Dark Diamond

Rating: 10/10 (20 July 2012)

When Nolan and company set out to conclude their Batman trilogy, they probably had no idea it would get this far and would take on this shape, resulting on a couple of unexpected public reactions. From now on, it will always be associated with the word violence. It's not the most violent film ever, but it's so well made that it conveys the sensation, visually, through its writing, acting, and directing that it might be. The film is more complex and satisfying than its predecessor, though Bane, its central villain is pure evil, an entity that no matter how much is explained throughout the film, emanates pure, ugly violence, and for many in the audience will no have any redeeming qualities, regardless of its ending. It should be acknowledged that the successful depiction of this character's nature is Tom Hardy's excellent in its portrayal. Secondary viewings might be required to fully appreciate that much more lurks beyond his obvious nature. Watch his eyes in the final scenes of the film, and you might barely begin to understand who he might be.
Bain is just one of the elements that make this film shine. There is the mysterious "Cat" or Catwoman, as some people might know her better, and some of us might even want to change her identity to something else by the time the film ends. Women do very well in this film, and Scarlett Johanson has some serious competition when one admires how wonderful Anne Hathaway is. It's just amazing that she manages to outdo the really good work Pfieffer did in the second movie Burton did with the Batman characters. Hathaway drips with physical power, and there is plenty going on behind her motivations and her complicated, flawed persona. It is truly enjoyable to see her interact with Bruce/Batman. She is too smart not to see what's going, but this makes it more difficult to make crucial decisions as the plot grows darker and darker.
Then, we have the young cop who tries to uphold justice and save the world. Lewitt has never looked so good and after 50/50 has developed into a much better actor. He's not just a cop, a detective, someone who needs a mentor. His goal is to achieve a place of greatness, maybe alongside Gordon and/or Batman. Whether he might survive the ever enveloping growing hell around him is up to the designs of Nolan and company.
There is a very interesting, intelligent, and demanding screenplay at the heart of the story which is expertly directed and executed by Nolan's superb hand. He understands his characters, knows how to keep the film intelligent, respecting its sources, and making the citizens of his fictional world as real as possible. In smaller roles, great actors like Freeman, Caine, and Oldman shine. No one is neglected, and no detail is left unsupervised, details that only help make the film much better.
In the end, we go to this films to enjoy a great film, with expertly balanced technology and good old-fashioned character development. Everything clicks here, and this is what happens when classics are born.