the list of now

As much as I love film and have a great, great love for several favorite films in particular, my obsession and connection with music runs an entire level deeper.  I am not exaggerating when I say the the use of music and excellent sound cues contributes so much to my experience watching a film, it often can make the most memorable moments for me.

I don’t know about anyone else, but the use of an additional song for a Harry Potter film came as a big surprise in a franchise that has largely been instrumentally scored.  Even though I have appreciated many of the musical choices in the scores of the other films, the moment where Harry and Hermione danced in this film kind of blew me away.  It was a really sweet moment to begin with, but additionally, the choice of song was unconventional and one that I really enjoyed.

I’ve long been a fan of Nick Cave.   I’m drawn to his lyrical explorations of darkness and light, isolation, spiritual and religious iconography and themes.   This song is no exception.

I thought I would post the full lyrics for anyone not familiar.  This is a song about children being abandoned, lost, forced to grow up too quickly, having to navigate a dangerous and sinister world and having no one to trust.  To me it’s also about freedom and survival.  The potential of making your own way, remaking the world and finding small moments of joy in otherwise dire circumstances.  I really can’t think of anything more appropriate to the story of this particular book and film.

You can hear a live version of it posted here on my blip.fm channel.

“O Children”, from the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds double album: Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus (2004)

Pass me that lovely little gun
My dear, my darling one
The cleaners are coming, one by one
You don’t even want to let them start

They are knocking now upon your door
They measure the room, they know the score
They’re mopping up the butcher’s floor
Of your broken little heart

O children

Forgive us now for what we’ve done
It started out as a bit of fun
Here, take these before we run away
The keys to the gulag

O children
Lift up your voice, lift up your voice
Children
Rejoice, rejoice

Here comes Frank and poor old Jim
They’re gathering round with all my friends
We’re older now, the light is dim
And you are only just beginning

O children

We have the answer to all your fears
It’s short, it’s simple, it’s crystal clear
It’s round about, it’s somewhere here
Lost amongst our winnings

O children
Lift up your voice, lift up your voice
Children
Rejoice, rejoice

The cleaners have done their job on you
They’re hip to it, man, they’re in the groove
They’ve hosed you down, you’re good as new
And they’re lining up to inspect you

O children

Poor old Jim’s white as a ghost
He’s found the answer that we lost
We’re all weeping now, weeping because
There ain’t nothing we can do to protect you

O children
Lift up your voice, lift up your voice
Children
Rejoice, rejoice

Hey little train! We’re all jumping on
The train that goes to the Kingdom
We’re happy, Ma, we’re having fun
And the train ain’t even left the station

Hey, little train! Wait for me!
I once was blind but now I see
Have you left a seat for me?
Is that such a stretch of the imagination?

Hey little train! Wait for me!
I was held in chains but now I’m free
I’m hanging in there, don’t you see
In this process of elimination

Hey little train! We’re all jumping on
The train that goes to the Kingdom
We’re happy, Ma, we’re having fun
It’s beyond my wildest expectation

Hey little train! We are all jumping on
The train that goes to the Kingdom
We’re happy, Ma, we’re having fun
And the train ain’t even left the station

I’m going to go with a resounding YES.  After having a week to process, I’m still very taken by it, as much as I was walking out of the theater.  I really can’t wait to see it again.  I thought the script was tighter and paced better than any of the other films.  The direction was simply excellent, especially in terms of choosing what to emphasize in a film that easily could have gone either way into overly creepy paranoia or just total dragging, boring, waiting for action to happen!  And the acting… while it makes sense that the cast would keep topping past performances, this was beyond what I expected from them!  The emotion and variances of chemistry between the trio were especially compelling, both as close friends (really a kind of family) who would risk everything for one another and playing off the tension between Ron and Hermione’s romantic feelings.  All of this contributed to the overall tone of the film.

Of course I have favorite parts that I will now list:

- The seven potters. Oh man, EVERY single part of this scene was spot on!   It was funny, tense and the effects looked spotless.  Brendan Gleeson totally stole that scene and delivered on everything his role was worth as Mad-Eye.  It was a fitting farewell to that character.

- Harry and Hermione dancing. And to a Nick Cave song, bonus points for that!  This was a special little added touch for the film that wasn’t in the book.  It’s just so lovely.  Harry is suitably loving and goofy, trying to cheer her up when Ron leaves.  It didn’t feel inappropriately romantic or forced.  I absolutely loved it.   It was also a little bittersweet, since she manages to smile and laugh through her sadness for a few moments, but they both know it won’t stick.

- The ministry scene. It was so well executed.  This scene could have been a total clusterfuck, but they pulled it off masterfully!   There is so much going on here in the book and for the film, they somehow managed to boil it down to the absolute essentials and for clarity-sake, keep it from jumping around too much.  The actors portraying Harry, Ron and Hermione in disguise were excellent at their mannerisms, down to Dan Radcliffe’s tendency to be a bit stiff in his movements and walk.

