2012. Dir: Christopher Nolan. Starring: Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anne Hathaway. ●●●○○
Last week I admitted to being lazy, this week I'm going to admit to being a coward. I've been holdign back on my The Dark Knight Rises review because my opinion may be unpopular. So here we are, three weeks too late, I didn't much like the closing chapter to Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. I felt it to be an ambitious, glorious piece of film-making sadly let down by an overstuffed, incoherent and dull plot. It is both an improvement and a let down compared to Nolan's previous work and I only hope he pares down his narrative fancies for whatever non-chiropteran project he works on next.
Seven years have past since the thrilling climax of The Dark Knight when Bale’s Batman took the fall for Harvey Two-face Dent’s murderous rampage and Gotham has radically changed. The Dent act, which allows draconian charging for organised syndicates has virtually destroyed the Falcone family interests and created a crime free zone, whilst an arrest warrant sits over Batman’s head. Bruce Wayne, with no crime to fight, has sunk into a deep depression, brooding over the death of Rachel Dawes and shut off from all society; an effort to create a cold fusion generator macguffin was thwarted when a Hungarian scientist pointed out how easy it was to turn it into a bomb and the entire R&D budget has been sunk in keeping the device, handily stored under the city, leaving Wayne industries close to insolvency, all in all things are not looking good for Batman.
Yet something under the city is stirring, gangs of youths are disappearing into the sewers, lulled by the promise of jobs still denied to the Gotham underclass. A few switched on cops led by aging Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) and angry young pup (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) are imagining the worst and wondering when the bat signal will once again need to be turned on. Even sophisticated jewellery thief Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) knows enough to spout warnings of a war coming, an inexorable tide that will bring the rich and powerful of the city tumbling to the streets. Yet even Kyle isn’t completely prepared for the changes, because it’s no campaigning Victorian with concerns about social harmony, nor is it the financial meltdown the real world has experienced, Gotham has a more substantial foe, international terrorist and towering brute Bane (Tom Hardy in a mask) is about to reveal himself as Gotham’s reckoning.
Two paragraphs of exposition on and I’ve yet to mention other key characters brought forward from previous movies (Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy) and new batch (Marion Cotillard, Matthew Modine, Tom Conti, Ben Mandelsson) all of whom almost have story arcs of their own to get through, even if the arc precludes the possibility of character development. Inevitably many of actors get shafted in the screen play, we've seen plenty of Morgan Freeman's witty and taciturn technogeek, and not just in this trilogy, but Marion Cotillard who really should make an impact in order to justify her ropey romance with Bale and her third act journey, yet Miranda Tate is always a cypher to the audience, seemingly there only to give the fanboys something to shout about at the end.
Instead of the supporting cast Nolan turns the camera back on the Batman, returning to the story of a scared orphan falling down in order to learn how to get up, an angry child emotionally scarred by his parents untimely death and his battle to clean up the streets. It's thematically linked to the first film in that examination of Bruce Wayne's psyche and the surrogate parental relationships formed with butler, Alfred, and Liam Neeson's Ra's al Ghul and the infamous League of Shadows.
Against this most introspective of comic book hero's it takes a really special performance to steal the limelight, and alas Tom Hardy's Bane whilst superficially fulfilling the flipside to Wayne - a man who started with nothing intent on destroying the world order rather than protecting it not to mention the yin and yang of their masks - is given so little to do about from a couple of rousing, only just decipherable speeches and a chance to pummel the Batman. Indeed Bane is able to build an army and mount a revolution yet the audience aren't given a chance to understand what makes his men follow him, not just into battle but also to a sacrificial alter.
When considering the film I find myself constantly returning to Bane, his plan and his motives. Each time I confuse myself more and more, did Bane want to stir up a revolution to overturn corrupt capitalist society, or was the whole thing a ruse to get Batman so riled up he crawls out of a hole? Doesn't Bane and his key accomplices know the bomb will explode? Did Nolan not think it would be interesting to see the results of Bane's tyrannical overthrow, or was a montage of the rich being thrown out of their hotels enough to satisfy? It's not even as if the politics of the film hit the zeitgeist, Bane doesn't represent the 99% as he's pushing not for equality of opportunity and social justice but another kind of inequality. Even the attack on Gotham's own stock exchange isn't to break the bank but to make some high value transactions of his own. It's the filmic equivalent of Robespierre and Idi Amin keeping the masses in place by routinely executing the old order and redistributing wealth with reckless abandon.
