‘Potter’ sequel outdoes original

Director Chris Columbus starts the two-hour and 41-minute faithful adaptation of “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” assuming that

you have seen the first Harry Potter film, or that you have read the

books, for he boldly allows no rehashing of Harry Potter history.

This sequel is darker, more comprehensive and more entertaining than

the first.

It is the end of summer, and Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is

still putting up with his overbearing Aunt Petunia (Fiona Shaw) and

Uncle Vernon Dursley (Richard Griffiths). It seems as if Harry’s best

friends Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson)

have forgotten him. They haven’t replied to a single one of his

letters. Then, out of the blue, a house-elf named Dobby appears in

his bedroom and warns Harry to stay away from Hogwart’s.

Despite the elf’s mischievous efforts, the ever-determined Harry

is rescued from the Dursleys’ imprisoning clutches by Ron and his

brothers with the aid of an enchanted flying car. Harry is then

welcomed into the warmth of the Weasley’s modest household, before

returning to Hogwart’s.

A dark mystery 50 years old evolves from deep within the ancient

academy. Harry battles Aragog, a giant spider, and must risk

alienating his friends as he delves into secrets and conspiracies

that culminate in a showdown with a mysterious teenage boy named Tom

Riddle (Christian Coulson), and a gigantic juggernaut basilisk.

Failure to win could restore the evil Lord Voldemort to life.

The film also features the wonderful talents of Jason Isaacs, John

Clease, Tom Felton, Maggie Smith and Shirley Henderson. It is also

Richard Harris’s last film, as sadly, he died less than a month ago,

at the age of 72. Harris had been undergoing treatment for Hodgkin’s

disease.

Radcliffe seems much more at ease in the role of Potter this time

around. He and his supporting cast enjoy a stronger bond, and have

noticeably grown, both physically and emotionally.

Steve Kloves produces a snappy, bright script, and Columbus makes

this second Potter outing a respectable springboard for Alfonso

Cuaron (“A Little Princess,” “Y Tu Mama Tambien”), who takes over the

directing chores for Columbus on “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of

Azkaban,” which is planned for a 2004 debut.

Columbus keeps the action well paced, even in an age where

everyone else seems bent on providing films that are 90 minutes or

less. It is refreshing to see a long and enjoyable film. If you still

have not seen enough by the time that the end credits roll, then stay

and listen to more of John Williams’ superb score while waiting for

the long list of credits to conclude. You will then be treated to a

brief 20-second scene.

“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” will excite and enthrall

you and your family.

* RAY BUFFER, 33, is a professional singer, actor and voice-over

artist.

‘Frida’ offers glimpse of an artist’s life

The embellished and dramatized biographical film “Frida,” focuses

on two life-altering events in the artist’s life that cannot defeat

or eclipse her fiercely independent nature.

The movie begins with her happy childhood. Frida Kahlo’s tomboyish

nature endears her to her father, while her belief in sexual freedom

naturally attracts her male peers, thus providing a glimpse of what

her future as an adult holds. According to her diaries, Kahlo’s

childhood was the happiest time of her life. Her family was

supportive of her art, she was educated and the future held limitless

possibilities.

At 18, Kahlo is involved in a tragic accident, which leaves her

bedridden for months and in crippling pain for life. Painting becomes

Kahlo’s salvation during recovery and a potential means of financial

support.

To learn if her future as an artist is possible, Kahlo boldly

approaches one of the most renowned painters in her country, Diego

Rivera, to critique her paintings. The meeting with Rivera opens up a

new world for Kahlo, introducing her to a tight-knit community of

artists and political activists that she quickly embraces and thrives

in.

Kahlo and Rivera start off as friends, but their attraction and

passion for each other quickly leads to the altar. For both the

marriage brings intense pleasure and pain. Though artistically

matched and supportive of each other, their sexual appetites and

escapades cause havoc in their professional and political lives.

While Frida and Rivera lived with each other’s infidelities, even

they had their limits. The film covers this from both sides of the

relationship. Though Frida’s sexual relationships and political

causes run counter to the social mainstream, her ability to channel

her physical injuries and chronic pain into her paintings -- which

sell for millions today -- serve as inspiration of what the human

spirit, even under duress, is capable of accomplishing.

Selma Hayek, who plays Frida, invested seven years of her life to

get the film made. Wanting to play characters of substance, unlike

her role in “Wild Wild West,” Hayek enlisted friends from within her

own tight-knit community of actors to appear in supporting and cameo

roles, to keep the cost of production low and the quality high.

Alfred Molino’s portrayal of the sexually charismatic yet

physically unattractive Rivera Diego commands a screen presence equal

to Hayek’s Frida resulting in believable characters that are at once

independent and dependent on each other. Edward Norton, as Norman

Rockerfeller, and Geoffrey Rush, as Trotsky, plus cameo appearances

by Antonio Banderas and Ashley Judd help elevate the small-budget

“Frida” into a big Hollywood production.

* PEGGY J. ROGERS, 39, produces commercial videos and

documentaries.

‘Far From Heaven’ sends mixed signals

Todd Haynes’ “Far From Heaven” sends out mixed signals. On one

level, it serves as a highly stylized homage to the Douglas Sirk

melodramas of the 1950s (including “All That Heaven Allows”). On

another, it strives to evoke genuine emotion and pain in its

characters.

These two approaches don’t ever quite gel together, resulting in a

film split by diametrically opposed narrative styles.

Cathy Whitaker (Julianne Moore) is the quintessential homemaker in

suburban Connecticut; a dotting, devoted wife to successful

businessmen Frank (Dennis Quaid). Think cookie-cutter and you get the

idea. Frank’s secret (and everyone in this movie has one) is that

he’s a closeted gay man who’s life is a facade built to adhere to the

demands of high society.

Living a lie eats away at Frank’s soul and strains the Whitaker

marriage. Cathy seeks emotional refuge with Raymond Deagan (Dennis

Haysbert), her widowed African-American gardener, which causes a stir

in a town of thinly veiled racism.

What’s clever about Haynes’ script is the way in which he injects

the melodrama genre with taboo racial and sexual overtones that would

never have been tolerated during the ‘50s. This is also the source of

“Far From Heaven’s” major flaw. Haynes replicates Sirk’s style, music

and cinematography with such fervent devotion, it sabotages any real

connection the audience makes with his characters.

Like it or not, Sirk’s films feel silly and histrionic when viewed

in a contemporary light. Moore, Quaid and Haysbert all give nuanced

performances -- but just when you begin to identify with his

characters, Haynes brings up Elmer Bernstein’s overly tragic score --

cutting your connection to their feelings and reducing a scene to

laughable pastiche.

Haynes is clearly aware of the dichotomy and often makes reference

to it through the Whitakers’ comedically neglected children, two

stereotypical caricatures of the era who spout dialogue in the vein

of “Aw, shucks, Mom!” and “Golly gee, Pop!” while simultaneously

being ignored and dismissed by their emotionally tormented parents.

Does Haynes want you to laugh or cry? How serious does he want us

to take this movie? He doesn’t seem to know. A movie can easily make

us do both, but when the laughs undercut the crying, it’s easy to

become ambivalent and checkout emotionally. Serious issues become

jokes.

This is unfortunate, since Haynes at times treats his characters

with reverence and respect, only to sell them out moments later as

parody. Mixed signals.

* ALLEN MacDONALD, 29, is currently working toward his master’s

degree in screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los

Angeles.