A Triumph of a crime film (not just a simple comic book movie)

Rating: 10/10 (16 July 2008)

I was just afforded the opportunity to watch the newest batman installment The Dark Knight but not only did i get to lay my eyes upon a Nolan gift to the world, I saw it at 12.00pm and school was back in session.
So without the constant ramblings of minors or the reverberating sounds of popcorn crunching I was allowed to fully appreciate what had been put to the screen.
To say i was elated with the finished result is an enormous understatement but it is also something that does not come on like a flood. Some scenes once begun can seem like a simply and brainless action flick as "spiderman" is asked to chose someone's fate but the conclusion of each scene leaves you stunned as if you have just come to the twist in fight club and no one has spoiled the ending.
It does not take much thought to see that this is a good film, but soon after the movie whilst you are sipping on your Mocha or catching the train home as I did, that you realise this is a great film. Morals are questioned and lines are crossed and these are all beautifully created by the Nolan brothers.
They may not have the odd brilliance of the Coens or the VFX beauty of the Wachowski's but this brother duo are the new force to be reckoned with in theatre. The title says crime film and I stand by that notion because what the Nolan's put to screen is not a comic-book PG blockbuster. Within minutes you feel like you are watching another crime thriller even though the protagonist is dressed in a black Kevlar suit and the antagonist dolled up like a two-dollar hooker.
The action/story is fast-paced and the editing very edgy throughout fight scenes keeping that sense that we are all just blind as bats as he moves amongst us.
And now onto the performances, Without doubt one of Ledger best characters and I know that the former statement is already echoing like a poor cliché but it can be justified. It was not so much as what he said in the movie that evoked my 'endearment' but what he left to his body. His jerky movements and twitches as he almost seems uncomfortable in the trappings of his human body and then when he does open his mouth it amplifies everything that his body tells you. It is so easy to forget that this is in fact Heath Ledger, the man who sang to Julia Stiles in 10 Things I Hate About You, he simply is not himself and you can feel just how much he put into his performance because you truly believe that this man is mad.
It goes unsaid that Morgan Freeman and Michael Cain both dominate in their particular roles especially in the case of Cain as he is given some wonderful dialog, which he delivers with perfect tone absolutely stealing the scene from anyone he is accompanying.
Bale again shows the world what a real batman should be; torn, misguided, hopeful and terrifying but the one role that truly stood out in the film was that of Gary Oldman. Long gone is the sympathetic innocence we saw of his character in Batman Begins, as he gives rise to a powerful Gordon and a character that really belongs in Nolan's envisioning of Gotham. As i watched each scene with Oldman I thought that i was watching the likes of Keitel or Spacey, he took every opportunity to prove himself as a great actor and in each scene he intimidates the audience with his power.
The main factor behind the re-birth of the Batman franchise is believability, Gone are the glo-paint and mo-hawks as the Nolan's give a haunting image of a world, our world, riddled with corruption in it's darkest hours before the dawn.
Without hesitation i give this movie 10 stars as it is beautifully shot, encouragingly directed, impressively written and memorably performed. This sets a new standard for the comic-book movie, I wonder who can step up to the plate?