I saw The Guard because I was curious as to why Don Cheadle would star in a film with Brendan Gleeson and a number of Irish actors. Cheadle is very selective in his roles and always delivers a thoughtful and convincing performance. The idea of an American/Irish odd couple story could be mishandled by a daft screenwriter but this film must have had something about it to catch Cheadle’s interest. Most audience member seemed to enjoy the film wholeheartedly. The dialogue was witty, the characters were compelling and the story was memorable. Two disparate personalities, forced to unite in order …
Brock and the Deathly Hallows (2/2)
On one hand, this final film is far better than the disappointing book upon which it is based and it redeems its predecessor. Nobody will claim that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II will evoke the same emotions as classic series like Star Wars but a late-night screening at the Varsity Cinemas ended amicably, without any audience member feeling compelled to vandalize the theatre in rage or inspired by fierce apathy to set the screen ablaze. The film does its job — no more, no less. The hero mythology resolves itself adequately. Harry must face his past, his …
Brock and the Deathly Hallows (1/2)
As innovative as J.K. Rowling’s books have proven themselves over the years – pairing a self-contained universe which parallels Star Wars in terms of detail and scope with fictional characters struggling with the same obstacles as their real life counterparts – they have also hosted a number of flaws. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I may attempt to tell an epic tale but it is ultimately tripped up by archetypal characters and lazy narrative techniques. It is somewhat ironic that Hermione Grange constantly espouses the benefits of the logic throughout the film only to be let down by …
Brock and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince may be the funniest film in the series although it could have done more to assume its intended place as the saddest one to date. As usual, it’s a very well produced film. Direction is somewhat atypical, but the odd camera angles seem appropriate. The actors do excellent work, especially Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman, and Michael Gambon. Almost everyone could screen this film and enjoy themselves, as shown by a nearly $160 million opening weekend gross and an 84% Rotten Tomatoes Rating. However, The Half-Blood Prince disappoints in a way that foreshadows what made …
Brock and the Order of the Phoenix
Not seeking to discuss how to get a high percentage shot in seven seconds or less over the summer, I viewed the new Harry Potter film over the weekend. Although the logical holes that plagued the book remain, it proves to be an enjoyable two and a half hours. Several strong performances carry the film, excluding the highly skilled actors who showed less emotional range than Transformers’ Optimus Prime. Imelda Staunton plays the role of the officious and self-important Dolores Umbridge perfectly. It is easy to relate to the film because everyone has had to deal with the intrusive administrator …
Harry Potter and Leadership
Harry Potter becomes a Quiddich coach in The Half-Blood Prince and does a decent job. I found his tryouts somewhat uninspiring; he should have brought a practice plan. Choosing his keeper based on five penalty shots – an extremely unreliable sample size – was asking for trouble, but it worked out in the end. Before the first match, I thought Harry was setting up Weasley to be Rafael Palmeiro. However, tricking his keeper into thinking he had taken performance enhancing drugs was quite the ruse. A lot of sport is mental as opposed to physical; sensing that Ron was prone …