HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS SERIES

Going beyond BranaghвЂ™s performance, Lockhart is one of several Rowling creationsВ that act as a commentary on or allegory forВ an aspect of society or culture. BranaghвЂ™s upper-crust good looks and winning smile sell the whole schmoozing package completely.

Even in terms of appearanceВ the character is perfectly encapsulated, from his foppish blonde locks to his ostentatious wardrobe, which is topped by his gloriously naff quilted silver waistcoat.

His simpering grin and unabashed cheesiness absolutely steal the show вЂ“ in every caddish line delivery itвЂ™s obvious that Branagh is having the time of his life, as he gleefully plays with LockhartвЂ™s utter lack of self-awareness and cheerful regard of his own self-mythologised abilities. But I donвЂ™t talk about that вЂ“ I didnвЂ™t get rid of the Banden Banshee by smiling at him!вЂќ

вЂњOrder of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary member of the Dark Force Defence League, and five times winner of Witch WeeklyвЂ™s Most Charming Smile Award. Upon meeting LockhartВ at a brilliantlyВ self-important book signing in bookshop Flourish & Blotts, and his re-introduction as the studentsвЂ™ surprise new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Branagh gets to ham it up spectacularly as he reels off a list of his accomplishments: Rowling has said that Lockhart is the only character in her books that is based upon a real person вЂ“ and whoever it is, we mustВ thank, for providing the foundation for such a wonderful and endlessly quotable character.ДЄs Lockhart, Branagh makesВ full use of his dashing and roguish screen persona вЂ“В he simultaneouslyВ fulfils it in his puffed-up proclamations and general swagger, and subverts it as he is revealed as the devious and incompetentВ fraud we always suspected he would be. And few of these characters would be brought so vividly and hilariously to lifeВ with as little screen time as with BranaghвЂ™s portrayal of Lockhart. RowlingвЂ™s writing style, it canвЂ™t be denied that she has a gift for creating memorable, larger-than-life characters вЂ“ Dumbledore, Hagrid, Dolores Umbridge and even Filch were well-drawn and fully realised, and with some pitch-perfect casting managed to make as big an impression onscreen as they had from the page. Whatever can be saidВ about HP author J.K. However despite the creative barrenness and awkward acting of HPвЂ™sВ early years, one shining light emerged to elevate Chamber of SecretsВ at least to above average вЂ“ we speak, of course, of the great Kenneth BranaghвЂ™s hysterical performance as the pompous shyster and all-round slick git Gilderoy Lockhart.

HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS SERIES

It was only with the discerningВ choice of (now Oscar-winning) Alfonso CuarГіn to direct the third film, and the growth of the central three of Radcliffe, Watson and Grint as actors that the HP films would take a turn towards the darker tone and more character-driven stories that would see the series become as well-respected (by both children and adults) as it eventuallyВ did. Uninspiring, overlong and purely functional, they would serve as a wonder-filled and wide-eyed cinematic introduction to the wizarding world, but little more. ItвЂ™s a fact widely acknowledged that the first twoВ entries in the eight part Harry Potter adaptations, helmed by noted вЂњ bean counterвЂќ Chris Columbus, were the seriesвЂ™ weakest.

Harry potter and the chamber of secrets