The Best British Actors are Hogwarts Professors

ABC Family has been showing a Harry Potter marathon on tv. This brings several things to mind, the first of which is that every. single. stinkin'. commercial. on ABC Family's Harry Potter Marathon is CHRISTMAS related. So irritating. Come on people -- not only is it not December yet, it's not even Thanksgiving. Have a little respect. And, seriously, how can you not get burned out on Christmas when you celebrate it for 6 solid weeks?


Secondly, and maybe more important for the post I'm about to write, is that while watching all these movies it is washing over me that pretty much every major British actor is a Hogwarts professor. I would bet that the Hogwarts professors collectively represent the most impressive assemblage of talent ever. Add in other miscellaneous grown-ups in the Harry Potter movies, and I'm sure of it.


Now, this is not a piece of insight that has gone unnoticed by others. So what can I add to the blogosphere on this point? You guessed it. I just really can't help myself when it comes to ranking things, so here I go with The very best Hogwarts professors as portrayed by the very best British actors.


1. Alan Rickman as Severus Snape. Not only is he amazingly funny and sexy and entertaining in this role, but he just really "gets" the character of Snape. Rickman has embodied the evilness and pain so thoroughly I can hardly remember the way I imagined this character in my mind before Rickman took it over. He is and will always be Snape.



2. Jim Broadbent as Horace Slughorn. Mesmerizing. I can't seem to tear my eyes from Slughorn anytime he is onscreen -- which is, unfortunately far too seldom. His performance is touching and funny, charming and vulnerable; its not even that he makes Slughorn likeable, but just so damned compelling. He makes me love Slughorn in a way I never thought I would.


3. Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagal. She has it all. Great accent. Distance. Harshness masking a deep level of care. Brusk and brilliant, McGonagal has to be one of the best Harry Potter characters ever. And Smith is, as always, just flawless in her acting.

4. David Thewlis as Professor Lupin. As with Rickman/Snape, Thewlis inhabits this role in a very special way. He makes Lupin extremely appealing and sympathetic with a tremendous warm charm. I long for more of him in the movies -- but the character is unfortunately underutilized.



5.  Richard Harris as Dumbledore I. By far the better of the two Dumbledores, Harris has the lightness and wisdom down in this fleeting flitting sort of role. I don't think the physical requirements of Dumbledore are really possible for a human actor -- old and frail but light and sprightly, long and skinny, quick and sharp. Harris comes as close as you can get.

6. Emma Thompson as Sybill Trelawney. This is one of those rare cases when an actor makes the role better on screen than it ever was in the book. Emma Thompson is perfection as a sparkly, huge-eyed, nervous mystic. She is brilliant.





7. Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid. Coltrane's best contribution to Hagrid is his voice. I hear him every time I think of Hagrid or read Rowling's words. Coltrane has the innocent monster thing in droves. Hagrid is one of the best things about Harry Potter and seeing him brought to life so well is priceless.





8. Brendan Gleeson as Mad Eye Moody. Mad Eye is a very strange sort of fellow. Not exactly cool, not exactly likeable, definitely scary and hard to understand. Gleeson manages to bring all of that to the forefront and deal well with the duality of not even really being Mad Eye, but an impostor. His performance is funny and powerful. Excellent.

9. Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge. It is hard to even write the word "Umbridge" without a shudder. So much evil and cruelty packed into one tiny little sugarcoated body. Staunton is perfectly hateable.


 
10. Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart. Branagh's take on Lockhart was not what I was expecting; I had something totally different in mind when I read the book. His idea was better. Much better. Such smarmyness. Such glibness. So smooth and ridiculous. Exceptionally well done!

11. Michael Gambon as Dumbledore II. I am a big fan of Michael Gambon. Just not a big fan of him as Dumbledore. That said, his performances in these movies are wonderful. They just don't convey "Dumbledore" to me. Still, they do convey a very impressive wizard who I have actually come to like a great deal anyway (if that makes sense).


12. Warwick Davis as Filius Flitwick. The movie-makers did a strange thing to Warwick Davis & Flitwick -- they made him old; then they made him young. They even made him a choir director. Davis is exceptional because in all of these different iterations he is good! and enjoyable to watch.


13. Gemma Jones as Madam Pomfrey. Great actress! Pretty minimal role. Poppy never really gets to shine in the movies, though Gemma is so lovely and engaging, when she is around she always sparkles.




14. Zoe Wanamaker as Madam Hooch. Even these really small parts like Hooch and Sprout get great performances in the movies. Wanamaker is exactly how I pictured Madam Hooch. She embodies butch gym teacher -- I guess that exists even in the wizarding world.

