watching movies one cup at a time

What can I say that hasn’t already been said in the flurry of excitement over this movie? The rave reviews are pouring in as this film rockets past all box office records. Does it really live up to all the crazy hype surrounding it? Yes, it absolutely does.

I expected this film to be good. The trailers were all very promising and even early on Heath Ledger’s Joker promised to be a fascinating character. But even my high expectations were far exceeded. Quite simply this movie has shattered the mold of superhero films and taken the genre to a level no one ever expected a comic book movie to go. It is a crowning moment and has raised the bar to a height I doubt many will be able to grasp.

What sets it apart? The characters. They are interesting, they have depth, they are flawed, they are real. There are no super-powers here, just people trying to deal with a broken down system that is poised on the brink of oblivion. It’s a world unhinged from a sense of right and wrong, spiraling down into chaos and anarchy. Batman and his allies see a better possibility, a hope for a better future, and fight to save the city like a levy holding back a rising sea. But even the so-called heroes can fall and succumb to the madness of a world without justice. But it is not a world of absolutes and the internal conflict each character has speaks to the very real human condition.

Another thing that sets it apart? The film is the perfect balance of thought-provoking drama and groundbreaking action sequences. Other superhero movies fail in presenting an authentic dramatic story and often use it merely as a device to propel the audience into another fight scene where brick walls get smashed and cars go flying. The Dark Knight makes every explosion count, every smashed car relevant, and every punch with purpose. It all backs up the story instead of push it out of the way. And in this world there are no guarantees of a happy ending. This film is not afraid to kill off lead characters and let the bad guys win.

Heath Ledger’s Joker lives up to all the hype. He positions himself as the perfect villain to Batman’s hero and connects the two as being costumed freaks spawned from the same freaky world. The Joker is not logical yet seems to have a higher logic. In a world gone mad, madness is the only truth. Justice is a lie and so is good and evil. Just illusions to make us feel better and grab on to so we don’t have to admit that there is nothing guiding this out-of-control bus ride. The Joker doesn’t want money or even to kill, he wants to pull the mask off the false security we all cling to, the lie that good will always conquer evil and that justice will always prevail. It’s a world of chaos and randomness, and the Joker is merely an agent of this chaos that brings it up to a level that cannot be ignored. And Batman is there to stop him as an agent of order, of control, of justice. Batman aspires to a higher truth, a higher justice that operates outside of the law. He wants to reign in the chaos and subdue it so no one will suffer the losses he has felt. But when does the fight to control create so much resistance to that control that it escalates to catastrophic heights. This is a very dark movie.

The acting is superb in this film. Heath Ledger immerses himself 100% into the role and creates an indelible impression. You simply cannot picture anyone else as this character. And his tragic death unfortunately also puts an end to this most compelling figure. I would have loved to see the character arc over several films, breaking out of the cliche “new movie, new bad guy” model that most other superhero movies fall into.

There is promise in Harry Dent’s horrifying Two-Face. His fall from white knighthood is presented perfectly and you can believe the evil in his disfigured appearance, thanks to an amazing performance by Aaron Eckhart. He plays the shades of gray between hero and villain with finesse and all the subtlety needed to make it real.

Christian Bale improves on his performance in Batman Begins. This Bruce Wayne has more depth and more to lose. Everything really does feel on the brink of falling apart at all times. And the threat of Batman actually losing his fight is very real. The last few moments of the film are breathtaking. He transcends a rich dude in a costume and becomes the dark knight he was meant to be.

Maggie Gyllenhal is a capable actress, but she is not Katie Holmes. Not that Katie Holmes was all that brilliant. But her Rachel Dawes was more believable as a crusading prosecutor and stunning love interest. I hate to say it but Maggie Gyllenhal frankly just isn’t pretty enough and she is not compelling enough for me to believe that Bruce Wayne and Harvey Dent would go to such great lengths for her. Katie Holmes’ Dawes character was perfect in her innocence, classic beauty and purity. And this would have given the tragedy that befalls her even more weight. Why Holmes turned this role down is beyond me. With an estimated $2 million dollar payday one can only assume that the “advisers” in her life steered her in the wrong direction. A foolish mistake that will cost her. Don’t get me wrong, Maggie G. does a good job with the role and can definitely act. I believed her character and appreciated her performance. There are far worse choices that could have been shoved in there. She just wasn’t as perfect as all the other lead roles. When the standard is this high, even a good performance can seem weaker.

I saw this movie on the Imax screen and much has been made about how this is the first feature film to actually use the Imax cameras to film scenes. I gotta say it made a huge difference. It made the entire experience very intense. I felt on edge the whole time, in a good way, and like I was really in the center of this world. Definitely make the effort and go see it in Imax. It felt like an exhilarating roller coaster ride that left me trying to catch my breath by the end. Fantastic.

I hope this movie gets considered in the Oscar race. Not that it needs Oscar’s approval, but this is a film that finally transcends the genre and Oscar has mostly ignored anything in the fantasy/sci-fi/action realm, with a few exceptions. This is the movie to break that trend. And Heath Ledger deserves every accolade he is getting. An astonishing performance that leaves us wanting more but tragically ending character forever.

I want to also mention the fantastic Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard soundtrack. There is none of the Danny Elfman wacky circus soundtrack here. Zimmer has composed a soundtrack that deftly equals the films dark tone. It’s moody, it’s dark, it’s sad, it’s powerful, it’s perfect. Throughout the entire movie the tension was dramatically increased by the music. The sense of dread it evoked make the ride even more intense.

So where do the filmmakers go from here? Can they develop an equally compelling story for the next installment. I certainly hope so. This is a rare example of a sequel exceeding the first film. Maybe there is hope for another shot. I know I will be there on opening weekend.