So, I went to see the first installment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

I think this first installment remains quite true to the book and the production is really excellent as usual.  All the HP films have got darker as the story has progressed and this film is no exception.  I enjoyed the film and the time certainly flew by but there is a sense of dissatisfaction at the conclusion and I think this stems from the fact that the film is incomplete.  All the previous books – and I don’t think this is the biggest of the series – have all been distilled into one film so that there is a sense of completeness at the end of each film.  Obviously with this story we now have to wait another 7 or 8 months for that conclusion to arrive.  I think that splitting the book in this way has undoubtedly allowed the producers to add in a lot more detail but some parts of the film do feel a little bit drawn out.  And, conversely, I’m not sure how well the whole issue of the search for the Horcruxes or even what they are is particularly well explained.  Obviously a lot of people watching will have read the books and will need no explanation but I don’t know how well this would come across to somebody who has not already read the story.  I could be wrong though.

That being said I do love all the HP films and this one is no exception.  I will definitely go to see it again and I would recommend it to anyone.  There is just always such a lot to see.

Definite must see and can’t wait for the final instalment.

Books and films.  I have a few rules, for example – never run after a man or a bus!  One of my other unwritten rules is not being able to read a book  if I’ve already seen the film – it just spoils it for me.  Apart from the fact that you would already know the ending I just like to have my own vision of the characters and the landscape.  Once you’ve seen the film you wouldn’t be able to read the book without seeing the actors who starred.  Also, if you read the book first you have the inside track on people’s thoughts, motivations, feelings, etc, and this doesn’t always translate over into film.

The contradiction to this rule is the Harry Potter series of books.  I never read the first 4 of these books, but, I did watch the films and became quite enamoured with them.  The first is definitely not my favourite film and if you look back through the films you can see the difference in quality.  The last film is really well produced and the attention to detail is phenomenal.  Having watched the first three films I did then decide to pick up the fifth, sixth and seventh book and it’s really great that I was able to pick up these books and just read as though I’d read from the beginning and I think this is actually a testament to the films.  And, I actually didn’t mind having a preconceived idea of how things and people looked! So there you go… so much for my rules! (made to be broken hey)

My favourite of the films so far is the Prisoner of Azkaban – and I love Gary Oldman in this film.

JK Rowling has got such a terrific imagination. I hope she writes something else soon!!  Eagerly awaiting the last two films.