Has anyone who loves Azkaban read the books? A lot of my hatred is how much the book and movie differ.
Not to go down this wormhole, but I agree with you that it differs a great deal from the book. More than any of the other films does from their respective source material. However, Azkaban is my second favorite film of the franchise because Cuaron is able to capture what it means to be a part of this world beautifully while still keeping the main points of the story intact. I love the world Cuaron creates in comparison especially to Columbus. Everything feels much more polished once we get to Azkaban as compared with Sorcerer's or Chamber.
I always try to separate out the source material from the adaptation. I know this is hard to do for some, and I respect those who want the film to follow the source to the letter. But to me, if I wanted to see the book again, I'd read the book again. The beauty of the adaptation, and in this case especially in Cuaron's adaptation, is that it is a different artist's perspective on the same story. I don't think you'd argue the bones of the story are the same as in the book, so what Cuaron is doing is simply being an artist and sharing how he perceives this world and this story. If that differs from your own, then so be it, and I understand it. But for me, it only enhances my experience of Azkaban all the more to see something just a little different than what we're used to.