Well, the pendulum has swung back round to the middle, ladies and gents. David Yates, in his Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, learned several good lessons from Prison of Azkaban director Alfonso Cuaron. Almost all the strengths which made me like the third film so much can be found in this fifth one, and though Phoenix does not quite achieve the excellence of Cuaron's work, it comes pretty darn close.
The entire film hinges on the vigorous unity of the screenplay. From beginning to end, the story flowed so well, it was almost as if it didn't require its predecessors. Phoenix stood on its own two feet, and didn't merely trickle along like The Goblet of Fire. Anything in the novel (the longest of all seven) which could possibly detract from this unity was ruthlessly cut. Though this did unfortunately result in some important omissions (Fred and George Weasley, for example, are not merely school-dropping bumpkins. They have plans for their lives which don't make it on screen), the film has an attractive concision. Despite a rather rushed atmosphere, it rolled along quite well.
Yates also tries really hard to maximize the strengths of his actors. Dan Radcliffe, for example, excels at playing a hero in torment but is not so successful at playing a flourishing one. So Yates makes the most of Harry's inner turmoil and Radcliffe shines as a result. The key to Grint's participation, however, is minimal dialogue. Though fascinating in the novels, in the movies Ron is at best a weak character, and at worst is downright despicable. Thus, Grint finds himself with fewer lines and a mercifully shorter haircut, both of which suit him well. Watson underplays the character of Hermione a tad; I suspect, however, that her retiring performance helps Radcliffe shine the brighter.
In the Phoenix, Michael Gambon is finally in his element. The need for an energetic and forceful Dumbledore suits him completely, far more the contemplative Dumbledore audiences have seen so far. And Imelda Staunton, the incredible British comedian, knocks my socks off as Dolores Umbridge. Fellow fans will also enjoy her performance because here, Staunton isn't just asked to make people laugh. She captures the cold heart beneath Umbridge's pink frills and the red-taped, ineffective methods of the Ministry of Magic. Staunton chills to the bones, and I highly applaud her acting abilities.
In addition, Yates has some of the best scenes I've encountered in the whole film series. The Sacking of Trelawny (excellently acted by Emma Thompson) sent chills up and down my spine. In that one scene, pages and pages of Harry's feelings in the book are expressed. And I get chills just thinking about the Possession scene where Harry resolves his internal conflict. The themes of the whole film are summed up when Harry looks at his friends while he's being tortured by Voldemort (this may be found here).
And with a final note, I turn to the film's composer, Nicholas Hooper. I have read complaints by people who wish Hooper had incorporated John Williams's signature "Hedwig Theme" more into the film. They are right in observing Hooper's move away from the famous theme, but they are most mistaken in saying it's a bad idea. The famous Hedwig Theme fits Harry's early years well enough, but as the story progresses, Potter needs something deeper, and more moving, though perhaps less flashy. This task Hooper fulfills exceptionally.
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