Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince July 15, 2009

Genre: Fantasy/Adventure
Australian Release Date: 15th July, 2009
Rating: M
Length: 153 mins
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman, Tom Felton & Helen McCrory
Directed By: David Yates
Soundtrack: Nicholas Hooper & John Williams

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth film in the Harry Potter franchise is everything it is supposed to be and more. At least as far as it goes as a film on it’s own. For me to compare it to the book, I would have to either go back in time five years to when it was first released, at which time I devoured it in less than two days, or read it again, which somehow now seems like a chore i’d rather not undertake. There’s only so much time for reading after all, and there are way too many vampire novels waiting anxiously for me to read them! In saying it’s great as a film on it’s own however, I do mean as a group of films, as I was told by my dutiful boyfriend who saw the film with me, it made absolutely no sense to someone who hasn’t seen the first five films, or read any of the novels.

The first two hours of the two and a half hour film seem to be focused more around teenage hormones than any real story line or action sequence, however I had no problem with this at all except for the fact that I now wish desperately to go back to school and my teenage years and feel those feelings again myself! The sexual tension between the characters is overwhelming, however in true Harry Potter style (even though there is an M rating) we only get to see little bouts of “snogging” and sexual innuendo that’s at least laughable, leaving you feeling as uncomfortable about the situation as the characters themselves.

As always, the visual effects are amazing. The use of dark, monotonous tones and sombre music are a constant reminder that in Harry’s World all is not well, and there is a consistent feeling of impending doom throughout. I can’t wait for the next two films, due for release in 2010 and 2011, although I must say, given that we all know what happens, I am a little bit scared and reluctant to let go of so many characters that we’ve grown to love. I fear the impact of seeing the emotions played out by the actors will be far greater than it was reading it in the book.

Don’t take little kids to see this film. There were parts where even I had to restrain myself from screaming!

-nome5tar

Love Actually – Very Romantic. Very Comedy. July 12, 2009

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Australian Release Date: 6th November, 2003

Rating: M15+

Length: 129 mins

Starring: Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightley, Martine McCutcheon, Bill Nighy & Rowan Atkinson

Directed By: Richard Curtis

Soundtrack: Craig Armstrong

Love Actually is a 2003, multi-award winning British comedy from the makers of Four Weddings, Bridget Jones and Notting Hill, that, lets face it, you more than likely have already seen for yourself! If you haven’t seen it or at least heard of it, you’ve either been living under a rock, or consider yourself too macho to watch a romantic comedy, or anything with Hugh Grant in the lead cast for that matter.

Watching this film for the upteenth time, I fell in love all over again. I’m not sure if it had anything to do with my current infatuation with British comedy, or my pre-existing infatuation with Colin Firth, but either way this film lives up to all the hype it received at the time of its release. The story is one that will forever remain relevant to the lives of all who watch it, a story about love, relationships and the human condition, Love Actually takes us on a turbulent journey through the ups and downs we all face on a daily basis.

The all star cast do a fabulous job and you are guaranteed to find yourself laughing and crying in the one breath as the relationships between the characters are slowly revealed. An honourable mention must go to Martine McCutcheon for her portrayal of rough around the edges Natalie. I personally hadn’t heard of or seen the singer/actress before this film, however her performance stood out to me amoungst that of the rest of the stellar cast as particularly entertaining. I am surprise not to have heard more from her in the years that followed.

The soundtrack to this film, compiled by Craig Armstrong was fantastic! Trying to set the scene for a Christmas film it was reasonable to allow a few Christmas carols here and there, but a mix of these, modern songs and some retro classics, such as The Pointers Sisters “Jump” helped to transform this film into one of my favourite feel-good comedies of all time.

-nome5tar