…and where to find them

NOT so long ago, a play called Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was released. Almost everyone who read the Harry Potter series while growing up flocked to buy the script, and almost all of us expected that it would carry the same magic and wonder; the same beauty and lessons as the books that started it all.
However, the script for the play was not a perfect one and, for those of us in Guyana, being unable to see an actual staging of the play meant that we could not enjoy it in the same way that people in other parts of the world could. Therefore, it would not be incorrect to say that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child brought more disappointment than anything else to the Guyanese fans of the Harry Potter books.
The play was to be an opportunity for us to return to a source of wonder from our childhood years, and yet, it turned out that that was not the case.
However, without a single doubt, with the release of the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie last month, we can say that the opportunity that was missed by the play has most definitely been obtained and redeemed by a truly outstanding, entertaining and thought-provoking film that, despite managing to exist on its own terms, still remains loyal to the wizarding world that is to be found in its source material.

THE MOVIE
Fantastic Beasts is directed by David Yates, who helmed the last few Harry Potter films. It stars Academy Award winner, Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, a magizoologist (one who studies magical creatures) who unwittingly causes several magical beasts to be released in New York City in the 1920s. That is the main thread within the plot of the film, but there are also other storylines that are wound into each other so that in the end, we have a film that is richer and more interesting, in terms of plot, because of everything it has going on while at the same time, somehow managing to never become too burdensome. For example, the film also presents the American counterpart to the British Ministry for Magic, and reveals to us the relevant things going on there, particularly their focus on capturing the notorious dark wizard, Gellert Grindelwald.
Then there’s Newt’s interaction with the No-Maj (non-magical person), Jacob Kowalski (played by Dan Fogler), and two witches, Tina and Queenie (played by Katherine Waterston and Alison Sudol respectively).

THE CAST
The cast is heavy with talent, and even the actors in the minor roles manage to shine. Dan Fogler is hilarious, and brings much of the comedy in the film to life. In some ways, he also introduces a lot of heart into his performance and despite, or because of, him being the only character without magic, he manages to leave an impression on the audience and can definitely be considered a fan favourite.
Alison Sudol’s Queenie is fascinating to behold, and her first scene in the film ripples with the sort of charm, a sense of buoyancy and sensuality that she carries throughout the movie. Her relationship with Kowalski, in particular the ending scenes, is one of the high points in a movie with many high points.
Redmayne and Waterston, as the leads, never overdo their performances in roles that can easily lead the actors playing them to overplay. Both performances are nuanced and subtle, and manage to give us a pair in this new wave of fantasy films to love and to root for.

THE BEASTS THEMSELVES
Of course, a commentary on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them would not be complete without commenting on the beasts themselves. The visual effects that are used in the film to bring the creatures to life is truly amazing. It is quite something to see the creatures that have only been hinted at or offered in sketches in previous books come to life before your eyes.
That, though, is one of the fantastic things about the film. It always harps back to the wizarding world we know, whether it is through the very brief appearance of Grindelwald, the mention of Albus Dumbledore, or the Lestrange family or any of the magical creatures that Newt takes care of.
One gets the impression, and one hopes, that this idea of going back to the Harry Potter novels will become more pronounced as the remaining four films in the Fantastic Beasts series are released. Of particular interest is the appearance of a magical creature not present in any of the books: The Obscurus, an evil and deadly force created by children who are forced to hide their magical abilities.
Wasn’t Dumbledore’s sister, Ariana, quite young and forced to hide her powers before she died in a manner similar to the explosions that are manifested in the film whenever an Obscurus killed someone?
The film makes you think, while being fun. That is much more than can be said for many other fantasy films these days.