Julie Walters

It's Grint who grounds in reality, as best he can, Brock's directing debut...this conventional Britcom lightly hums along for a good stretch before running off the road.

And thus the old joke has finally been fulfilled of someone pitching Romeo and Juliet to Hollywood and hearing in response, 'Couldn't they live at the end? I mean, it's kind of a downer.'

Thematically, like any good myth, the Harry Potter story comes full circle, with a heroic homecoming and the promise of more adventures, if only in our imaginations.

Even if you don’t like the film—though it’s a fair bet you will—it will prime you for a spirited discussion about the choices of its hero...who strives to sort out her best judgement from her impulses, her hope from her naivete...