Ledger's Last Laugh Takes Him One Final Step into Immortality!

Rating: 10/10 (3 August 2008)

I liked the previous movie, but this one blew me away. It actually strives to be far more clever than you'll see coming. It must take a lot of guts and balls to push ahead for some of the things they got away with. So props to Nolan for sticking to his guns and producing a movie that feels twice as much like one of his films than the last one did. I imagine it has to do with finishing the set up stuff and being established enough to trust his own vision more freely perhaps. The result is something far more interesting and much more adult.
What needs to be said about the rock solid backbone provided by the legends of Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Gary Oldman. Freeman can do those kind of parts in his sleep and yet he still brings an added twinkle in his eye, which suggests a lot in small amount of time.
I've always enjoyed Michael Caine and always adored his dynamic with Bruce and how he brings him back down to earth.
Gary Oldman embodies Jim Gordon so well, finally we see his evolution to Commissioner. From being baffled by his 'death' to being touched by the contrast of gentle family man and desperate hardened last of honest cops. He has a wonderful acting three way dance with Bale and Eckhart. He knows his role and how to serve it so well. He proves again why he's the chameleon of chameleons.
Maggie Gyllenhaal comes off more convincing than Katie Holmes, at the same time, the character is still the weak link. I get that shes tough but thats all I get about her character. So Alas her fate failed to get the desired emotion from me but it actually didn't seem to matter that much, as the pace didn't slow down enough for it too sink in and was too other wise exciting.
Christian Bale certainly brings the special brand of intensity to the table. Bale makes him so much more human but also isn't afraid to remind us of his unlikeable qualities too. Or too allow us to see just how freakishly unstable he looks when he's pounding criminals. His shining moment is probably his being perfectly happy to cripple in lieu of killing. You do see the ghost of the wounded boy he once was in rare moments of nice subtle quite acting. However he's not without flaws either. The prime one being that darn Batman voice he puts on, it's really cheesy and hard to keep taking seriously, especially when he insists on using it privately with people in the know.
The New boy Aaron Eckhart does an extremely admirable effort in a considerably layered turn as Harvey Dent. I needed to care about him and that I was able to do individually speaking. The makeup was fittingly gruesome and the transformation was careful enough. They didn't even really overdo the coin routine. I liked that he didn't compete with Joker, it was a good contrast. Two-Face is ruthless no nonsense stone cold aggression personified. It does get very intense the way he goes after Gordon's family and it's genuinely shocking how he becomes the catalyst for the ending's change of direction for the series.
Yes I've saved the best for last. The now late great Heath Ledger completely washed away any doubts I had, almost from the moment we see him in full stride. As a die-hard Joker fan, I must thank him for such a parting gift for cinema goers. I honestly can't remember the last time I've been so entertained by a single performance. He was literally everything he needed to be. Loved the crowish makeup and the idea that he carved the permanent grin onto his face. I especially liked that in such a serious love to hate performance, he still never entirely lost that sense of black charisma, he is after all in addition to whatever else he is, a black hearted entertainer in his own mind. The blowing up the hospital part was a prime example of just enough underlining humour for the audience. But best of all had to be all the little touches from the comics. The nod to Alan Moore's Killing Joke, the being an compulsive lier, how he changes his story of how he got his scars for each different victim. And yet whatever did really happen, thanks to Ledger's gritty acting, you really feel he's reliving something horrible in those moments. There you see the pathetic shell of a human being behind the Greece paint, the man who loathes the rest of the world for being emotionally stronger than he is, refusing to take the easy way out or to get the joke as he sees it. The ultimate twist on the tears of a clown. It basically shows in spades how much it must have took that uniquely dedicated an actor, willing to go to such extremes to dig up such a real performance. I have to agree with those who hail it among the rare special performances that don't roll round often. It must be said that he is indeed well matched by very accommodating writing. The use of school buses and mental patients who can't know any better really visualise the depth of his evil. Finally the sweetest touch was probably the sheer lenghs they went to in order to show us his intelligence rather than giving endless lip service to it. The opening with the build up's elaborate domino effect of double crosses tells you everything before you even see his face and is perhaps one of the best openings of movies in general.
A hell of a movie, it's told the rest of the summer offerings a big ol' "beat that!" So get yourselves back to those cinemas folks, you haven't a moment to loose, to your peoplemobiles away!