Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2
Harry Potter and The Deadly Hallows: Part 2-2011
**** (Four of five stars)
Warner Brothers
Rating PG-13
Running time: 131 minutes
Drama/Fantasy
Director: David Yates
Cast: Daniel Radcliff (Harry Potter), Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix), Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort), Robbie Coltrane (Rubeus Hagrid), Micheal Gambon (Professor Albus Dumbledore), John Hurt (Ollivander), Jason Issacs (Lucius Malfoy), Kelly Macdonald (Helena Ravenclaw), Gary Oldman (Sirus Black), Alan Rickman (Professor Severus Snape), Maggie Smith (Professor Minerva Mc Gonagall), David Thewlis (Remus Lupin).
For aching Harry Potter fans over the last decade, seven (“eight” films, additions (and some subtractions)of thespians, four directors arrive at the final Potter film: “Deadly Hallows Part 2”.The final battle is between the now grown, bespectacled Harry Potter, played by Daniel Radcliffe, and his nemesis Lord Voldemort, played by Ralph Fiennes. Voldemort planning to destroy Potter for good is what”'s at play.
Between J.K. Rowling”'s seven books and four directors Chris Columbus, Alfonso Cuaron, Mike Newell and David Yates, respectively, the Harry Potter series is a phenomenon, perhaps the world”'s finest as far as transformation from novel to silver screen.
Radcliffe, Emma Watson (Hermoine Granger), and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) return to Hogwarts castle only to have it attacked by Lord Voldemort and his forces. Frantically the remnant of professors and numerous students scuttle inside Hogwarts to avoid Voldemort”'s firing hundreds of volleys from not a great distance away. Behind Voldemort are the Death Eaters, an army of what looks like battle scarred gray ghosts. But Potter, Granger and Weasley have discovered Voldemort”'s Achilles heel: the Horcruxes. Each destroyed Horcrux means a more vulnerable evil Voldemort. Moreover Severus Snape (played by Alan Rickman), the slippery figure from Hogwarts gets creamed for his loyalty. So much for loyalty I”'d say. As it stands, the audience (even those of us who haven”'t read the books) knows the evil incarnate Voldemort is not amaranthine.
Last but not least, the final battle between Harry and Voldemort (what we all have been waiting for from the first Harry Potter movie) is more than a bit anti-climatic and with less fanfare than the attacks on Hogwarts. The two wizards are related: Voldemort has some of Harry”'s blood. As such, this connection is scary for both men. Harry can hear his enemy”'s thoughts indeed frightening (and advantageous too, perhaps). Now that the last Harry Potter movie is a final, well-crafted, smart, and entertaining film, Radcliffe, Watson and Grint can move on to other projects.
The Robber
“The Robber” 2011
**** 1/2
King International
Rating: Unrated
Running time: 97 minutes
Drama/Crime Sports
English subtitles, German
Director: Benjamin Heisenberg
Cast: Andreas Lust (Johann Rettenberger), Franziska Weisz (Erika), Florian Wotruba (Markus Kreczi), Johann Bednar (Kommissar Lukas), Markus Schleinzer (Bewahrungsbemter)
Johann Rettenberger (Andreas Lust {“Revanche”}) is released from prison after serving there for six years for armed robbery. He was a loner in prison, ran religiously in the prison yard. He”'s a man that”'s unreformed, hell bent on continuing his “trade” of robbing banks and running marathons.
In between robbing banks and running marathons he meets a somewhat lonely woman, Erika (Franziska Weisz {“Dog Days”, “Hotel”}) who just barely has any influence on him much beyond sex and a room she lets him board in. He had seen her before he went to prison when she was a girl.
Johann is determined not to go back to prison now a most wanted man. Unlike the man in “The Fugitive”, Johann is guilty as can be. He has very adept methods of escaping, adding to the tension already in progress. Shortly after release from prison, he wins the Vienna city race. (Andreas Lust”'s character is based on real life marathoner bank robber Johann Kastenberger in the 1980s.) Why would such a good athlete and an opportunity to completely turn his life around turn back to a life of crime? He never robs a bank with a partner; he often flees on foot but sometimes escapes in a stolen car. For him, robbing seems to give him an adrenaline high. A prize winning film that”'s a must see.
The google map document indicates the problem is on the north side of the Bank/Riverside intersection. In fact, the most dangerous section is when travelling north on Bank, approaching the Riverside intersection from the south. The steep hill means cyclists pick up speed. In this area, buses are coming out the Billing’s and transitway area, some stopping as the bike lane becomes a turning lane for vehicles, and cars are speeding to make the right hand turn (eastbound) onto Riverside. The bike lane suddenly becomes the eastbound turning lane for vehicles onto Riverside. The cyclist then has to choose between using this turning lane, with fast approaching cars from behind, or using part of the vehicle lane heading north on Bank St. Because of the design, both vehicle lanes narrow and cyclists are squeezed. Yes, the narrowing of the road/bridge, once across Riverside is bad, but surviving the competition with speeding vehicles for space on the right side of Bank (approaching Riverside) is the worst danger. After 2 years of near-death experiences, I now go 15 min. out of my way to avoid this intersection.