Friday, November 14, 2008

The Dark Knight

Back when this was having its theatrical run proper, everyone was talking about it. At the time, I wondered what it was that had created such excitement - one part the Heath factor, one part it being the next instalment in a blockbuster franchise that had been re-energised with the first Nolan entry, and (probably) one part the actual quality of the film, I was thinking. Anyway, it's really seriously good - dark in a gritty, morally ambiguous (and, I'm inclined to think, ambivalent) way rather than in the (admittedly fun) baroque, gothic fashion of the Burton instalments, and viscerally exciting as well as genuinely intelligent. Lots of great turns, too - Bale really inhabits the character, and the others aren't far behind (loved the William Fichtner cameo in particular). The extent to which it and Batman Begins fit together as a single work is impressive, too.

(w/ Steph and Sunny @ IMAX)