Thank God for Anne Hathaway, from the moment she appears on screen her cat-burglar (geddit???) steals every scene, by turns vulnerable, playful and vindictive, she's the proof Nolan could help create significant, rounded female characters (sorely missing from most of his back catalogue).
Technically this film delivers in spades. Wally Pfister knows how to use IMAX cameras like no-one else in the business, there were times I was as giddy as a school-girl watching the camera work. Lindy Hemmings costumes, always a highpoint of the series once again impress, from the stylish duds of Gotham's partying rich to Gary Oldham's cardies and from the utilitarian suggestion of cat to Anne Hathaway's suit to Bane's coat, which I fully expect to see everywhere this winter.
Overall though I have to say it doesn't matter how much I try to big up the successes in The Dark Knight Rises, the bar was simply too high to climb. Flawed and unwieldy this is not the closing episode any of us wanted and I can really only recommend it to fans of the Batman.
Thursday, 9 August 2012
The Dark Knight Rises
Friday, 14 October 2011
Time for a quick nap (Out this week - 14/10/11)
It's an admittedly facetious title this week, which in part relates to the Cannes nominated film that takes the top slot this week, but it also indicates that there's not much really jumping out to me. If you slept through the weekend would you honestly miss anything worth seeing? Personally I very much doubt it, there may be some OK releases out of 14 new movies (the highest number we've had out in a particular week) including 2 US chart toppers but I doubt anything's going to end up on anyone's top ten lists. Film of the week is Sleeping Beauty.
Sleeping Beauty
This film divided audiences in Cannes where critics fought over whether the central character played by Emily Browning is empowered or subjugated by her job as an unconscious prostitute, and you can be sure Julia Leigh's debut gets the same response in it's UK release.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Dolphin Tale
I don't think anyone had this true-life inspirational fable of a dolphin that loses it's tail and the boy who fights for a prosthetic replacement on their radar at the beginning of the year, sure it may have Morgan Freeman tottering on the edge of the storyline, but no-one expected it to take the $50m it's just passed at the US box office. So it must have something heart-warming in it.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Footloose
Remake of the classic 80's dance drama with Kenny Wormald taking the Kevin Bacon part and bringing rock and roll to the small town where dancing has been banned and bringing the kids to their rebellious feet. I may go and see this...
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Three Musketeers
Each generation gets the Dumas adaptation it deserves, so whilst I grew up with the comic swash-buckler starring Michael York, now we have Paul W.S. Anderson's steampunk visualisation with Logan Lerman (who at least I've never heard of), Christoph Waltz provides bad guy swagger and Milla Jovovich is badass in a corset.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Aazaan
Bollywood movie that explores the boundaries between loyalty to family and to Mother India, as the titular half-Afghan hero must prevent the terrorist plot led by his brother.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Albatross
Low budget British indie with an interesting cast, led by Julia Ormond and Felicity Jones, that explores an unconventional love triangle with one of two friends falling for the others father.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Everything must Go
I'm not completely sure why this Will Ferrell vehicle has completely passed me by until it's UK opening. It could be because it's his reach for dramatic credibility as his relapsing alcoholic loses his family and decides to sell all his stuff in order to move on. Rebecca Hall and Laura Dern support.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Khushiyaan
The Bollywood movie industry is at least in part built on the dramatic tension between family and career, and here the theme is built upon with an architect and his New York based wife and child returning to the Punjab village where he grew up and reuniting with his ailing father.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Real Steel
Rocky with Robots? It swept to the top of the US charts last weekend, and should almost certainly do the same on this side of the pond, with it's ubiquitous bus advertising campaign, but I've yet to hear anything about the movie that makes it seem unmissable. Although Hugh Jackman doing Sugar Ray Leonard's fight choreography might be worth it.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Retreat
It's another entry in the mankind falls apart after a virus begins to wipe people out sub-genre, joining last week's Perfect Sense and the upcoming Contagion, only this time we have sweaty trio of Brit thesps Thandie Newton, Jamie Bell and Cillian Murphy fighting in a small island retreat.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Texas Killing Fields
I'm not sure why but earlier in the year this swampland cop drama was picking up awards buzz, possibly because it's the sophomore directorial effort of Michael Mann's daughter Ami Canaan or the appearance of the ubiquitous Jessica Chastain with Sam Worthington among those chasing the local serial killer with a taste for small girls.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
First Night
Odd little mix of Country house romantic shenanigans and opera as a bunch of industrialists with more time than sense decide to put on an amateur performance of Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutti. The music is, of course, fantastic, but the soap level histrionics look utterly missable.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Snehaveedu
Finally Mayamalan Comic drama also sees a wandering character returning home to his small village, this time the prodigal is the father who must get to know the son he left behind.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Friday, 26 August 2011
How deep is Beauty? (Out this week - 26/08/11)
How can one week look so interesting and yet so weak at the same time. On one end of the scale we have a couple of utter flops that are fighting for the teen audience, whilst at the other there's a (not totally successful) chick-lit adaptation and a Spanish melohorror which are both appealing to me. Of course it's Almodovar who wins out so the runs like a gay film of the week is The Skin I Live In.
