Film Review: The Dark Knight Rises

Certificate: 12A (intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality and language)
Directed By: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Morgan Freeman
Budget: $250 million
Runtime: 164 minutes
Trailer: Watch

The bar that Nolan set with The Dark Knight was so high that there was always the risk that he could become a victim of his own success. In hushed voices people doubted if The Dark Knight Rises would ever be able to hurdle it. Specifically, topping the intensity displayed by Heath Ledger's Joker was always going to be a tall order, and certainly it hasn't been done here. Indeed, the comparisons were always inevitable. But The Dark Knight was one of those rare movie events, the kind of film that doesn't come around often which makes any measurement against it somewhat unyielding. Trilogies are also a notoriously difficult thing to nail, but if there's one man you'd want at the helm it's Christopher Nolan, a man who has yet to make a truly terrible film. And with that, one can safely say that The Dark Knight Rises is one of the most fitting conclusions to a trilogy ever made.

Eight years after the Joker brought a little anarchy to Gotham, the city is at peace and Bruce Wayne (Bale) lives as a recluse within the confines of Wayne Manor. But when cat burglar Selina Kyle (Hathaway) spurs Bruce into donning the mask and cape again he soon unearths a fire rising beneath the streets of Gotham, stoked by a gas mask wearing radical named Bane (Hardy).

In true Nolan fashion, The Dark Knight Rises is very much a film of our time. The stakes are even more portentous where if you thought the Joker's plot was audacious, you haven't seen anything yet. Maniac Bane brands himself as champion of the disenfranchised, issuing a call to arms not to the criminals of Gotham, but to the '99%' lingering in economic recession to take back from those who have exploited them. But this is a smokescreen, a game of shadows masking a far more nefarious plot to tear Gotham apart. The Dark Knight Rises' themes are certainly interesting, raising issues of bankers, occupiers, vengeance and lost hope on an epic and personal scale, and it is these things which you will probably take most from the film. This is a bleak and wholly realistic apocalyptic scenario, something almost tangible in a mirror image to our world. Where the Joker sought to highlight the perennial battle between chaos and order, Bane's plan is much more controlled and purposeful, even simple in its execution. He instigates a battle between the haves and the have nots, playing on inherent systemic unfairness and the uprooting of established models. This is about revolution; a war between existential concepts rather than the fundamentals of the universe.

Bane might not be as iconic as the Joker, or even as nuanced as Heath Ledger's portrayal, but he is nonetheless a memorable villain who demands attention. And while at least you could understand what came out the the Joker's mouth, there's something equally disconcerting and pernicious about the garble emanating through his morphine-pumping Darth Vader costume. But then his sheer physicality does most of the talking for him. Certainly, he is the only villain in the trilogy who ever looks like he might break the Bat, making the caped crusader look fallible, weak, and with that the situation hopeless. In many ways his battle with Batman is just as enthralling as the Dark Knight's brush with the Joker. While a notch below the cerebral out-smarting and counter out-smarting battle of wits with the psychopathic clown, Bane's braun and simplistic eloquence in setting off an unstoppable chain reaction of events poses a different, yet equally fascinating challenge for Batman. Even if the idea of two burly men in pantomime costumes shouting at each other in ridiculous voices should strike one as hysterical.

The contrast between Wayne and Bane is stark. Bruce is the crippled beast that wanders his empty castle without cause or purpose, trapped in a body battered by years of crime fighting. Having lost the love of his life, there is a strong sense that Bruce's journey of channeling his rage into becoming justice incarnate has regressed to the directionless adolescent harbouring uncontrollable grief and rage we met at the beginning of Batman Begins. He believes in nothing anymore, a fact he's consistently reminded of by his conscience, Alfred (Caine). Bruce is concerned only for his own affliction, unlike his parents, who as board member of Wayne Enterprises Miranda Tate (Cotillard) puts it, "invested in the world" through their philanthropic pursuits. The years have left him soft, in the same privileged bracket of the 1% Bane seeks to usurp where his over reliance on technology and bat gadgets prove no match for the masked lunatic. In order to beat Bane, Bruce must first go through the same initiation of the man "born and raised in hell on Earth" (or a pit prison halfway around the world if you will). But this isn't merely for the purpose of a Rocky training montage, slumming it by training in primeval conditions in order to physically harden up; this is very much a spiritual journey which reinvigorates his belief and ethical obligations, ultimately bringing the trilogy full circle.

