The Dark Knight Rises

Lots, lots to say today, folks.

Such, such an amazing film. I'm not going to lie and tell you that it's a short three hours; but is it worth the time? Yes. Perhaps tepid reviews stem from the feeling that you're watching a three-part miniseries back-to-back. While writer/director/producer Christopher Nolan has decided it's time for him to give up the mask (though not the cape, evidently, as he's produced the forthcoming Man of Steel), he's given us one final film for the franchise. He's also proven that The Dark Knight can be bested. 

Nolan drives the film as he's been wont to do - with gripping action sequences punctuating somewhat languid plot movement. He's good though, and he has good editors; whereas other directors or films highlight the action as chaos that needs to be ordered, Nolan's sequences are about the plot, making sure not to put too much emphasis on destruction (of which there is plenty). Plus, we now know who our villain is: Bane. The other man-in-a-mask figure, played by Tom Hardy, is a massively muscled, impervious mercenary on a mission to bring anarchy to Gotham, to let fear and corruption drive the citizens to destroy one another. Why this is a goal for villains, I will never understand. But okay. 

As I was saying... In the eight years since the death of Harvey 'Two-Face' Dent, Commissioner Gordon has restored order to Gotham while Bruce Wayne and his alter ego have been out of commission, in mourning and in hiding, respectively. Rumors fly about the playboy-turned-recluse, but not until a young cop (Joseph Gordon Levitt) pays a heartfelt visit to Wayne Manor does the caped crusader come out of retirement. Of course, it's not as easy as putting on the suit - it never is - there are a few new faces trying to make life difficult for Wayne. First there's Bane, then there's this sneaky little vixen, a cat burglar (ergo: catwoman) by the name of Selina Kyle. 

The fact that Caine, Bale, Freeman, and Oldman give great performances is no surprise. It's consistent with the first two films. In fact, they're all better, without the burden of a weak female lead. Anne Hathaway is surprisingly versatile as cat burglar Selina Kyle, with a dash of unexpected sex appeal. There was a lot of doubt and some serious backlash when the first screenshots of Hathaway were released. What Nolan's done, though, that's really smart, is to start Hathaway off in a modest guise: a meek personality, submissive, and unthreatening. It makes the transition from Mia Thermopolis (face it, she's still The Princess Diaries girl) to Selina Kyle go much more smoothly. Especially fun is the moment she slips past Officer John Blake to escape a crime scene. Joseph Gordon Levitt is Blake, an idealistic cop who seems to be the only one willing to do the right thing. He looks up to Bruce Wayne as a fellow orphan who's made something of himself, and he quickly becomes an ally for Commissioner Gordon. Levitt makes a strong case for a character that is not a villain and not a part of the first two films - and the fact that Christopher Nolan has assured us that he will not be making another Batman film means that we are unlikely to see Levitt in the role again. Still, another new character is Miranda Tate, played by the fourth Oscar-winning actor in the cast, Marion Cotillard. I may be more than a little biased toward Cotillard, but she really is excellent. I'm not the only one whose jaw dropped - you'll know when, and why, when you see the movie.

If there's one generalization to be made for the films of Christopher Nolan, it's that he works from a tight, if complex, script, and with a dynamite cast. While his list of credits may not be prolific, it's proof that quality is what counts. My interest in this third Batman movie comes primarily from the casting choices, and what he's done with these characters is so very good that I am actually a little disappointed at the positivity with which Nolan rejects the idea of a fourth film. Maybe it's for the best, though. We wouldn't want Nolan to be the next George Lucas, would we?

Extra Stuff:
- On a personal note, I wonder if Nolan is also a fan of Tarsem's The Fall. I recognized several locations shared between the films. This includes the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India.
- The Dark Knight Rises borrows heavily from Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. I could write a whole separate essay on the similarities.

- Marion Cotillard is the fourth Oscar-winning actor to join the franchise. Other winners include Michael Caine (The Cider House Rules and Hannah and Her Sisters), Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby), and Christian Bale (The Fighter). Cotillard won for her portrayal of Edith Piaf in La Vie en Rose.

- The Dark Knight trilogy features several performers that have had roles in other Christopher Nolan films. 

     > The Prestige: Bale, Caine

     > Inception: Caine, Cotillard, Hardy, Levitt, Murphy, Watanabe

//rant: Baz Luhrmann should have cast his Gatsby entirely out of Nolan's Inception. That way he could have DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby, Joseph Gordon Levitt as Nick Carraway (muuuuuch better idea than Tobey MacGuire), Marion Cotillard and Tom Hardy as Daisy and Tom Buchanan, Ellen Page as Jordan, Cillian Murphy as Owl-Eyes... that's over half the principal cast right there. //endrant.

Trailer Notes: 

- Trailer for Oz - Somewhat promising, though Rachel Weisz is looks like she'll easily be the most interesting part (oh, wait, she usually is). May look too much like Alice in Wonderland for my liking, though. I'm all about recycling, but it's CGI. Come on, now.

- Trailer for Django Unchained - Looks awesome. Of course, I'm afraid that what I'm hoping for is the next True Grit, and what I'll get is Kill Bill Goes South. 

- Trailer for The Campaign - WTF? What are you doing here? Why does this even exist? 

- Trailer for Man of Steel - I know you're tired of superhero movies (even though you're seeing the THIRD Batman movie), and I know the last time they tried this, it sucked (especially for Brandon Routh, who is now a punchline in the movie Ted). I hope it's not too late for this one. Marketing is certainly doing their best to get you to consider it. There's barely a glimpse of the suit and cape in the promo, and need we remind you it is produced by Christopher Nolan (whose THIRD Batman movie is what you are about to see). Plus it was directed by Zack Snyder! You liked 300, right, 18-35 year old demographic and target audience? I mean, right? But seriously, I liked Henry Cavill back when he did The Count of Monte Cristo, and I thought he should have played Superman the last time Hollywood tried. Not sure he's Superman enough to have saved that film though...