Even if you don’t know Spielberg from Hitchcock, it is clear there is a new director behind the third Harry Potter film. Emphasizing the surrealism of the source novels by J.K. Rowling, Alfonso Cuaron (A Little Princess) offers
something that feels less like a theme park – it’s not as shiny, for one thing – even if it flows less smoothly. It’s clear Cuaron favors atmosphere over narrative – his is an amusement ride that isn’t afraid to jump off the tracks.
