Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Holy Awesomeness, Batman!


I saw The Dark Knight. I may see it again. Because it's almost too big to take in in a single viewing.
  • Do not take your children. They will be traumatized.
  • I winced. I shuddered. I laughed. I was emotionally involved in a movie based on a comic book.
  • Heath's performance is NOT overrated. So if you're anticipating awesomeness, it will still exceed your expectations.
  • I'm on Team Christian, so don't bring up the alleged assault incident around me. I'll get defensive. The whole accusation sounds straight-up Sketchy McSketcherson.
  • The next film needs a woman. A great complicated woman. Perhaps in a cat suit?
  • Katie Holmes shot her career in the foot when she fell for a tiny, crazy Scientologist. She could have been in a great movie.
  • Aaron Eckhart is underrated. He's been steadily solid since Erin Brockovich (forgiving him for The Core, naturally).
  • Morgan Freeman is my dream dinner-party guest.
  • If Christopher Nolan were to call me, I would be Batgirl. In an instant.
The movie is dark, yes, and also quite complicated in its morality. The whole thing is an exercise in philosophy and psychology. So if you don't want to think about your own moral code, this movie might frustrate you a little.

If I were a member of the Academy, I would give Ledger an Oscar. Not because he's dead. But because his performance is astonishing. Every. Single. Detail.

3 comments:

Wendy said...

Nadine, let us go partake of this movie again. I've seen it, you've seen it. We've both loved it. I'm on team Christian too. I won't bring 'it' up, unless its to agree with you.

And, I'd like to have you shoe-educate me.
See you soon!

nadine said...

If you're on Team Christian, you may bring it up :)

And I think a Sunday screening sounds like a spectacular idea. I even go to church at a movie theatre.

Convenient, no?

michael lewis said...

Saw it last night.

Heath was brilliant. Leaves one to wonder what happened between shooting and dying. Oscar? Well, no matter what, most of the Oscar-watching-public will only assume he won it (if he does) because he's now dead. It is unfortunate that the masses are that dumb.

What was it like on set with Heath? Are there bloopers? Out-takes? Or was he so engrossed with his work that he was in character? I couldn't help but wonder, during the fund-raising party, was anyone thinking: "he's kissed the brother, now he's going to kiss the sister?". ....moving along....

I didn't read much about the film before seeing it, so I was unaware of Maggie Gyllenhaal as Rachel. Face it, Katie Holmes is weird and annoying. Maggie would have done just find in the prior Batman, and she's great in this one too. She has an on-film presence which is summed up in the single word "sweet" (much like Jake).

C to the B. Did anyone think that Bruce Wayne and Patrick Bateman have much in common? I sure did! (Obviously, only because both roles were played by Bale.)

Aaron Eckhart is completely underrated. He completely surprised me!

The movie was only dark because of Heath's exceptional performance (his makeup and hair crew ought to get some nods).

But I've got to disagree with the "exercise in philosophy and psychology" bit. This felt like a comic book superhero film. Nothing else. And like the first Spiderman, it was peppered with moral, philosophical tid-bits of dialog, popping out akin to pez from its dispenser, just when the music was right. At times, it felt like a Scooby-Doo adventure.

This was not complicated; consider: The Machinist, Fight Club, or even The Matrix. Those films are complicated.

Overall, I did enjoy it. Sure was different from Keaton and Nicholson.