When the news of director Chris Columbus departing came about, I was a bit skeptical as to who would helm the third movie or potentially take over the franchise. As the news of director Alfonso Cuaron was discovered, I thought, at the time, I have not heard of this guy except he directed the 1995 version of A Little Princess, which is an underrated and fantastic children's movie. When I first saw the movie when I was an adolescent, I thought it was a pretty good movie but not better than the first two. Now, as I progressed with my age and I matured over the years, I watched the movie a few more times over the years and the movie has grown on me as Cuaron's signature filmmaking style and vibrant cinematography took over the magical world of Hogwarts. And, out of all of the movies, I can make the case that this movie is probably the most accurate representation of the magical world of Hogwarts depicted on-screen. It felt like a Harry Potter movie when I can insert most of the scenes from the movie to connect to the images pictured in my mind when reading the book.
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| Expecto Patronum! |
Harry reunites with his best friends, Hermione and Ron (Emma Watson and Rupert Grint), as they fight over their pets. Harry learns from Mr. Weasley (Mark Williams) that Sirius Black, a convicted supporter of Voldemort, who allegedly killed Harry's parents, has escaped Azkaban who is on a quest to kill Harry.
The trio are on the Hogwarts Express on the way to Hogwarts and all of a sudden, the train stops when suddenly, the dementors board on the train who are searching for Sirius. One enters their compartment who sucks Harry's soul causing him to pass out and New Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Remus Lupin (David Thewlis) repels it with a Patronus Charm. At Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) warns every student that dementors will be guarding the school searching for Sirius.
Later, as the Fat Lady's portrait, which guards the Gryffindor quarters, is found scratched and empty, they search for her and found her in another painting and she reveals that Sirius Black has entered the castle. The teachers lock the castle and assemble every student in the Great Hall and as Harry is "sleeping", Snape (Alan Rickman) and Dumbledore discuss whether or not Harry should know about the secret about Sirius and Dumbeldore declines Snape's request.
Vibrance and luminescence captures the essence of what this third installment of the franchise is presenting. Each frame of this movie is significantly and more visually stunning than the first two movies as the movie, thanks to Cuaron's signature filmmaking and energy, follows all the three main characters onto their classes, to Hagrid's hut and to investigate what is going on with Ron's pet rat, Scabbers and a large dog towards the end of the movie as we learn why Sirius was imprisoned in Azkaban in the first place. It is all thanks to cinematographer Michael Seresin for illuminating the enchantment from the book onto the screen. For me, it was the first time that I thought that the look is exactly what represents Harry Potter as a novel.
At the time, I, as a young adult, was criticizing the visual effects but today, in comparison to the first two movies, I think they are precisely stunning in its intricate work of the dementors, the creatures and the other stylized sequences especially the haunting and rainy Quidditch match when Harry's soul is sucked out causing him to pass out and almost fall straight to the ground. It is the details in this movie that is fantastic from Aunt Marge blowing up to the moment in which the guys are having candy to the sequence of Hagrid's lesson regarding Buckbeak the Hippogriff as Harry takes a ride on him, which is visually the best part of the movie.
Even though the filmmakers had the challenge to condense the film to their appropriate running time, I think Cuaron and the screenwriter Steve Kloves did a great job to putting which magical and contextual scenes should be in the final draft to make the movie more organized and concise. To me, it is the most concise and pristine movie of the franchise because there is not one scene that feels out of place in relevance to the world and to the main plot.
This is also the first movie that starts to mature as the franchise gets more interesting and darker as the story regarding Harry's past is unravelling as we know who Sirius Black is. This movie balances well, like the second movie, magical artistry with fantastic storytelling, combining the plot with the visuals in such delicate buoyancy. Also, the balance is supported by John Williams' fantastic score which I think that the scene with Sirius and Harry talking to each other before Sirius flies away with Buckbeak in the climactic time-travel sequence is the best use of music in the Harry Potter franchise besides the ending in the Sorcerer's Stone and Deathly Hallows Part II.
It is a shame he could not compose more music in the franchise after the third movie. Director Alfonso Cuaron is a visionary director and his reputation is definitely noticed in the film with his direction, organization and visual magic. If you had initial lukewarm or somewhat disappointing reactions to this movie because of the first two, watch the movie and pay attention to how fully orchestrated this third movie is. It is a remarkable movie.
****
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