So I saw the Dark Knight Rises today and I must say that it is perhaps the movie of the summer. I do have a review for you as well.
The director Christopher Nolan, has been quoted as saying "I want people to say it was a good movie, not just a good super hero movie."
That is exactly what it was. Now to be honest I was expecting a great deal from this movie and I planned to be somewhat disappointed at it's conclusion just because of how high I set the bar. I wasn't disappointed at all. I tweeted that this was going to be spoiler free review and it will be.
Now I have always loved Michael Caine, and I really enjoyed his portrayal of Alfred and how he was always the advocate of hanging up the cape and mask and moving on with life. His role didn't change and GOD DAMN did he deliver in this movie. He perfectly acted every scene he was in. He took his small role from all three films and blew it out of the water in this movie. I doubt it will happen but it was an Oscar worthy performance.
As for Christian Bale, well he played both Bruce Wayne, and Batman the way he always has, well enough but not truly inspired. He filled the role but didn't really make it memorable, he was good, but not great, however the performance did not in any way damage the telling of an intricate and well told story.
Gary Oldman was well Gary Oldman, an amazing passionate professional who I still remember wondering the first time seeing Batman Begins wondering, "Is that Gary Oldman?" Gordon was a different man in this movie but still played out very well.
Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle was outstanding but then she is perhaps one of the brightest stars in Hollywood right now, and an outstanding actress who truly deserve more respect than she typically gets, and this performance was no different. She was Selina Kyle a cat burglar (never once called Catwoman) she portrayed intelligence, strength, and sex appeal without the obvious bondage gear that most "Catwomen" are usually portrayed with.
Tom Hardy as Bane was truly menacing. Intelligent strong, charismatic, and a true believer in what he did which actually scared me because I know people like that do exist in the world, and he was VERY good at playing that role.
Marion Cotillard her performance sneaks up on you, all I will say there.
Then there is Joseph-Gordon Levitt. Now he has come a long way since 3rd Rock from the Sun, and at some point I will stop seeing him as the adolescent alien here to study the Earth, and it gets easier with each role he plays. He becomes every role I've seen him in recently, Adam in 50/50, Arthur in Inception, even Burt Rodriguez in Elektra Luxx he was great in all of them (I am choosing to forget about GI Joe even though the script wasn't his fault)
This was a movie, not a super hero movie, well written, well acted, well directed, and treated seriously by all the people involved in making it, I can't really compare it to The Amazing Spiderman or The Avengers because those were Super-Hero movies. This is a dramatic action film with an iconic hero from comic fiction who was a man without super powers or a super suit of flying armour. This was a movie that played to some of our most base emotions while still making us think, question and ultimately wonder about more than have's and have nots, more than truth and justice, vigilantism or rule of law, this is a movie that if when you walk away from it not only are you moved by the sacrifices that people can be willing to make, it should make you question what you are willing to do yourself. Sacrifices, volunteering, and most of all what it made me ask myself, and it is a question I'd even been grappling with lately is "When everything has been lost, when you can no longer see the light from the bottom of pit, what is left in you?"
This isn't meant to get preachy but really when stripped down to nothing can you get back up again? It isn't easy, but if you don't try if you stay defeated, then you have learned nothing, and you are only cheating yourself.
I will see this movie again, it could be the first "Super Hero" movie to win best picture.
The director Christopher Nolan, has been quoted as saying "I want people to say it was a good movie, not just a good super hero movie."
That is exactly what it was. Now to be honest I was expecting a great deal from this movie and I planned to be somewhat disappointed at it's conclusion just because of how high I set the bar. I wasn't disappointed at all. I tweeted that this was going to be spoiler free review and it will be.
Now I have always loved Michael Caine, and I really enjoyed his portrayal of Alfred and how he was always the advocate of hanging up the cape and mask and moving on with life. His role didn't change and GOD DAMN did he deliver in this movie. He perfectly acted every scene he was in. He took his small role from all three films and blew it out of the water in this movie. I doubt it will happen but it was an Oscar worthy performance.
As for Christian Bale, well he played both Bruce Wayne, and Batman the way he always has, well enough but not truly inspired. He filled the role but didn't really make it memorable, he was good, but not great, however the performance did not in any way damage the telling of an intricate and well told story.
Gary Oldman was well Gary Oldman, an amazing passionate professional who I still remember wondering the first time seeing Batman Begins wondering, "Is that Gary Oldman?" Gordon was a different man in this movie but still played out very well.
Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle was outstanding but then she is perhaps one of the brightest stars in Hollywood right now, and an outstanding actress who truly deserve more respect than she typically gets, and this performance was no different. She was Selina Kyle a cat burglar (never once called Catwoman) she portrayed intelligence, strength, and sex appeal without the obvious bondage gear that most "Catwomen" are usually portrayed with.
Tom Hardy as Bane was truly menacing. Intelligent strong, charismatic, and a true believer in what he did which actually scared me because I know people like that do exist in the world, and he was VERY good at playing that role.
Marion Cotillard her performance sneaks up on you, all I will say there.
Then there is Joseph-Gordon Levitt. Now he has come a long way since 3rd Rock from the Sun, and at some point I will stop seeing him as the adolescent alien here to study the Earth, and it gets easier with each role he plays. He becomes every role I've seen him in recently, Adam in 50/50, Arthur in Inception, even Burt Rodriguez in Elektra Luxx he was great in all of them (I am choosing to forget about GI Joe even though the script wasn't his fault)
This was a movie, not a super hero movie, well written, well acted, well directed, and treated seriously by all the people involved in making it, I can't really compare it to The Amazing Spiderman or The Avengers because those were Super-Hero movies. This is a dramatic action film with an iconic hero from comic fiction who was a man without super powers or a super suit of flying armour. This was a movie that played to some of our most base emotions while still making us think, question and ultimately wonder about more than have's and have nots, more than truth and justice, vigilantism or rule of law, this is a movie that if when you walk away from it not only are you moved by the sacrifices that people can be willing to make, it should make you question what you are willing to do yourself. Sacrifices, volunteering, and most of all what it made me ask myself, and it is a question I'd even been grappling with lately is "When everything has been lost, when you can no longer see the light from the bottom of pit, what is left in you?"
This isn't meant to get preachy but really when stripped down to nothing can you get back up again? It isn't easy, but if you don't try if you stay defeated, then you have learned nothing, and you are only cheating yourself.
I will see this movie again, it could be the first "Super Hero" movie to win best picture.
VIEW 6 of 6 COMMENTS
The wedding was great, though not Alice themed, that was just the hens party. Will post a blog and pics sometime during the evening.