The Skin I Live In
Marking their sixth collaboration together, and the first since 1990's Tie me Up, Tie me Down, we have Pedro Almodovar and Antonio Banderas genre-bending in this mad scientist picture. Reviews from Cannes and since have emphasised the high camp that harkens back to the Universal monster heyday.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●●○○○
One Day
It's disgustingly widely read, even I felt the need to turn the pages of David Nicholls' addictive novel, so was always going to face the wrath of the fans on it's release and early reviews have not been kind. That said I didn't like the book so I expect I will like the film!
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●●○○○○
Conan the Barbarian
From what I hear this muscle-bound remake really helps you to appreciate the simplicity and strong plotting of Arnie's original. Jason Momoa gets to wear very little as the titular hero, and amazingly they hired Morgan Freeman to narrate!
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Kill the Irishman
Ultra limited release for this surprisingly starry biopic of longshoreman and gangster Danny Greene who wanted a cut of the Cleveland crime scene without paying respects to the Mafia. Look out for Vincent D'Onoforio, Val Kilmer and Christopher Walken in supporting roles.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
R: Hit First, Hit Hardest
Danish prison drama that does what it says on the tin, expect brutal inmate on inmate violence and maybe some messing with the screws. By way of a twist the central story recounts the friendship between two inmates of radically different racial and religious upbringings.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
As Blood Runs Deep
Another one of those heavy casts of good looking young Americans, a selection of wannabes and nearly were's whose career's hover a step above direct to video. There's been a murder in a close knit community and whilst they appear to be trying to work with the police I smell a conspiracy.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Final Destination 5
Yet another instalment for this utterly preposterous horror franchise with DEATH chasing at the heels of a horde of survivors from a special effects heavy bridge collapse. As ever the most fun will be trying to work out what everyday object holds the key to the characters demise.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Powder
Oddly this dark comedy about the British indie music scene, with all it's ups, downs and general depravity is an American film, which does make you wonder about the state of the British film industry - probably more than you worry about the music at least.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
Morgan Freeman
Happy Birthday to
Morgan Freeman
74 today
The Memphis born Freeman has one of the most delicious voices in Hollywood, so much so that an obvious impersonator is currently doing the rounds in the UK with the More Than Insurance adverts (see after the jump if you must). He has a couple of plum roles on the way: the return of Lucius Fox in The Dark Knight Rises where hopefully he will have more opportunity to question Batman's motives and as a writer suffering a block in Rob Reiner's Third Act.
Friday, 22 October 2010
Penpals Forever (Out this week - 22/10/10)
Last weeks situation is about as far from this week as you could imagine - previously we had a small number of releases with a very clear film of the week, now we're facing an onslaught of movies with nothing standing out but lots in contention for the coveted title. Part of the reason for that is half-term so with all the little kiddiewinks taking a break from studies it's no wonder the studios are pushing out a variety of animation and teen-friendly products. Anyone's guess who's going to lead the box office, but my choice is Mary and Max.
