Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

[nineveh_uk]

It being the middle of term, dark, cold, and tiring, I took myself to the cinema to see this yesterday evening - Mondays being cheap and my expectations low - and massively clunky title notwithstanding, I enjoyed it very much. Indeed I enjoyed it more than the first film, when I felt the various animal chase sequences went on a bit. Its principal weakness is that it is clearly the middle film of a series, with a lot of set up and limited resolution, and cramming too much plot into it so that some characters are not developed.

The costume designs are a wasted opportunity, leaning very heavily on the Muggle side of the equation (and if you're going to have Muggle school uniforms, then Hogwarts in the 1920s would have been gymslips and dresses for the girls, not tartan skirts), and I was unclear as to why Leta Lestrange had such a plunging neckline and Tina appeared to be cosplaying Herr Flick. I have decided to rationalise this in my own mind by saying that the WW's sudden adoption of Muggle clothing is a sign of a cultural crisis of confidence in the aftermath of the Great Muggle War. A crisis on which Grindelwald is able to capitalise.

Speaking of Grindelwald, Depp was OK, if not more than OK. He reins in the batshit almost too much, considering the character. Really Grindelwald ought to have been played by the most charismatic German native-speaker actor available who was aged between 45 and 50 and both able to act in English and carry off a very blond wig. Jude Law as Dumbledore, on the other hand, is excellent and comes across very warmly. I liked the Dumbledore and Grindelwald backstory very much and assume that this something we'll be drip-fed more of as the series continues, because why use it all up early when you know that you've got your Big Dramatic Fight coming? Darth Vader doesn't say "Just so you know, I am young Skywalker's father" in his first scene.

And now, because much as I am enjoying Lyndal Roper's recent biography of Luther it is not exactly a bedtime read, I think I'm going to reread the original series. It's been a while. I should get myself to the play, too, and stop having to dodge spoilers.

Comments

[mountainkiss]

Christoph Waltz?

[nineveh_uk]

Having Googled him, I would say that possibly he's a little old, but make up can do wonders and that's definitely along the lines I was thinking, yes!

[azdak]

I assumed your description was code for Christoph Waltz until I got to the blond wig, when doubts set in.

Personally I would suggest casting the amazing Birgit Minichmayer and not telling the audience that she's female. I'm confident she could pull it off.

[legionseagle]

There's a very good reason why in this particular case (fond as I am of gender-blind casting normally) casting a woman as Grindlewald would be a mistake ("Oh, closer than that." Pitch perfect, Judey baby.)

[nineveh_uk]

Yes, that was a very nicely played moment (as indeed were the Mirror scenes).

[azdak]

I wouldn't cast her as a woman, I'd cast her as a man.

[nineveh_uk]

I think you'd still end up with a massive internet wankstorm, though!

[(Anonymous)]

I'm sure I would! But those people are at liberty to suggest who they would want to see in the role, they don't need me to do it for them. Personally, I would like to have seen Minichmayer do it.

[azdak]

Sorry, that was me.

[nineveh_uk]

I have found my perfect person. Admittedly I don't know whether he can act or even what language he speaks, but he passed me on Magdalen Street at the weekend, a vision of Aryan ideology, broad-shouldered and slim waisted, tall but not too tall, natural white-blond hair, cut in almost the same style as film!Grindelwald's, stern jaw, perfect skin.

Poor boy, he probably spends half his life going "Honest, I'm not the living embodiment of a fascist icon!", he might as well get a film career out of it.

[azdak]

I hate him already.

[nineveh_uk]

I agree with legionseagle that I wouldn't cast a woman in this case, fond as I usually am of evil female villains, but I see what you mean about Birgit Minichmayer. I watched that beginning of this on YouTube and she definitely could do it! Admittedly it's German theatre and for all I know she could be talking about her favourite Care Bear, but the effect is just what you'd want for Grindelwald!

[legionseagle]

Your comments on the casting of Grindlewald makes it all clear; give me a time-turner and Klaus-Maria Brandauer is a shoo-in for the part.

I agree with you about middle-film-itis (and costume comments) but I also enjoyed it for what it was.

I liked that Leta Lestrange had a complicated and sympathetic backstory (the hints in the first film, given her surname, were Not Promising).

I thought the actor playing young Scamander (whose name, alas, I missed in the credits, though we waited to the end) was awesome; he had both the main Scamander tics off to a T.

Also, I thought that the issue of Queenie's initial not OK behaviour was neatly tied up with her later not OK behaviour, and seen as stemming from the same impulse ("For The Greater Good".) I liked how that was also tied into the Leta backstory, and how that aspect was a low-key running theme throughout.

Very sorry for Nagini, obviously.

[nineveh_uk]

So many casting dilemmas could be solved by a time turner. Actors are probably very glad they don't exist.

Middle-film-itis is tough and I felt they didn't help themselves at times by cramming a lot in, but at the same time it was nice not to open with 40 minutes of tedious set-up.

I was initially sceptical about Leta because generic film love triangles are not my thing and I liked the way they actually didn't really go there as far as she was concerned and that it became a Newt's feelings things, not her being torn between the brothers. I liked her backstory and really liked Kama. I've seen some people unhappy about it, but I felt it fit right in with what we have previously seen happen in the Wizarding World: that it's not new evil, but the same old way that magic enables the abuse of power, and the tie in to Queenie's behaviour was great. We like her, we're sorry for her, she's unhappy, she's badly treated - and she's still wrong in her original choices and wrong at the end.

I kind of felt that Nagini ought to have been kept to the next film. I was unclear on why Credence was with her anyway - possibly something got cut. But there is potential for the future.

[el_staplador]

Does it make sense without having seen the first one? I am going to have to see this one because my brother is driving a bus in it, but I gave up on the HP films about a decade ago and am not really bothered about catching up unless strictly necessary.

[nineveh_uk]

I'd read the plot summary but that's all you need. No need to watch the entire film.

Congratulations to your brother - there are some nice buses!

[timetiger.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you posted about the film. I enjoyed it very much, too, and I'm looking forward to seeing it again in a few weeks. I didn't expect to like Jude Law's Dumbledore, but I did.