Bale pulls off the troubled Bruce Wayne masterfully, embodying the tragic tale of a man born with everything yet trapped within the darkest recesses of his own mind. But as much as there is a focus on Bruce's story, The Dark Knight Rises features many other wonderfully character driven plot strands. In particular Anne Hathaway is superb, and any fears surrounding the inclusion of 'Catwoman' (never referred to as such here) are quickly laid to rest. Selina Kyle is introduced in such a delectable manner that you wonder why there was any grumbling in the first place. She effortlessly oozes sex appeal without ever meaning to, her ambiguous motivations making her one of the most intriguing characters in the film. Likewise, there is an incredible amount of time spent on rookie cop John Blake (Gordon-Levit). Displaying similar levels of integrity and fortitude to Commissioner Gordon (Oldman), The Dark Knight Rises actually threatens to become more his story, making a compelling point that DC might do well to make a new spin-off trilogy based purely on him. Michael Caine's Alfred is also given some meaty material, delivered with incredible heart as he imparts the hopes and dreams he once had for his effective adopted son.

If there's any criticism to be had here then perhaps at two-hours forty-minutes The Dark Knight Rises does get nebulous in places.  There's so many plots and sub-plots going on that proceedings slow down about halfway through. Also, similarly to The Amazing Spider-Man, this might be one of the few superhero films which barely features a superhero. Certainly Batman's screen time is less than in Begins or the Dark Knight, but then this is a film which thrives more on the expositions of its characters rather than its action. This also shows, where apart from the American football scene we saw in the trailer its action sequences are perhaps not as spectacular as we've seen before.

None of this however stops this being one of the most satisfying climaxes to a movie trilogy ever put to film. Indeed, Nolan's Batman will be cemented for some time as the best superhero series ever. The Dark Knight Rises is a wrought, emotional epic which is complimented perfectly with Hans Zimmer's exhorting musical score. As bat-fans we have truly witnessed something very impressive over the last seven years. This has been a remarkable series combining spectacle with equally engaging character-driven exposition, delivered in such a delightfully understated manner with style and aplomb. It's just such a shame the legend has to end.

The Dark Knight Rises (Nokia Trailer)

*saliva*

Film Review: 50/50

'Cancer comedy' doesn't exactly sound like the most hilarious thing you'll ever see. Indeed, just how do you make a comedy about cancer? Such is the volatility surrounding such a premise that it's no wonder no one else has dared attempt such a thing. The answer then is that if you're going to do so, you had better bloody well hope you get it right. Fortunately 50/50 manages this in spades, aided undoubtedly by screenwriter Will Reiser, his own struggle with the disease upon which the film's events are based.

When responsible, risk-averse Adam (Gordon-Levitt) is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that has a survival rate of fifty-percent, those closest to him rally round to offer their support. Where his girlfriend Rachel (Howard) vows to stay by his side, Adam's estranged mother (Huston) struggles to come to terms with his illness while rambunctious friend Kyle (Rogen) focuses on getting him sympathy lays.

While the premise might at first sound alarming, if not 'offensive', making light of social taboos need not be cruelly motivated merely to obtain laughs out of serious issues. Certainly this is most definitely not the case here. Despite its bromantic inclination, 50/50 thankfully remains witty without ever forsaking its incredibly touching sentiments. Naturally there is a tricky tonal balance to obtain, and verily half the time you won't know whether you should be laughing or not. However, in order for it to strike such a poise it must remain upbeat in order to resonate with its audience. Consequently 50/50 perhaps might not be as daring as it first appears. Indeed it sonorously shies away in some instances, being just a little bit too careful in the sense that it seems torn between pandering to the viewer and trying to convey something insightful. However such criticism would be nitpicking given the difficulty of the subject material and the inevitability of offending at least someone's sensibilities.

But 50/50 is more than just a comedy. It is as much an exploration of Adam's struggle with cancer as it is an exposition on the effects such a diagnoses has on friends and family. This will evoke an emotional response from its audience, particularly when you realise that Adam doesn't have a plethora of people around to get him through. But it is those who are there which count, and this is most evident in the third act. Often an area where films are weakest, here the seriousness of Adam's condition is palpable, signalled by a shift down in gears from sitcom to drama. Such is the incredible tenderness with which the situation is handled that you'd be dumbfounded to come across anyone that was actually offended by this film.

This is helped along by its characters, most which have an inexpungible saccharine quality. Gordon-Levitt's softly spoken, self-effacing Adam oozes an unimpeachable pathos as we journey with him through the five stages of grief and his showdown with the disease. Along the way he meets a couple of elderly, pot-using cancer patients played veraciously by Philip Baker Hall and Matt Frewer, as well as a trainee psychologist Katherine (Kendrick) who is charmingly out of her depth given Adam is only her third ever patient. Admittedly the development of Adam and Katherine's relationship may seem a little 'cutout', but it is still handled with a geniality that makes this forgivable. You also might be hard pressed to fathom the ignominious behaviour of Adam's girlfriend, indeed hoping that if 50/50 is based on Reiser's own experience that she's entirely fictional. Likewise, Adam's nagging mother may seem a little disingenuous at first but she gives a capacious emotional pay-off by the end. While Rogen shows nothing new from his previous outings as an irrepressible hairy slob, he is nonetheless likeable and provides the film with its main comic impetus. What separates Rogen's familiar nuances here however is the context as he attempts to make sense of the fact that his best mate might die. There's more to Kyle than just partying and getting laid, a depth allured to that gives this otherwise recognisable character a genuine redeeming quality.