Africa United
Not exactly timely release for this football World cup inspired road movie, as four Rwandan teens must make their way across the continent in order to use their cup final tickets. Interesting view of the cultural impact of sport in a fascinating and diverse continent.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
Alpha and Omega
Our first animated movie for the half term is the least inspired looking with two wolves separated from the pack and on the quest to return to their families. Dannis Hopper gives his last performance in a supporting role.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●○○○○○○○
The Arbor
Award-winning Bradford born playwright Andrea Dunbar had her first play produced at 19 but was dead from alcohol consumption within 10 years having written some of the most provocative plays about Thatcherite Britain. This part-documentary/part-verbatim theatre looks at the experiences of her mixed race daughter.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Carlos
It'sthe shortened version (only 2.5 hours) of Olivier Assayas' mini-series about the infamous Venezuelan terrorist Carlos the Jackal. Whilst I hear incredible things about the quality of the work, I suspect a more fulfilling experience would be to rent the full works and watch the whole 6 hours.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●○○○○○○
Easy A
Emma Stone shines as a high school teen who allows the rumours of her promiscuity to reign in order to protect a friend - rather then shy away from the accusations she embraces the limelight. Could be this years Mean Girls. Stanley Tucci, Patricia Clarkson and Thomas Haden Church bolster the adult talent.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Legend of the Guradians
Anthropomorthism has been a staple of animation and fantasy storytelling for gnerations. So here is the natural amalgamation with a Lord of the Ring type fable as played out by owls. Classy Anglo-Australian cast led by Hugo Weaving, Helen Mirren and Geoffrey Rush.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Mary and Max
Less bombastic animation can be found in this stop-motion picture tracing the relationship between a shy Aussie teenager and her Asperger's suffering penpal in New York. Absolutely unique visual storytelling. Toni Collette and Philip Seymour Hoffman are the writing leads.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Paranormal Activity 2
The first Paranormal Activity was a smash-hit sleeper, taking an original idea, a small budget and clever clever sound design to create a scary phenomenon. This is the highly unnecessary sequel. Watch it if you dare.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Ramona and Beezus
Apparantly massively popular as young teen fiction characters with a heavy duty range of books, nevertheless the trailer looks remarkably full of bathos and utterly missable.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●○○○○○○○○
Red
This action comedy looks like great value as retired (and extremely dangerous) CIA agents Bruce Willis, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman must find out who trying to assasinate them. Ernest Borgnine and Richard Dreyfuss are also on hand in one of the oldest cast lists of all time.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Stoning of Soraya M
Shoreh Aghdashloo stars as a woman fighting against gender intolerance in Iran, especially the barbaric punishment met out on a the titular character after having been accused of adultery.
Runs like a Gay Excitometer: ●●●●●○○○○○
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
Morgan Freeman
Happy Birthday to
Morgan Freeman
73 today
Morgan's in a very special place in his career, venerable, sage-like, when a wise and authoritative role comes along he's pretty much the first person you think of. Such as last year when he was so obviously going to get an Oscar nod for Invictus we all could've put money on it several years before. He's a lucky man to be able to get automatic praise like that (I snark, as I have yet to catch up with the film). Next up is the third of Christopher Nolan's Batman franchise due in 2012 when he will return to the wise sage-like Lucius Fox.
Monday, 1 June 2009
Morgan Freeman
Happy Birthday to
Morgan Freeman
72 today
Hot of the heels of his Human Factor directors birthday yeaterday is soon to be multiple Oscar Winner Morgan Freeman. Let's be hones playing Nelson Mandela can't fail to win some shiny statues.
Thursday, 24 July 2008
The Dark Knight
2008. Dir: Christopher Nolan. Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine and Maggie Gyllenhaal. ●●●●●
I wasn't actually going to review The Dark Knight. I had planned on just watching, enjoying and saying there are better reviewers and reviews out there. That remains the truth but I would like to make my own comments anyway.
The Dark Knight is breaking box office records on pretty much a daily basis - it's now the fastest film to £200m US domestic. Last night I went to the Birmingham IMAX and got caught up in the whole excitement of it. And it's good, it's very, very good. I urge you all to go and see it as soon as you get a chance.
