Nothing too exciting over the weekend, so the movies I watched:

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - I haven't really enjoyed the last several Harry Potter movies (I've also never read the books) and have only been going because Lani wants to (and it seems that is more because she's curious enough about what happens than actual enjoyment). This one didn't really do much to improve my view of the story, the big problem is that utlimately I don't understand why Harry Potter is in any way "a hero." He's just passive within his own story 99% of the time. And it is always odd to me how fantasy embraces the idea of genetics over environment and the Harry Potter story does this to an annoying extent.

But as a standalone movie this one was much better constructed than the previous few. I don't know if that is because of judicious elision by the filmmakers or because of the book on which it was based. Yes, the movie was primarily focused on the completely uninteresting hormonal pinings of teenagers (played out with all of the subtlety of a 1960s Doris Day romcom) but at least it was focused. There was the snogging and there was the relatively simple track of Potter trying to get a memory.

In reading reviews I suspect there was a lot of depth to the movie that was completley lost from unfamiliarity with the book but unlike some of the other movies I didn't feel like that was slapping me in the face saying "you can't understand this scene unless you go read the book!" This time I felt everything made sense on the level presented in the movie so I am ok with it being augmented by having read the books.

So, still pretty boring but an improvement. Still wouldn't be bothered if the last movie ends with Harry Potter dying slowly while another, successfully killing Voldemort, shouts out "Sorry Potter, but to the character that actually does something go the spoils!"

Pretty Persuasion - (Via Netflix streaming) This 2005 movie is a mash-up of Clueless and The Bad Seed. Evan Rachel Wood plays an extremely bright sociopathic 15-year-old who is willing to do anything for revenge and in pursuit of fame. Some good dialog. I'll forget in a few weeks that I ever saw it.

The Hurt Locker - This one is getting great reviews and I agree it is incredibly well made, has an old style approach to suspense (with modern editing) that really amps things up. But it didn't really connect for me. I don't think the intent of the movie is to present a character you like so much as to explain a character type. Or at least I didn't like Sergeant James (played very well by Jeremy Renner) but did come away feeling I understood why he was the way he was even if I wouldn't want to know him myself.

Hopscotch - (Via Netflix streaming) I've been on something of a Walter Matthau binge lately and he's just one of those actors that I love to see regardless of how horrible the movie itself is (c.f. Movers & Shakers). Fortunately, though, Hopscotch is a pleasant surprise. This spy comedy has Matthau as a top field man for the CIA who, when put out to pasture in a power play, begins writing a memoir of the CIA's biggest fiascos and copying all the intelligence agencies around the world before giving it to a publisher. He does this a chapter at a time while leading the CIA and KGB on a search around the world. Nothing earth shattering in this one except a surprisingly consistent comedic tone (never too far into slapstick, and a somewhat real-world grounding) and good dialog.