Page: 1 2 3 4 5
Edge44
3rd year Batmanian
Global user
Registered: 09-2005
Location: Everywhere
Posts: 1095
Karma: 5 (+6/-1)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Track Your Film Viewing, 2008
quote:
algy wrote:
Just seen THE LIVES OF OTHERS. As you say, brilliant.
It is, isn't it? I know there's something great about a film when I'm still thinking about it weeks later, and, in fact, can't stop thinking about it... is that just me or do others suffer this same obsession?
---
"Everything's relative..."
|
|
7/21/2008, 11:03 pm
|
Send Email to Edge44
Send PM to Edge44
|
algy
Pool player 2001
Global user
Registered: 09-2005
Posts: 524
Karma: 6 (+6/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Track Your Film Viewing, 2008
Not just you. Lives of Others has only just knocked No Country out of my head and it took such a film to displace Jesse James!
A recomendation for anyone with small children: MEET THE ROBINSONS. Keeps them transfixed for hours 
---
This is why we come
So we know their names
When those Spurs are done
|
|
7/22/2008, 7:47 am
|
Send Email to algy
Send PM to algy
|
Edge44
3rd year Batmanian
Global user
Registered: 09-2005
Location: Everywhere
Posts: 1095
Karma: 5 (+6/-1)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Track Your Film Viewing, 2008
THE DARK KNIGHT (Christopher Nolan, 2008)
*** SPOILER WARNING ***
First of all don't let the 12A certificate fool you; this is not a Batman for the kids! The Dark Knight is exactly what its title suggests - dark.
As ever though, with any kind of comic book superhero movie, there's going to be issues with story logic, and the Dark Knight is no different. Yet that can be overlooked to some extent. After all, this is a comic book superhero, so we will subconsciously allow our suspension of disbelief to run further than usual... won't we?
Gone are the gothic sets of the Tim Burton era (there were still shades of these in Batman Begins), replaced with the modern idea of a real city. Grounding the story and the characters in such an environment is a truly great effect for Batman... the character seems more acceptable, in effect, more realistic.
And the story is very good. As good as Batman Begins was, I was disappointed in the 'studio story' that turned out (on the surface of Act 3, at least) to be nothing more than the typical Hollywood blockbuster - spectacle over substance. Yes, The Dark Knight certainly has plenty of spectacle, but it's skillfully woven into the fabric of the story through good writing, which means it has a reason for being there.
And the skillful writing comes to the fore with the characters. I anticipated Ledger's turn as the Joker being overrated by the critics and so on because of his death, but no, I can assure you that's not the case; Ledger is excellent as the Joker, in fact, he's brilliantly terrifying, yet I feel he's excellent because the writing for this part is excellent.
But (and this is a big but that might get me shot at) Bale comfortably gives the better performance. Ledger only has to give two dimensions to his part: lucid insanity spiked with sadistic indifference. Bale, however, has to show the subtle intricaces of a man suffering extreme levels of internal conflict: a man fighting between being the Batman and being Bruce Wayne; a man fighting with the almost unacceptable consequences of his actions; a man fighting to stay within the boudaries of his own rules when those rules seemingly become meaningless (Batman will not kill); a man fighting between the love of his life and doing the greater good for the people... his performance is excellent. Everybodys' performances are excellent: Oldman's subtle, underplayed Gordon, who is a man trapped between idealism and disillusionment, and Eckhart's Harvey Dent and Two Face are two sides of the same coin (sorry  ... but that is the point of the character) - charismatically persuasive and sympathetically frightening, and Eckhart pulls if off.
There's lots I could talk about but I'd better stop now - my boss is watching me.
For me Nolan has surpassed expectations with The Dark Knight. This is a sequel but it is far superior to Batman Begins. Go see it; you won't be disappointed
Last edited by Edge44, 7/29/2008, 10:52 am
---
"Everything's relative..."
|
|
7/29/2008, 10:47 am
|
Send Email to Edge44
Send PM to Edge44
|
algy
Pool player 2001
Global user
Registered: 09-2005
Posts: 524
Karma: 6 (+6/-0)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Re: Track Your Film Viewing, 2008
Finally been to see the Dark Knight and unfortunately I was disappointed; it's just too long. Overloaded, might be a better description but either way there's too much baggage in the film. I heard Kermode's review and he was particlularly scathing about the Dent storyline. I half agree with him in that the Two Face aspect of Dent seems tacked on and superfluous to the film's narrative. Kermode opined that the character should be removed altogether but I don't agree; the Dent storyline was good and well incorporated with Batman's personal issues. It's Two Face that I have a problem with. Why not finish his involvemetn once the Joker has had a word in his ear and then bring the transformed Dent back in the next instalment? I felt the climax between the Joker and Batman was spoiled because I was waiting for Two Face's finale, which, for me, was out of place. As Edge said, the film was about Batman caught in a dilemna. Two Face's refusal to bugger off spoiled that for me. It also spoiled Gary Oldman's otherwise excellent work; his character was finished for this instalment having done all he needed to do. Yet there he is crying for his family and I've no sympathy because he shouldn't be there.
I mostly agree with Edge on Bale's performance but I have to disagree on the writing. There is too much Batman and not enough Bruce Wayne. Once he's in that rubber suit it doesn't really matter who's wearing it (what's his name in Revenge of the Sith aside). I think Bale is underused as is Caine as Alfred while Morgan Freeman as the 'Q' character is overused. All this adds to the rushed, heavy feel of the script. There is a good film in there but it's swallowed by the flab of Two Face and the Batman himself. A chance missed I think.
---
This is why we come
So we know their names
When those Spurs are done
|
|
8/27/2008, 11:59 am
|
Send Email to algy
Send PM to algy
|
Add a reply
Page: 1 2 3 4 5
Powered by AkBBS 0.9.5b - Link to us
- Blogs
- Hall of Honour
- Chat
Click here to get your own free message board
|
You are not logged in (login)
Board's time is: 11/23/2009, 12:31 pm
|
|
|