15. Miriam Margolyes as Professor Sprout. And finally Professor Sprout. Not a whole lot for Margolyes to do; but glad she is here to round out the team.

Downton Abbey Finale: "If you're turning American on me, I'll go downstairs."

Exceeding all my wildest hopes and expectations, the final episode of Downton Abbey came ripping across my television screen.  With a powerful finish to the season that was sexy, dramatic, touching, and surprising, and which cast class gulfs into very sharp relief, it was as if the producers of this series set out to make my Downton dreams come true. (Not surprisingly, we also learn this week in the news that there will be a third series, so I am revving up for more Downton dreams already).

SPOILERS WARNING -- for Series (Season) 2 of Downton Abbey, Final Episode. Please beware and stop reading now if you don't want to know how things end.

Of the myriad aspects of the world of Granthams, perhaps the best and most continually interesting is the interplay of class on class. In this last episode, several story lines dealt head on with the shattering of social barriers after WWI.

And none did it better than the storyline of maid Ethel's "bastard" baby. Would she give her fatherless baby to the dead man's parents to raise in the upper reaches of society? This could be a hard story to sell to a modern audience which would understandably be thinking: "of course that baby should stay with its mother." But Downton Abbey does a great job of making this seem like the dilemma it would most certainly have been. The benefits to that child of being raised with money, position and name -- versus living in poverty with an unwed mother in 1919 or 1920 are substantial beyond our ability to really imagine. It appears by the end of this episode that Ethel will keep her child, citing the shocking idea that a child is best off with its mother.

Also dancing around class divisions, Sybil's continuing attachment to the chauffeur and desire to marry him is a show stopper early on.  The scene where Sybil declares to her family that she will marry Branson was extraordinarily done, full of wonderful acting. Even though by modern standards, this may not be earth-shattering stuff, Lord and Lady Grantham sell it as such. You can really feel the level of abomination that is felt by both the Granthams and by the people below stairs by this attachment. Mr. Carson's vehement: "have you no shame?" to Branson is tremendous. Neither side of the divide feels it easy or desirable to jump across that gulf.

I also really appreciate that here, Lord Grantham finally draws a line to his liberality. He is a character that continually surprises with his ability to be big and forgiving, respectful of subordinates, and open in his views, almost to the point that he doesn't feel real. He needed to take strong exception to Sybil's plans in order to be believable as an aristocrat. I'm glad he did. And when, for once, it is his American-born wife, Lady Grantham, who expresses a softer, more understanding sentiment toward her daughter, he has the great line: "If you're turning American on me, I'll go downstairs."

Speaking of great one-liners, the Dowager Countess Violet (Maggie Smith) can't be outdone and has a very nice one to Lady Edith who is moping about her sister's good luck in love and her own forlorn state. Says Violet: "Don't be defeatist dear; its very middle class."

Meanwhile, two of the most popular couples on the show: Mary & Matthew and Anna & Bates both have excitingly sexy moments.

Mary and Matthew share a dance, a declaration of feelings and even a kiss in a very romantic moment in a darkened downstairs hall. I'd forgotten how much I like the two of them together. It is all wonderful until Matthew's lovely fiance Lavinia spoils it by showing up and then later being noble about it all, and then later still, dying. (I knew someone would have to die of the Spanish flu and I am glad it wasn't Cora). It was right and proper for Lavinia to remove herself in this way, though this will not appear to make things any better for Matthew at present as he is now torn up by grief and guilt. We'll have to wait till next season to see if he can overcome those feelings before Mary marries the icky Richard.

Even better than Mary and Matthew kissing, has to be Bates and Anna getting married! This is almost too much; I couldn't have hoped for seeing that -- let alone seeing them together in a bed. Oh yeah. What? Bates being hauled away on a murder charge related to his ex-wife's suicide at the end. I'm OK with that. We certainly saw it coming and at least he got to have one night with Anna first....

This is the episode that just kept on giving. As if Mary & Matthew and Anna & Bates weren't enough, we get Lord Grantham and new maid Jane in some serious embraces -- are you kidding me! Can't believe they almost got down and dirty. They somehow make this cliche idea unbelievably touching. It doesn't feel like a cliche when it comes to Lord Grantham because he is so "not like that". Their scenes are hot and also very sad. Especially later as she tells him goodbye:

"Will you be happy?"
"I have no right to be unhappy. Which is almost the same."

