Not since The Matrix...

Rating: 10/10 (17 June 2005)

... has there been a film that is everything that you want it to be.
With the Batman series so far, you have to give yourself over to the fantasy aspect, and cherish the performances of actors such as Nicholson in order to forget the more comic-book aspects of the films - and rightly so, before this.
You could have questioned how a relatively 'straight' screenplay could possibly fare? In Batman Begins - BRILLIANTLY! Bale plays the straight and perversely charming Wayne, so much nearer to the TV series that introduced more of us to Batman than the comics. Cain plays his restrained loyalty perfectly, and Oldman plays his emancipated cop, empowered by his relationship with Batman, with a biting reality.
It is, however, Bale's performance that stands out - a consummate actor and inspired casting, his character is believable, enigmatic, and complex - without being overly intense (a la Kilmer). Keaton has been knocked off the number one spot by a worthy winner in Bale.
I don't know how it's done, but the directing of the actors enables Bale to gift us this character without competing with both huge stars and excellent character actors.
Relying upon the films rather than the comics for my background in Batman, there are omissions of couple of fundamental story threads that I thought I would miss. Not so. Batman Begins has almost inexplicably succeeded in wiping the slate clean and starting again.
It is this Batman that you care about, this Batman that you hope is delivered next time - intact, no actor changes, all supporting cast and film-makers in place, and please - no style changes! Tim Burton had his free rein in his second film and royally messed it up: dark does not need to be unwatchable.
This is dark, at times scary and disturbing, superbly entertaining, and the filmmakers are in their element.
Without knowing how the film would end, I spent the majority of the last third hoping the film wasn't about to draw to it's close. The lady on my left spent most of the film sitting forward on her seat and, apart from the laughing responses to well spaced jokes, a transfixed audience uttered not a sound.
I made 4 phone calls on the way home just to rave about it - at 11 o'clock at night on a weekday, and for the first time in my life will be going back to the cinema to see a film again - Batman Begins.
Bravo.