With the dark and brooding opening montage, it comes to full realisation that HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX is going to be a shadowy event filled with menace and brimmed with urgency that conquers over flights, whims and fancies. This is no longer a child’s play as bright colours (except from the scary shades of pink) have already faded from the franchise, a legacy imprinted by Alfonso Cuaron’s brilliant PRISONER OF AZKABAN. As it is the shortest of the Potter movies, running for 2 hours and 18 minutes, it is brisk, fast-paced and compressed – however yet, it is convincing and incredibly compelling.


[Contains spoilers ahead, beware.]


In this fifth adventure, everything happens like a wildfire that doesn’t let you abandon your seat. The weather gets so gloomy all of a sudden after a summer drought in the Muggle suburban area of Surrey as Harry, sitting in a swing and being taunted by Dudley and his gang of his nightmarish visions at night, was being rapidly attacked by two rogue Dementors. Fending them off using Patronus Charm, this act led him to a near-expulsion from Hogwarts, which also led him to being saved by the Order of the Phoenix to its headquarters in Grimmauld’s Place, Sirius Black’s family house, and into a hearing in the Ministry of Magic. This was where Harry discovers that the world that he was about to face is full of indifference and ignorance from the truth that Lord Voldemort is indeed back in the flesh and gathering his army.


PHOENIX, with its complexity in plot and density of events, can be distilled in three major thematic elements: rebellion against anarchy, teenage angst or emotional politics, and well, politics itself.


So far in the Potter movies (and books), this is the political one. The Ministry of Magic, spearheaded by the impulsive Cornelius Fudge, is promoting a smear campaign to the magical world that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is not back, and that both Potter and Dumbledore are reduced to snivelling, media-savvy liars. “It is horrible how fear does to people” as what Remus Lupin says, that the Ministry is blinded by fear and that it denies the allegation of Voldemort’s rebirth. Paranoid, the Ministry installs an emissary in Hogwarts, its Undersecretary, the all-too-fluttery, amusingly cheery but frighteningly deadly Dolores Jane Umbridge, an evil horrid toad-like bitch clad in shades of pink, a girly smile and a high-pitched laughter (played by the top-notch, masterclass performance of Imelda Staunton) to spy over if Dumbledore is gathering an army himself to overthrow the Ministry. She’s a government official sent to teach in the Defense Against the Dark Arts course, obsessed with order and regulations, and rules over Hogwarts with a bureaucratic iron fist and almost fascistic pink cardigans.


Thus the use of practical magic is banned, which then leads to Harry forming a secret underground society to learn proper use of spells in defending their selves. Inspired by the Order of the Phoenix itself, their society is called Dumbledore’s Army, and seemed like a French Resistance against German occupation.


However, despite everything that’s been going around Harry, he feels detached as he battles conflicting emotions and loneliness in a world that rarely believes him. Even Ron and Hermione’s friendship feels like a course that he had to go through. Also Dumbledore keeps him in the dark about what’s really happening. He finds solace both in his godfather Sirius Black and with the newly introduced character of the eccentric but free-spirited Luna Lovegood, who seem to teach Harry some life lessons under her oddball personality and tuneful voice. She’s also a child of trauma, as Harry could relate to, and her amazing fearlessness of death is inspiring to him.


Harry admits he’s “angry all the time”, evoking a teenage plea from angst, and he also suffers personal nightmares as being controlled by Lord Voldemort. The possession scenes are quite good to watch, as flashbacks are rendered and we see for the first time Snape’s past as a tortured soul from the hands of Harry’s father himself, James Potter. This part of the plot becomes a very crucial one to whole story as it leads to a great deception in the film’s climax.


And of course, the film’s climax; it’s a breathless, thrilling excitement to witness impressive wand battles, flourish and waves of power and incredible action-packed magical battle. From the flying of Thestrals (dragon-ish black horse creatures that pulls the Hogwarts carriages only seen by people who have seen death) over London, to the sequence in the Halls of Prophecy with the crystal balls are such a memorable scenes, all carefully shot. Even Voldemort and Dumbledore’s showdown is worth your ticket (will make Yoda and Darth Vader’s battle look ancient).


For all Potterites, books are read and all could definitely notice the major condensation of its story to fit in a time limit. Michael Goldenberg (who had penned CONTACT and PETER PAN) had done such an incredible job in thinning an 870-page book into a meatier, leaner and tight script that keep things moving. All minor backdrops were shredded and it focused on the main essence of the book, sacrificing plots of minor relevance i.e. Quidditch, to give momentum to the urgency in the magical world.