It is not however as good as some reviewers/rabid fan boys are making out.
It opens with a bank job. The Joker and the usual array of no-name expendable henchmen are robbing the bank of Mob money. Later it transpires that this is a ploy in order to lure Gotham gangster population into working together to defeat Batman, alternatively it's purely because The Joker enjoys the sport and wants to be up against Batman.
The violence and threats escalate throughout the film with The Joker backed by the mob on the one side and Batman, Lt Jim Gordon and DA Harvey Dent on the other.
Of course large elements of the plot don't really matter, comic adaptations are about the clashes and the themes not the minutitae, and the clashes certainly work. Aside from the opening heist there are three major confrontational scenes.
In Hong Kong Batman kidnaps a mob accountant. Wonderfully shot, with fantastic editing and fast paced action the scene grabs you from start to finish. Kudos to Wally Pfister for this particular section, as Batman soars so does the camera, perfecting highlighting the dizzying expance of the city.
Back in Gotham there's an underground chase sequence as the Joker, leading a convoy of lorries and dustcarts attempts to assasinate a transferring prisoner - I won't spoil it by saying who that prisoner is... With this section Nolan is comfortably showing the naysayers who rallied against the action in Batmn Begins how much his skills have improved. And we see the batpod - that is one cool bike.
Finally in the thrid act showdown between Batman and the Joker a building site under construction is the setting for some spectular fisticuffs between our dark knight and both the Jokers henchmen and the SWAT teams sent in to do the job.
All of these sequences are great fun, showcasing the high quality of the film, however they are not without their problems. There is the traditional underlit quality of batman fights, yeah it's moody and dark but if we can't see who's getting hit how can we care about them. The sonar gear is nice touch for a bat to use, but "Operation skyhook" looked and felt like a reject from a Roger Moore era Bond film. I also have a problem with the way the batpod scenes were edited together. Essentially batman drives fromt he wreckage of the Batmobile out of the undergound road via car parks, alleyways and shopping malls to get to the Joker's juggernaught. I'll ignore the question about how he knew where he was going, but I can't ignore that there seems little reason for the shopping centre section other than to show how cool the bike is. It's not needed - it only shows up that whilst we see glass doors smashed we have no idea how Batman negotitated the lift into the shopping centre in the first place.
On the acting side most of the cast acquit themselves very well. Heath Ledger is, as you will have heard, excellent. Is it the best performance in a comic film ever? Probably. Will it win Heath a posthumous oscar? Probably not. Whilst Heath inhabits the role like his tailor made clown suit I would be very surprised if it is the best supporting performance we see this year. Also I would hazard to say much of the congratulations going to him should really be given to Christopher and Jonathan Nolan for writing the role in the first place. Not to mention the Joker is a fan boy favourite who would always get rave notices. Although the moments when Heath works the funny aspect are priceless; the disappearing pencil trick and walking away from Gotham Genral come to mind.
Aaron Eckhart does a good job as Harvey Dent, less so as Harvey "Two-Face" Dent, although I feel his performance will improve on repeated viewings. Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Gary Oldman all make the best of expositionary speeches and the odd tear. Freeman also managed to get the biggest laugh of the night.
Bruce Wayne/Batman himself is a tough part to play, and I'm not sure Christian Bale gives us enough of the light and shade of the two personas to make him a rounded character.
The allusions to the way on terror are well made, and it's plea for tolerance and calm is refreshing. If some people walk away from the movie with the idea that brutalising prisoners is wrong and deciding to not pull the pin on the detonator is good then it will achieve more than a hundred Iraqi based "war is bad" movies will do.
Curiously I also felt extremely detached from the action, in spite of being in the IMAX. When I saw the Mist a few weeks ago I felt I was in the supermaket with the protagonists, watching the Dark Knight I felt I was merely an observer to the action.
In conclusion I have to say that whilst The Dark Knight is an excellent film and fully deserving of my 5 star arting (it would prbably be 4 and a half if I could do halves) I do not believe that it is the best film ever made, not even the best comic book adaptation - Spideman 2 was more fun, X2 hit on themes closer to me.
I'm looking forward to getting some feedback on this one...
