Based upon characters and a screenplay written by J.K. Rowling
Screenplay Written by J.K. Rowling & Steve Kloves
Directed by David Yates
***1/2 (three and a half stars)
RATED PG 13
The continuing "Fantastic Beasts" series, J.K. Rowling's cinematic prequel saga to the "Harry Potter" film and book series, has seen more than its share of obstacles behind the scenes and there is truly no need to waste any more digital space addressing those issues here, aside from the obvious fact that they have proven to be a distraction from the actual cinematic storytelling at work. But furthermore, it is because of the story being told that a disconnect exists regardless of any familiarity and desire to return to the world of wizards, muggles and Hogwarts.
For me, I remember the moment when I felt that I was disengaging from Rowling's vision for the first time. The sequence occurred in the middle of the first installment, David Yates' "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them" (2016), where magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) is attempting to attract and capture a rhinoceros styled creature called an Erumpent. While whimsical and purposeful to establishing the character of Newt Scamander and his adoration for all creatures great and small, it was also ponderous and unfortunately, stopped the momentum dead in its tracks. In short, the spell Rowling and Yates were unquestionably working diligently to weave was breaking.
On the whole, the first "Fantastic Beasts" film was the first time when Rowling's storytelling did not quite land. And as I mused then, perhaps J.K. Rowling's gifts are better suited to the page rather than the screen as the rules for each brand of storytelling are markedly different. She possessed more than enough story and plot with that first film, but also a weakened sense of how to get from scene to scene and therefore, making for a less than satisfying whole. Chapter One as a book is one thing, as you can simply turn the page for Chapter Two. But, within a film, the experience needs to work simultaneously as Chapter One and as a complete experience, and that is where the first film faltered for me.
By the second film, Yates' "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald" (2018), the parts snapped together in a much more satisfying way with an experience that provided the momentum, emotional depth and looming darkness that made for a compelling installment, as well as exciting me for Chapter Three. Now, after four long years, Yates' "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore" has arrived and has proven itself to being the best of the the prequel series so far. While not without flaws, most notably in its pacing issues, it is the most emotionally resonant production, one that finds pure and undeniably poignant ways to bridge the gap between this series and the adventures of the "Harry Potter" film and book series (which again takes place decades before Harry and his friends are born), while also being an exquisite rumination on love and loss.
Opening a few years after the previous installment, David Yates' "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore," finds the Wizarding World on the precipice of grave danger with the increased presence and rise to power of Gellert Grindelwald (now played by Mads Mikkelsen). The dark wizard's latest scheme is to steal victory within an upcoming election, via the aid of a Qilin, a fantastical beast with the power of clairvoyance as well as the ability to see into another's soul. Yet, the Qilin in particular is a fantastic beast stolen by Grindelwald's acolytes, and subsequently murdered and revived through Grindelwald's necromancy. If successful, Grindelwald would gain complete control over the Wizarding World, affording him the opportunity to unleash his genocidal war upon the Muggle world.
Unable to battle Grindelwald himself due to a blood pact, Hogwarts' Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) builds a small team designed to defeat the man who is his former best friend as well as one with whom he was once in love.
In addition to Senegalese-French wizard Yusef Kama (William Nadylam), American witch and Professor of Charms Eulalie "Lally" Hicks (an excellent Jessica Williams), and Head Auror of the British Ministry Of Magic Theseus Scamander (Callum Turner), Dumbledore recruits Theseus' younger brother and magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), his loyal assistant Bunty Broadacre (Victoria Yeates) and American baker Jacob Kowalski (a warmly strong Dan Folger), still mourning the departure of his true love, the witch Queenie Goldstein (Alison Sudol), who defected to Grindelwald's ranks.
This adventure finds our heroes intertwined within episodes that contain nothing less than assassination attempts, and a perilous escape from a German wizard prison, where inmates are devoured by an enormous manticore every time a light is extinguished and the aforementioned election. Yet, most of all, it is a mission that finds Dumbledore, Newt, Jacob and Grindelwald each confronted with the undying embers of loves gained and lost combined with the pain of regret from mistakes made and past tragedies endured while facing down an uncertain future.
David Yates' "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore" is an elegant production, helmed with superb care and class. Crisply filmed by Cinematographer George Richmond and adorned with sumptuous costume and set designs, it is an experience which delivers an amalgamation of '40s film noir, old fashioned British espionage films, the "Mission: Impossible" television series, and that mystical, magical quality that effectively merged the whimsy, the foreboding and the melancholy that we have grown to adore from the "Harry Potter" films and the previous two "Fantastic Beasts" installments. Additionally, this third episode functions as a cultural critique, a political allegory starring rigged elections and fascistic tendencies illustrating just how easily and rapidly democracy can transform into totalitarian regimes with a eugenic philosophy at its core.
Working in collaboration with "Harry Potter" screenwriter Steve Kloves, J.K. Rowing has streamlined her narrative, not in overall complexity, but to allow the series its proper weight in its emotional resonance. In that aspect, "The Secrets Of Dumbledore" is, beyond the magic and intrigue, at its core, a love story, or a series of love stories, with a seemingly inevitable wizard war as a backdrop.
