hear it for Bellatrix and Hermione! /o\
So in the spirit of that, hey, I really enjoyed Deathly Hallows! I remembered enough salient points to not be lost when they sacrificed backstory, but mostly I didn't know what was supposed to happen when or if they'd just skipped a huge chunk of something. Probably camping. Anyway. It was good fun!
I think what I loved most is that the trio were finally, finally the trio to me. I've been fond of Dan Radcliffe's Harry for a while, actually -- like, he makes me actually care about Harry's inner life, and is a teenager without being too much of a dumbass! it's pretty great -- but they finally, finally gave Ron a few things to do besides make hilarious faces, and my god, Hermione. I love that having to Obliviate her parents was tearing her up inside, that she had a consistent emotional thread, that she got shit done anyway. I think I enjoyed the trio bits so much because -- well, one, if it's a lot of camping, that does give you room to do the necessary character work, and two, the kids have really grown into their acting. It was nice to see them carry the film.
Re: doing character work, my favorite scene might have been the cute awkward dancing Harry and Hermione did. See, this is why I love movie!Harry to pieces. You sweet well-meaning dorkface! I also -- well, the films have been trying to get me to ship Harry/Hermione for years, usually at the expense of shoving Ron into a corner, but I have belatedly discovered that I just want all the Harry/Ron/Hermione. This did not occur to me when I was a wee one in Harry Potter fandom! Actually, this movie made me want quite a lot of fic, which has never happened before; and the delightful thing is that, any pairing or scenario I might think of, someone has already written it. Bless HP fandom.
Let's see. I loved the aesthetic. I loved pretty much all the character choices, and that even if characters were only around for a short bit of time (Neville, Snape) they got to be awesome for that little while. (I am not a fan of CAPSLOCK REMUS, but I gave up on movie!Remus forever ago.) I actually was not as delighted with the animated Tale of Three Brothers as everyone else seems to have been, but I think that's because it was the one instance in which knowing something ahead of time worked against me, because I had time to imagine what the animation could look like; if I'd seen it without warning, it would have been phenomenal. As was, it was still pretty cool.
Things I really actively did not like are limited to Grindelwald actually fucking telling Voldemort that the Elder Wand is in Dumbledore's tomb. Him being a more badass Dark Lord than Voldemort and also respecting his boyfriend's memory was the best goddamn part of the DH book, okay. I mean, I understand why they did it -- purely for time, and also because, even though I am holding out the precious hope that we'll get a proper Dumbledore's-family flashback sequence, I seriously doubt we're going to get The Love And Betrayal of Dumbledore and Grindelwald in any depth. Siiiiigh. I am glad I was warned about that bit.
And finally, a discussion with my parents! My mum, for reasons unknown, came with me to see DH; afterwards, my dad wanted to know how it had been. He also, bless him, has become really obsessed with seeing whether things pass the Bechdel test, even though he still can't remember it's called the Bechdel test half the time.
DAD. So did it pass that test?
ME. The main character and guy who's on screen most of the time is Harry, so ...
[pause to actually think about this]
ME. Well. There was one scene. Where two women were talking. About something other than a man.
MUM. [somehow psychic enough to think of the same thing, starts laughing]
DAD. What?
ME. There was a scene where Bellatrix tortures Hermione for information about the whereabouts of a sword? I guess that passed.
...Yep. Let's hear it for Bellatrix and Hermione! /o\
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Hahaha, for a given value of "talking" and it happening onscreen, but I guess it's something.
There was also Umbridge interrogating that woman.
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Uhhhh no. That is objectively the worst movie. If you've read the book, it's shit. If you haven't, it's nonsense.
FUCK YEAH DANCING SCENE. It was everyone's favorite, I think.
ME. There was a scene where Bellatrix tortures Hermione for information about the whereabouts of a sword? I guess that passed.
EXCUSE ME, ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE HOTTEST SCENE IN THE MOVIE?
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It is so not objectively the worst movie. Chamber of Secrets exists.
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THAT IS BECAUSE THE DANCING SCENE IS BEST.
EXCUSE ME, ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE HOTTEST SCENE IN THE MOVIE?
Haha I am so unsurprised! I think I was saved from reacting by the fact that my mom was sitting next to me? IDK, something like that.
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You probably have more self-restraint than I do. /o\ I'm seeing it with my mom tonight, and she will undoubtedly judge me.
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I actually thought the scene with Hermione and her parents might have been the saddest one in the whole film - that introduction, where obv the bits with both Hermione and Ron were not in the book - I just thought that was beyond terrific. Beautiful. (And speaking of beautiful - it's hilarious to me the way Emma is like five times more pretty than anyone else in the films except maybe Tom Felton. It's kind of my favourite thing about the films that everyone looks kind of ordinary, old and wrinkly and with dirty fingernails etc which esp. with Harry and Ron is just what happens when you cast 10 year olds. Like how Draco is taller than everyone is awkward but.)
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Really?! PERHAPS I SHOULD WRITE SOME.
And I agree with you re: how everyone looks ordinary. I especially noticed it during the scene where the Order comes to pick Harry up from Privet Drive. I just. I kind of got hearts in my eyes.
Also, your icon is driving me nuts! I recognize the quote but not the context, and I can't even remember if it's fic or a flashback or what. AHHH.
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Hah, it's a flashback, it's where Snape's Worst Memory starts - in the Defence OWL. James or Sirius asks Remus if he liked the question about identifying werewolves and he makes that joke. IA that it totally seems like it could come out of a R/S fic, doesn't it?
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Oh god, yes, so much this. I mean, I think it was astonishingly good for what it was, but still.
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They've cast young!Dumbledore, at least according to Wikipedia, so we're probably getting a flashback at the very least!
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