So glad she left and they didn't get caught together. It can just be a slightly evil, but meaningful and tender relationship -- a moment of romantic excitement but not more. And am even more glad that all seems to be well again between he and Cora because they really are a great pair. LG deserves a bit of excitement; he's been such a great character this season, almost unseating Bates for the title of the unexpectedly appealing and surprisingly sexy heartthrob.

And to just bring everything round we have Thomas being helpful and obliging, and O'Brien being penitent -- though neither without ulterior motives I expect.

And by the end, Lord Grantham gives his blessing to Sybil and Branson, while Violet's words still ring in my ears:

"The aristocracy has not survived by its intransigence."

The Best British Period Drama of All Time

Because I am an idiot and was spending all my time thinking about what I was going to vote for, I missed my actual opportunity to vote in Anglophenia's poll of the Best British TV Drama of All Time.

It's just as well really, because I somehow failed to notice that the poll was for best TV Drama. My brain somehow read that as best "Period Drama". Wishful thinking I suppose. So, my ultimate choice, which I gave a lot of pointless thought to, was a period drama that is not a TV show but a movie!

However, since I stood ready to justify it to Anglophenia, I will justify it now to you. My thoroughly biased and unscientific decision about the best British period drama of all time: Gosford Park.

This will come as a surprise to anyone who knows how much I love Jane Austen. Why, when there are so many incredible Austen adaptations, would I not choose one of them? I think Gosford Park wins in large part for the reason that it is NOT an adaptation. Whereas Jane Austen adaptations (or any other literary adaptation) stands or falls in part on the merits of the book. Austen adaptations are brilliant because Austen was brilliant -- her work then molded and compressed and made to fit the modern audience and modern format that is either TV or film -- while Gosford Park is brilliant and whole entirely on its own strengths.

What I mean to say is that, written and produced as a period drama specifically for film, Gosford Park feels complete as the expression of an artistic vision brought perfectly to life as it was imagined.

When I think of something that is visually superb, evocative of a particular time period, impeccably acted, witty, fresh and beautifully directed and filmed, I cannot think of anything that, on the whole, outshines Gosford Park. Its social commentary, emotional pull and great character-driven plot provide layers of viewing interest. The juxtaposition of class structure on top of a clever murder mystery was a stroke of brilliance.

And the cast has to be one of the best assembled ensembles I've ever seen.  Anything with Maggie Smith AND Helen Mirren in it gets big time points. Claudie Blakely (also of He Knew He Was Right, Lark Rise to Candleford and the 2005 Pride and Prejudice film) is fast becoming one of my all time favorite British actresses. Her performances are always heartfelt, deep, earnest and likeable. And don't even get me started on Michael Gambon, Jeremy Northam and Clive Owen.

So there it is: the answer to the question that nobody asked!


"The Best British Period Drama of All Time." LostinBritishTV

The Five Best Things About Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows.

A short time ago I posted my thoughts on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2. After watching it a second time, I found a few more things to love, so I decided to update my list and make it an "even" Five Things I Loved About Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The first three I already mentioned in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows is Excellent, but the Ending is A Little Disappointing

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1. Neville Longbottom became a god. Seriously, this kid gets some great moments and it means so much having seen where he came from in this series. So proud of Neville!

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 2. Alan Rickman demonstrates extraordinary acting talent. His gift is stunning. The voice, the timing, the emotion. I will never be able to think of Snape without seeing Rickman's performance in my head. His acting was magical. 

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3. Professor McGonagall makes one excellent badass. Nuff said.

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4. Michael Gambon redeemed himself completely as Dumbledore. So the thing is, Dumbledore, as written in the books, is a quirky, brilliant, light, sparkly, childlike, secretive, sweet and deep character. In the first two Harry Potter movies, I thought  Richard Harris was great at expressing these qualities. Michael Gambon is a fantastic actor, but when he took over the role in the third movie after the death of Harris, I don't think he really understood Dumbledore. I didn't like where he took him. In some scenes he was downright intense and angry -- something Dumbledore just isn't. Here, Gambon, in the sequence at Kings' Cross and in the pensieve, finally brings the kind of Dumbledore I've been longing for from him. 

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 5. Ciaran Hinds as Aberforth Dubledore. He so effectively suggested the sibling relationship between Aberforth and Albus, I was half convinced through most of the movie that Michael Gambon was playing both roles. Nice work.

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6. Jim Broadbent. OK, I know he only gets about 30 seconds of screen time in this  movie, but whenever he is in the field of view I am mesmerized. He makes Professor Slughorn one of my all time favorite Potter characters.