The performances here are more grounded and more realised than its predecessors. Daniel Radcliffe, having starred in a coming-of-age film DECEMBER BOYS (to be released later this year) and having dropped his pants at West End stage-play EQUUS in an unbelievably gritty and remarkable performance, gives his best here as Harry. This is his most accomplished Potter performance in all films, delving deeper in Harry conflicts and giving an intense and profound resonance into the role. Same as Emma Watson as Hermione and Rupert Grint as Ron, who both grew into their roles that made them able to act comfortably in the screen. Newcomer Evanna Lynch shines as Luna Lovegood, showing substance beneath eccentricity. Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom and Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley do their fair share in their roles as well.


With PHOENIX impressive panoply of British actors, namely the always brilliant Michael Gambon as Dumbedore, Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort who always steals the scene he’s in and still gives me the creeps (reminding me how this man was born to play Amon Goeth in SCHINDLER’S LIST, now rocked the role of Lord Voldie), Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane, Jason Isaacs, David Thewlis, Brendan Gleeson, Emma Thompson, George Harris and Natalia Tena (who played the whimsical Nymphadora Tonks). Gary Oldman’s Sirius Black will become a memorable character to the franchise as he leaves a great imprint on this film; damn, how this actor turns any role into gold. Alan Rickman also is hissier than ever as Severus Snape and no matter how less his time appearance; he owns every single scene he’s in as well. But it’s the performances of these two astonishing actresses: Imelda Staunton, who deserve the plaudits for making the character of Umbridge such a classic role to watch, and Helena Bonham Carter for playing the mad-haired shrieking sadist of a witch (whom we will see more in Potter 6). But it’s Staunton who really gives the creeps, as she looks like she would readily stab anyone in the back with a gleeful smile. This is your nightmare of a teacher, sum up all your terror teachers in your past and multiply it by ten.


David Yates, a British TV series veteran and director of the heartfelt THE GIRL IN THE CAFE, also a political film, is a shrewd choice as the helmer of PHOENIX. He knows where to settle his story and focus to the heart of the tale. Slawomir Idziak, the cinematographer, chooses palettes of blue and grey tones to fully convey the darker world, and disguises greater menace in Umbridge’s pinkish demeanour. Nicholas Hooper creates a dramatic score as well, as takes from John Williams and gives his thumbmark on the music and stirring symphony.
In the movie mainstream today, the Potter saga is the only series that keeps getting better and better with every outing (take that you Spiders and Pirates out there!), not to mention, it’s still the fifth film and 10 days more we will know the final chapter of this young wizard’s fate in the eagerly, nail-bitingly anticipated DEATHLY HALLOWS, and 3 years more then we will be able to see its transformation into the screen in 2010. For the first time in this period of summer movies, here comes a film that felt like it has done its job (save TRANSFORMERS and DIE HARD 4.0; they’re both entertaining) and not just for the sake of blockbustering to cash in some gazillions of ka-ching. PHOENIX dares to be intelligent amid movies nowadays that dumb down the plot structure to appeal to the low-brained society. I wouldn’t ask for pardon for this is true. Part of a film’s good objective is to encourage people to be adept.


PHOENIX is a good example of these kinds of films. While it is not really better than Alfonso Cuaron’s artistic and liberating PRISONER OF AZKABAN and Mike Newell’s hormonal and sincere GOBLET OF FIRE, it sure is better than the Columbus-era of PHILOSOPHER’S STONE and CHAMBER OF SECRETS cinematically. This is a very intense film, with a solid script and defined acting performances. But amongst the battles and furore, amongst the wand waving of dark magic and white enchantments, PHOENIX most of all focuses on Harry’s inner war and the things that’s happening in his mind. His detached condition allows him to discover his weaknesses and finds strength in his own conflict. This is the most human Potter film so far, with poignant scenes tailored into it (the sacking of Trelawney is a touching human moment, the death of a major character and Harry’s struggle in the finale). Thankfully though, it’s not encrusted with over-sentimentality and it’s schmaltz-free, letting Harry face the death of his loved one in a fleeting mind-numbing scene filled with silence and echoes, also letting him realise that magic is not at all magical, it’s deadly and it could take away lives in an instant swish. For all of J. K. Rowling’s themes, it’s the message of love and friendship that gives PHOENIX a strong impression and is always worth waving our wands for.


“We have something that Voldemort doesn’t have,” Harry says at the end.


“What’s that?” Hermione asks.


“Something worth fighting for.”


At the last fading scene, we somehow realise that this is somehow like riding in an eventful train journey, many things rolling past by the window. The destination is still two movies away, but we’re getting there.


The last book of the series concludes Harry’s journey (Will J. K. Rowling conclude his life as well? I believe so. I predict so. What will defeat something fascist and horribly anarchist in this world without the only means of sacrifice?) It’s still 10 days away, but you’ve got to believe this PHOENIX is brilliant.



RATING: A