This was one of only a couple of parts where I did really miss emphasized details from the book.  Harry taking Mad-Eye’s eye back from Umbridge, the absolute panic and guilt that the trio has when they realize they are putting the real people they are disguising themselves as (and their loved ones) in danger and some of the more disturbing and sinister descriptions and overall disorientation really added to the suspense of that scene for me when I was reading it.   In the end, I agree with the streamlining choices they made for the film and found it effective.   However, I’m a nerdy fangirl and would be lying if I didn’t admit there are moments that I pine a little bit for the version in my minds-eye from the books.

- Two words: Shadow Puppets. The story of the Deathly Hallows.  I mean, what more is there to say?  It was exceptional.  Was anyone expecting anything like this?  It was the perfect choice.  It was a tiny animated film in itself.  It was perfect.

- Destroying the locket. The actual fight with the horcrux was just a whole lot larger than I had imagined.  Having not expecting that, I thought it really worked.

A few other little notes:

- The casting on Bill Weasley was right on! He looked related to the rest of the clan and was suitably attractive in a “leader of a grunge band in 1994″ way that was literally exactly how I had imagined him.

- Speaking of … that long-hair, glamrock-ish lead snatcher guy was cool.

- Ron saying “Babbity – Rabbity” just about kills me. Thinking about this now makes me giggle.

- The death-eaters, especially the Malfoys, all seemed suitably terrified and anxious about everything going on. Which just makes sense.  Except for Bellatrix who is supposed to just be vicious and unhinged always.  I thought that Helena scaled her character down a bit this time, and to the benefit of the characterization.  She seemed more serious, and therefore, more actually threatening not just manic.  I was pleased with this.

Was there anything I didn’t love about the film?  Yup.

- The house elves just never really work for me. I do think they did far better in this one than in the second film.  I also liked how they worked Dobby into the Kreacher scene to conveniently tie up the loose ends.  I think the house elves were something that was just not ever going to translate to screen in a way that I think looks believable.  I think they did the best they possibly could, but it still just doesn’t work for me the way that 3-D never seems special or worth it to me.

-Not enough Neville. Ok, so this is not really a valid complaint because he wasn’t at all in the first part of the book.  I just really love Neville and wish their could be a spin-off parallel mini-series where we go back and get to see all the Neville parts that were missing from the films and then some.  Because he rocks.

- That I could not immediately watch the second part was kind of a downer. As was to be expected and as it should be, really.  Doesn’t mean it didn’t suck a little bit to walk out of the theater and want more more more, now now now!  Again, not the most valid complaint.

I think I’ve exhausted this topic now.  What would be on your list of favorite parts?  Is there anything you felt didn’t work that I missed?  And am I right?  Is it the best of the films so far? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

… the wizarding world would be reading about obnoxiously abbrev-nicknamed folks like:

HarPot
HerGrange
AlDumb
MinMcG
DThom
ShayFin       (in obnoxious abbrev’d celeb nicknames, it’s spelled how it sounds!)
NevLong
LuLuv
ChoChang.    (Oh wait…)
CDig
DrayMal
PanPark
VicKrum
FleuDel
SirBlack
RemLoop
D-Umb
CoFudge
BTrix
GwynJo   (you know, captain of the HoHarps.)
ParPat + PadPat
RoVane
MoMyrt
MadMoo or AlaMoo    (I can’t decide)
KingShack
BlaZam
C2Mac
DungFletch

my favorite-favorites:
RoWeaz
GinWeaz
FreWeaz + GeoWheaz
Mama MoWeaz
ArtWeaz
Sometimes BWheaz and CharWeaz
and I guess also PerdoucheWeaz  (although no one cares)

Couples in the headlines:
Luponks
Harny
Romione
Chodric  (sad!)
Hermictor
Molthur
Lucissa
the wedding of Bleur
the tragic almost Dumblewald   (oh yeah, I went there.)
and of course, persistent rumors of  SirRemus

I am having WAY too much fun coming up with these.  Funny.  I’ve always hated this obnoxiously abbreviated nickname fad, until I was the one making them up.

… there would be obnoxious abbreviated celebrity nicknames like:

JoRow
ToKush
NGaim + AFP  (together would be called Neimanda)
SteMerr
J’NetWin
IGlass
RogEbe
WilWhe
MiChab
QuenTar
AntBour
ChrisNol
HuJack
RMad
JonStew
KevSmith (and ScotMo)
SalPot
RiJoh
Chrendricks
EdIzz
TWaits
TorAm
WesAnd
JSchwa
AdBro
JWhed
ChuckPal
SufStev
PSH
JGL
NekCase
NiCave
PatFug
JenHolz
ZoDesh + MWard (who is already abbrev’d!)
TilSwin (for Darcy)
ViMort (also for Darcy)
ZCond (for Deena)
NavAnd (for Cara)
JGroff-bage-patch-kid (for Kate)
DerWag (for locals)

No Abbreviating Necessary or Recommended:
Danger Mouse
Bjork
Feist
Yoko Ono
David Bowie

And lastly, I maintain that EmWat and RuGrint should be used alongside DRad at all times.

So she made this:

Why yes, my girlfriend is fucking awesome.