For me, the heart of the film rests in its prologue and absolutely lovely epilogue, neither of which I will describe in full here, but both of which are just aching in their respective sense of longing. These two sequences tie the emotional threads of the characters together, thus giving the film purposeful bookends to the narrative. Of course, the film continues to explore the fallout of Dumbledore and Grindelwald's already ended romance, yet one where the embers still remain, richly symbolized by the crystal phial wrapped around Dumbledore's hand and wrist, representing the love he cannot completely relinquish even though he must in order to defeat Grindelwald.
And then, there is also the continuing story of Jacob and Queenie, whom by the opening of this third film, have lost each other twice yet remain connected. Furthermore, we have the fraternal love stories between brothers Newt and Theses plus Dumbledore and his younger brother Aberforth (Richard Coyle), with whom they share a strained relationship due to familial tragedy and the figure of the disturbed, abused Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller), figures crucially.
As previously stated, David Yates' "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore" is an exquisitely rendered experience, which never at any point succumbs to anything resembling the more puerile aspects of big budget franchise driven movies. It is mature in approach and execution, which means it may not exactly be the cup of tea for younger fans of Rowling's Wizarding World universe yet by the same token, I did appreciate Yates' unwillingness to scale the material downwards for that audience, in preference of giving younger viewers something to reach towards.
All of that being said, the film is not without flaws, primarily in its deliberate pacing. Yes, the film is not in much of a hurry to get towards its destination, a tactic that works for and against the end result. In its favor, we have time to luxuriate in the visual details, the aesthetic splendor, the skill of the seasoned performances and the emotional resonance. To its detriment, there are quite a number of sequences that did need a certain tightening, push and heft to greater reflect the inherent urgency of the story, for the potential loss of democracy and slide towards fascism, a looming wizard war, and on going heartbreak would suggest a greater urgency and momentum, wouldn't it?
The disconnect of this prequel series when compared to the deep embrace towards the original "Harry Potter" series is more than evident and whatever difficulties these prequels have with fully earning the devotion of viewers and fans (real world controversies notwithstanding) has to be acknowledged in order to even attempt to take these new films upon their own cinematic terms.
As Newt Scamander, Eddie Redmayne continues to deliver an affectionately quirky performance of a relatively enigmatic character who is more than a little peculiar and not the easiest to pin down. The growth of Newt Scamander over the three films thus far has been depicted in subtle yet evident shadings.
While still presented as a figure who would most likely be happiest being far away from most people and left alone to his world travels and discoveries of the titular fantastic beats he so adores, "The Secrets Of Dumbledore" showcases Newt's evolution from loner to reluctant hero and now, to a willing soldier in Dumbledore's first army--a character who is experiencing that a newfound desire for human connection and therefore, an inter-connectivity between all living things that is now being severely threatened should Grindewald succeed. And still, as before, Newt Scamander remains a central figure while not being a leading character, but more on that shortly.
As the younger Albus Dumbledore, the always magnetic Jude Law excels! While Law displays hints of what Michael Gambon achieved with his performances in the "Harry Potter" movies, he mines new depths of the younger man, simultaneously nursing a broken heart while ensuring the greater good to the world wizarding and otherwise and providing the emotional foreshadowing of perhaps why he behaved, nurtured, loved and sacrificed as he did in his future life once Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Voldemort and other significant figures entered his life. While there may not be any real surprises to Dumbledore's secrets, what is accomplished through Law's performance allows a greater core to emerge to this beloved character, and therefore, that palpable undercurrent of romantic loss and even existential loneliness that never truly fades, regardless of the lengthy passage of time.
And still, if were being honest, there is not really a central figure to latch onto and perhaps, this might be why some viewers are having some difficulty embracing this series on a similar level to the original Harry Potter series, where the leading character was crystal clear and everything spirals from Harry himself as he embarks upon his journey from his friends and enemies, his desires, wishes, faults fears, failures, victories and purpose. In essence, we experience everything when he experiences it and in doing so, a powerful connection is forged between the character and story to readers and viewers.
For the "Fantastic Beasts" series, it is feeling moreover to me that the leading character is not actually a person or one of the titular beasts but possibly the Wizarding World itself and whatever connection we hold to this universe J.K. Rowling created, which can make the proceedings feel less personal even as the fate of that world is at stake.
Additionally, this series is one that is demanding a particular level of patience that has been unasked for, so to speak, in all of the past Harry Potter material (to a degree) because for the films, we already had the books to return to and with the books, the pace at which the story unfolded was entirely in the hands of each individual reader.
With "Fantastic Beasts," as there are no books to turn to, we are indeed waiting for each film to be created before beginning to experience a return to the story and Wizarding World. Of course, this reality mirrors the time period when there were only books and hungry fans had to wait for each new installment to be published but again, we were deeply invested, some people to a near primal degree, with the character of Harry Potter and his evolution. Can audiences ever feel that same devotion to a place? A time period?
If all of the "Harry Potter" movies captured the urgency and angst of youth and growing up then David Yates' "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore" reflects the melancholy of middle age, as youthful idealism and integrity are more greatly threatened by hardened cynicism and by nature, is more muted than one's formative years.
Even so, the middle years are no less passionate, no less filled with all manner of existential ache and with this film, again, the poignancy and pain of the prologue and that resplendently bittersweet epilogue just makes me desire to hang onto this world just a little bit longer.
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