Of all the little annoyances I could itemize, an undeserved Oscar ranks somewhere around the top 10. Naturally, when the late Heath Ledger's name was linked to a possible nomination for his work as Joker in The Dark Knight, I found myself skeptical, a little peeved, and unusually disgusted.
I unrightfully presumed the buzz was part of some underhanded production scheme to incur more than double the projected profit -- a way of marketing a film through the untimely death of its star actor.
I've been more wrong, but I was pretty fucking wrong. We'll talk about him in a bit.
To start with, my friend and I caught the 12:01 AM showing (that's right; this film is being shown by the minute) which to no surprise was completely full.
Enter Batman. I'm not quite a "Balehead," but Christian delivered an expectedly solid performance. Phenomenal? I wouldn't go so far. He makes a wonderful superhero, but Bruce Wayne is a character we all know Bale can commit to. He normally takes on psychologically challenging and intense roles, fully submerging himself; he breathes life into his characters. For The Dark Knight, he was simply a good Batman. And I'll leave it at that.
Maggie Gyllenhaal was perfect for Rachel. She is homely enough for us to believe it. I mean this in the most endearing way, of course. You see, Bruce could have any woman he damn well pleases. (Hello, a billionaire with a never-ending trust fund and nothing short of gorgeous). But he chooses the loyal, honest, and emotional Rachel. It's mathematics, folks.
Morgan Freeman was Morgan Freeman and we've all come to expect nothing less. Dignified, moral, and always one step ahead. God, I wish he was my grandfather.
I want to briefly discuss Aaron Eckhart and Gary Oldman. These two were severely under-advertised in the trailers, which may have benefited them. Both take on very powerful roles and if you're paying enough attention to them instead of the reintroduced Batcycle, you witness unadulterated character development. Lieutenant James Gordon (Oldman) starts off as the somewhat desperate cop who is always subconsciously relying on Batman. By the end, following the chaos, destruction, and corruption, he must take a stand. Harvey Dent (Eckhart), on the other hand, is the meek but righteous district attorney. I don't want to spoil anything, but like Joker says, "Madness is, as you know, like gravity—all it takes is a little push."
If I were to tell you that Heath Ledger gave the performance of his lifetime, I wouldn't be doing him any favours and you still wouldn't get it. So just go and see The Dark Knight. I found myself, and not out of some teeny-bopper affection, genuinely wishing Ledger was on earth to see his work. The word "untimely" has taken on new meaning. Because before The Dark Knight, sure, we knew Ledger was talented. But this showcase was one of versatility, brilliance, commitment, and honesty. I'm raving about him until I cannot stand it.
Aside from comments on performances, I'm not sure what else can be said about this film. Cinematography? check. Thrilling action sequences? Check (and just wait until you see the tunnel/truck scene; I found myself yelling out "dayummm")
It's hard to believe The Dark Knight derived from a colourful, saccchrine comic. The raw emotions, analysis of the human psyche, and overall badass-ness propelled Batman a new genre: once-gimmicky-comics-turned-into-adult-action-dramas.
In all fairness, the only aspect of the film that might have audiences squirming is the length (2 hrs and 30-something minutes).
So, am I saying The Dark Knight was perfect? For you? maybe. For me? DEFINITELY.
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