I realize there is a huge fan base, and I have much respect for them and their beloved J.K. Rowling's magic world. But what the makers of the Harry Potter films seem to miss is that as an audience member, not only have I not necessarily read the books but also I am not obligated to watch the previous films in order to understand the story and get carried away with the cinematic experience. But lo and behold, the makers are extremely clever and like many recent TV dramas where you won't fully understand the epic storyline if you miss one episode, the Harry Potter theatrical franchise requires emotional investment and commitment from its audience. It seems as though where contemporary television has become the metaphor for a relationship, cinema has become the metaphor for a one-night stand -- excluding the Harry Potter movies. But I'll tell you one thing; the last significant other that I want to be involved with is Harry.Yes, yes, the glamorous magical world of Hogwarts and its environs is as enthralling as ever thanks to the wonderful production design of Stuart Craig, and Bruno Delbonel's cinematography is lustrous with its dark shades of stereotypical British gloom. As always the atmosphere is in place, and you just want to get out your own wand and cloak and wish that you could fly a broom and play quidditch, and mix some sort of potion so your boring life could have some meaningful excitement. All's well in the cinematic scale of escapism.
But let us come to the story. In his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where our dear old Harry (Daniel Radcliff) and his mates Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) have become fully blossomed adolescents with raging hormones. As Harry is getting ready for the next school year sitting in a London underground station he reads his Daily Prophet, gazing through an article titled “Is Harry Potter the Chosen One?” For those of you who don't remember what the kid might have been chosen for, he might be the only wizard powerful enough to fully stop the mayhem of the evil wizard whose name shall not be spoken (oh please just say Voldermort or, even better, Ralph Fiennes and relieve us all) and his loyal followers -- the “Deatheaters.” By now Harry has become Dumbledore's (Michael Gambon) faithful go-to guy, and they must convince a particular Professor Slughorn (the wonderful Jim Broadbent) to return to teach “Advanced Potion” classes back at Hogwarts since one of Slughorn's memories from the days when Voldermort (then known as Tom Riddle) attended the school might be the key to capturing the evil-doer.
Alas, this will be the film where Harry almost completes his cycle of “wizard-hood” and almost realizes his “chosen one-ness,” trying to carry out Dumbledore's secret missions and hanging out in the corridors of Hogwarts like that of a popular jock -- don't forget, he's one of the cool kids now.
As for Hermione and Ron, they solely remain Harry's confidantes in this installation and will spare us the pleasure of watching the dynamics of teamwork since they won't be executing their own wizardry when their posse leader heads straight into trouble. Their only function will be to leave us hanging as we watch their growing crush for each other take the twisted but lovely turns of pubescent love -- some hearts will be broken and some potions will be mixed. This secondary storyline is exactly the kind of thing that's irritating about the Harry Potter films. For six years, the makers of the films have been building up this immense romantic tension between these two characters and consequently we get swarmed by their love-hate banter, always expecting some sort of step or minute closure that will take them into the next phase of a growing relationship. But no, they remain stagnant and only the forms of expression change with the predictable outcomes of their age. Every time, they give us a brilliantly executed build-up and leave us hanging without any kind of stand-alone satisfaction. What blasphemy; I'm going to have to watch the next film and continue my relationship just when I was hoping to break up.
Then again, “Half-Blood Prince” is not half bad, thanks to its grittier and darker tone, an amazing climactic scene involving Dumbledore and Harry getting cornered in a massive cave and the performances of its secondary characters. Jim Broadbent steals one particular scene with his hypnotizing performance, Frank Dillane and Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, who both portray different ages of Voldermort's youth, display a brilliant tone of sinisterness, Helena Bonham Carter is herself and that's enough, Michael Gambon is intelligently compassionate as ever and Alan Rickman seduces with his consistent moroseness, but it must be said that Tom Felton outshines himself as Draco Malfoy this time, as he is the only character who endures a worthy inner struggle that will place him in dire consequences. Honestly, I didn't care at all about Harry this time, but I almost cried when I saw Malfoy having to make the ultimate decision about who he will become. Does it really matter if we're the chosen one, when what really counts is who we choose to be?
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