50/50 is one of the most touching films I've seen all year, boundlessly emotional and with plenty of heart. It works both as a classic Rogen-Apatow comedy as well as a sombre tale of one man's battle with cancer. Just how funny can you get without trivialising something as serious as cancer I hear you ask? Perhaps Will Reiser is one of the few who might know, seemingly taken by the old adage that 'laughter is the best medicine'. While there is mirth and tears in equal measure, the success rate in its precarious balance between humour and inquisition of such a pernicious illness is greater than 50/50.

Film Review: Inception

It's difficult to know where to begin when trying to describe Inception. It's kind of like, the Matrix meets Ocean's 11 meets Bond meets Memento. To sum it up in a word: Mindfuck.

It's difficult to summarise what is an absolutely ingenious plot. Cobb (DiCaprio) is a freelance corporate spy who specialises in a very unique type of security; the human mind. He and his colleagues have developed a technique through which they can enter one's dreams and extract information known only by that person. When a job goes wrong on a Japanese business man, Saito (Watanabe), he enlists Cobb to perform the previously thought impossible; Inception - planting an idea in the mind of a target rather than extracting it. Enticed by the promise from Saito that his success will allow him to see his estranged children again, Cobb agrees, risking his own mind should he fail.

Inception is clever without being pretentious, a rare quality in the face of some hugely pseudo-intellectual arty films that people tend to rave about. It does not try to deceive you with magician's tricks, like one of Nolan's other works, The Prestige. Inception lays everything you need to know in front of you. There are parts where you will say "come again?", but it really works your brain in such an enjoyable manner that you will want to watch it again, and not for the reasons you might think. Christopher Nolan doesn't seem to direct a bad movie. After the massively successful revamp of the Batman films he can do no wrong. But as I think about it, when has he ever directed a bad film? The fantastic thing about Nolan though is that he does not attempt to ram a point down your throat. Rather, he presents numerous themes for the audience to contemplate themselves. Grief, faith and the afterlife are all there to be pondered upon in Inception. Or, if you're like me, have heated discussions with others over what the real meaning of this or that was. Knowing Nolan though, he'll never tell us himself what he truly meant.

The artistry involved in this film is incredible. From the Matrix-style fist fights in zero gravity to Paris being uprooted and twisted upon itself. From the high octane gun battles in the pouring streets of LA to the glaringly blatant yet still enjoyable homage to Modern Warfare 2. Inception has some fucking cool scenes. The way in which these are all so complexly edited together to form the layers of the mind's subconscious is so incredible and mind boggling, yet somehow managing to maintain coherency, that it will absolutely fry your brain at how awesome the whole spectacle is.

DiCaprio used to be someone I never really liked. Don't ask me why, just 'something about him' I guess. A bit like Clooney. However, he has now officially won me over. He is an absolutely brilliant actor and literally carries the film without putting an emphasis on it. Of course everyone puts out a fantastic turn and you will recognise some from previous Nolan films, most noticeably Cillian Murphy who played the Scarecrow in Batman Begins. Whilst the characters are solid, the narrative sacrifices their development for Cobb's story to be told. This in no means detracts from the film, but I thought some characters, particularly Gordon-Levitt's Arthur and Ellen Page's Ariadne could have been explored further or given more personality. This is but a very minor quibble though. For what is sacrificed in them however is made up in DiCaprio's portrayal of Cobb. Depth oozes out of him and you can really believe his tale. You empathise with this man, forming a genuine attachment to his plight. It's fantastic to watch and marks the second time this year (the other being Shutter Island) in which DiCaprio has produced an outstanding, if not career defining performance.

This is a bloody clever film, but it is not half clever as it thinks it is. You are constantly barraged with information so you will need to pay attention if you want to stand any hope of following what's going on. But you will be rewarded with a highly satisfying feeling having done so, even if it may feel a little, for want of better word, clichéd, but not. You will however want to watch it again, just to make sure. Somehow, somehow, Nolan has managed to create an intellectual film which is also emotional without skimping on the explosions. All this without letting the success of the Batman series get to his head to go on a wildly pretentious 'creative' spree. This is an amazing film, probably film of the year, and a definite must see.