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sheydel
Reviews
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Uhhhhhh........what happened?
Okay, I just purchased the DVD, Widescreen edition, and watched it on my 52" flat-panel........and I have absolutely no idea what happened in this version of the novel. I turned all the lights off (had to), watched on the big-screen, and still could not see more than 50% of the movie. Why do directors think that the only way to impart mystery and drama is to turn out all the lights on the set? Honest, most of the movie was lost due to the utter absence of lighting of the scenes. Is it too much to ask that the viewer actually be able to SEE the movie?
After "Order of the Phoenix" and this, someone please, PLEASE stop David Yates before he manages to mangle "Deathly Hallows".
Elizabeth (2000)
"Mistaken Identity?"
Methinks the previous Commenter has mistaken this documentary on the life of Elizabeth Tudor with the Cate Blanchett theatrical release "Elizabeth". While the Blackett movie played fast-and-loose with many, many historical facts, it was pretty to look at and, as a big fan of Tudor English history, at least it gave some exposure to the period. This version is not a drama (well, of course Elizabeth's life WAS a drama, wasn't it?), but rather a biographical presentation. It is done with actors (unlike "In Search of Shakespeare", using entirely modern settings), most of whom, in generally non-speaking roles, convey the atmosphere of the period. It is quite well done and, though much of the period is greatly open to interpretation, historically accurate. As it should be, being not a drama but a documentary. If your taste is for scripted drama about Elizabeth Tudor, I would still highly recommend the 6-part BBC series, Elizabeth R (with Glenda Jackson). A very good telling of the history, but fleshed out with dialog.