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7. Just deserving a brief mention (yes, I see that I am up to 7 now; I am not very good at holding myself to my rules), is Helena Bonham Carter's Hermione on Polyjuice Potion as Belatrix. She was hilarious.

Unfortunately the ending of this movie is still a let down. From the beginning of the movie, up to about the point where Neville confronts Voldemort, this is a wonderful film, but then it just starts to feel disappointing. Too much attention is placed on powerful special effects and spectacle and the underlying human, er wizard, story gets lost.

I'm unhappy that Snape is never publicly vindicated. And that no one is around to witness Voldemort's downfall. Even the duel between Molly Weasley and Belatrix LeStrange felt flat and unexciting. Further, we wanted to see some house elves fighting!

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is Excellent but the Ending is A Little Disappointing.

Just went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 yesterday. Overall I enjoyed it, but have to agree with my 12 year old's assessment: it was really good, but I was a little disappointed. Please take care about the SPOILERS that follow.

(By the way, after seeing the movie a second time, I added to my list of great things about the movie, in
The Five Best Things About Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)
 

The best things for me about the movie were: (1) the very cool performance of Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom. One of the high points of the last novel was the way Neville transformed and became a leader at Hogwarts. Lewis' performance was perfect - exactly what he needed to be and all the better for being unexpected from this, excuse me, but previously rather geeky kid. He looks great covered in blood. He's confident, excessively brave and loyal. Neville rocks.

(2)The performance of Alan Rickman as Snape. This is nothing new; he is always amazing, but in this final installment, he gets a chance to really show full dimensions to Snape -- everything we have been denied before -- and he does it perfectly. The scene where Snape is cradling Lily's body and mourning [yes, I know, not in the book], gives me shivers. One of the highlights of my reading the book had been the poignant friendship and sad unrequited love between Lily and Snape. I have been looking forward, for a long time, to seeing their relationship play out in vignettes in the pensieve. Although not really a "couple," Snape and Lily are one of the best couples ever and I wish there could have been even more time in the movie devoted to this story. I was so glad to enjoy the superior skill of Rickman to flesh out that relationship. I looked forward to this the most about the movie and I was not disappointed.

(3) The performance of Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall. It was wonderful to see almost all the Hogwarts' Professors get at least a brief screen moment to reprise their roles. And was thrilled that Maggie Smith was able to show her powerful wizardry skill and duel with Snape. She makes a really cool badass. My only regret is that my favorite exchange in the book, between Harry and McGonagall was not included in the movie.

"We shall secure the school against He Who Must Not Be Named while you search for this - this object."
"Is that possible."
"I think so," said Professor McGonagall dryly, "we teachers are rather good at magic, you know."

Being a great fan of the books, I always notice when the Potter movies depart from them. But I also completely understand this. I find it more interesting to think about why the writers and director may have made the choices they did (such as to eliminate the scene with the Carrows in Ravenclaw Tower or the absence of the house elves from the final battles) rather than nitpick about what they could have done better. It has to be incredibly hard to adapt a powerfully loved (and very long) book to the screen and they usually do a wonderful job of making difficult choices and making it work. But in this installment I was disappointed by the ending and its departure from the book in one key point.

As it is written, the final duel plays out between Harry and Voldemort in the great hall in a very public way -- with death eaters, professors, students, and members of the Order of the Phoenix all around. The movie chose to make this final duel more of a private confrontation between Voldemort and Harry. I think it was a mistake. One of the best parts of the book is when Harry starts calling Voldemort by his birth name after the horcruxes are destroyed and Harry knows he has the upper hand.

"You don't learn from your mistakes, Riddle, do you."
"You dare ---"
"Yes, I dare," said Harry. "I know things you don't know, Tom Riddle."

In this scene Harry takes a great liberty and gives a great insult. It needs to be public.

The point of this duel should be to establish how the wand lore mattered, to show publicly that "Tom" is now just a man - a mortal, and that he could be killed; it should establish, publicly, how Dumbledore died and it should vindicate Snape's memory.

Moreover, I think it was important for this scene to (for the sake of wizarding future) allow Harry's actions to unfold in front of witnesses so that no one holds Harry up as a demi-God, to let the community allow him be just a man too at the end of all this. The book's portrayal of that last final confrontation was already perfect. I regret that I wasn't able to see it filmed.

My younger son asked: "do you think anyone else will make a Harry Potter movie." So sad. He and I both felt robbed of the proper climax for this series. I'll have to read that section of the book aloud to establish its place back in our memories.


"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is Excellent But the Ending is Disappointing."  LostinBritishTV