For Best Picture Oscar

Rating: 10/10 (23 July 2008)

I initially went to watch this film mostly to see Heath Ledger's take on the Joker. That was three days ago. The Dark Knight still haunts me now.
The Dark Knight transcends the superhero genre. It's on big morality play. It's a crime drama with interesting action scenes thrown in. Admittedly though, the movie wouldn't have worked if it wasn't a superhero movie. The best aspect of this movie is the complicated plot that revolves around the Joker. We keep on guessing what his ultimate plan is, what he's going to do next, how will Batman and friends deal with him? It was so many stories interwoven that it will keep your mind occupied up to the end. One particular thing I liked is that the love triangle did not throw off an already good plot line. It rather enhanced it. The script was the best thing done here. It wasn't boring. It was complicated but understandable.
The script also devoted a lot of time with the supporting characters that it felt like an ensemble piece rather than a story revolving around Batman vs. Joker. But the acting was great.
A marked improvement was the better portrayal of Rachel Dawes. Maggie Gyllenhall could portray well that she carries the burden of knowing that Bruce Wayne is Batman with just facial expressions. It wasn't flat or overacted. She's not a damsel in distress either. She can take care of herself. She did manage to physically assault the Joker. She was just overpowered and captured.
Christian Bale was excellent in conveying Bruce Wayne's dilemma. Yeah, he was more Bruce Wayne here than Batman. His Batman voice wasn't more menacing as the previous film. It came somewhat annoying sometimes, in a sense that it was obvious to movie characters that Batman's voice wasn't a natural one. Best entrance was the interrogation scene. It reminds us on how unnerving he is on comics on other characters, even fellow heroes.
A revelation here was Aaron Eckhart. He played a perfect Harvey Dent, an ambitious and driven district attorney who only wants to do good for this city. His portrayal of Two-Face was compelling. It was a character who could not handle well the tragedy he suffered and he got that down to pat like we expected Two-Face to be. But he was better as Harvey Dent because we really liked him as a person.
Gary Oldman's Gordon was a conflicted character. Gordon wants to get rid of all the criminals in Gotham. He's saddled by the fact that the police force is infiltrated by the mafia. He also keeps on scrambling to catch the Joker and prevent his plans from wreaking havoc. Morgan Freeman's Fox knows his boss is Batman and supports him 100%. But he does have his own principles and scruples and makes him more believable as a character. On the other hand, Michael Caine's Alfred stays loyal to Batman. He also has some of the best lines. His character here shortened as compared to the previous film but his presence is necessary nevertheless.
I liked the crime bosses here too. You hate them at first but later they are scared of the Joker. I never really like Eric Roberts before but here, I could view his character with sympathy. They're too afraid of Batman so that they're meeting in daylight and their hoods hide upon seeing the Bat Signal.
Heath Ledger's portrayal is the Joker can be described as creepy and disturbing. You'd never realize it was him. It's the best because Joker wasn't trying to be funny. He's an inscrutable psychopath who's out to create havoc for no one else knows why but him. He's also a dangerous hand-to-hand combatant and shoots really well. He planned it all from the start. He's a criminal genius out to prove that anyone can be as murderous as he is. Case in point: the ferries scene made me very nervous and didn't expect how the problem would solve itself. His hospital visit was funny but you realize that he was person without scruples. And what he said to Two-Face about not to take what he did to him personally was the best ironic statement in the movie. The Joker here was pure evil and chaos, not a clown trying to be a mass murderer. Best Actor? Definitely. A supporting actor wouldn't do him justice. His character was the centre of the movie together with Batman. He also had the best lines and delivered them with menace you'd loose bladder control if you were with him in the same room.
This film ought to be best picture for many reasons. It has a superb script, amazing cinematography, appropriate score, and a great cast who could all act. But it's more than that. It haunts you and makes you giddy at the same time. It makes you want to watch it all over again. It reminds you of the Titanic bandwagon. It doesn't have the Titanic's mushiness. The appeal is more mental. It's so perfect. Oh yeah, it earned a lot. So start the buzz.