Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004 Alfonso Cuaron)

I am just nuts about Cuaron's Harry Potter film, which stands head and shoulders above the rest in the series and also is the best of the books. It brings a real sense of magic to the proceedings, and real danger, plus is written through with strong themes e.g. fear. Notice the use of silent movie iris dissolves - attack on train one of the great movie sequences:

On a bit of a tangent, it takes a Mexican (the director) to remind us about our own film heritage:

I hate lists because films are not groceries, but here I am trying a quick one – in no special order.

I opted for variety, otherwise I would have included more titles from the Brighton School: James Williamson, George Albert Smith and Alfred Darling. Those guys were brilliant, they pretty much invented the film grammar we still use and nobody gives a damn about them.* I would have also included every film Hitchcock directed on this island.

(http://www.timeout.com/london/film/the-100-best-british-films-directors#alfonsocuaron)

Note use of time imagery underlying film's great twisty sub-plot (and the ticking makes its way into the soundtrack):

Absolutely brilliant animation of Buckbeak. Ray Harryhausen would have been just amazed.

Use of light wonderful:

New cast includes Michael Gambon as Dumbledore (with the film's best line), David Thewlis good as Lupin, Timothy Spall (Peter Pettigrew), Gary Oldman (Sirius Black), Emma Thompson. Julie Christie is hardly visible through Harry's Cloak of Invisibility. Lovely moment when Hermione punches Malfoy.

Hats off too to Michael Seresin for his moody old-fashioned photography. John Williams' score has gone somewhat medieval, except for the remarkable night bus scene which is modern jazz. Even the end credits are nicely imaginative. Love the painting of a single eye!


* James Williamson made The Big Swallow (1901) in which a man nears the camera and then swallows it and the cameraman, An Interesting Story (1905) about a chap who is so engrossed in his book - touches of The Trouble with Harry - that he allows himself to be run over by a steam roller, and the self-explanatory Fire! (1901).

George Albert Smith made A Kiss in the Tunnel (1899) with a camera mounted to a train, a lady's foot As Seen through a Telescope (1900) and Mary Jane's Mishap (1903). He invented the first colour film process.

Alfred Darling developed much of the cinematography equipment.