Reviews

I've always liked Batman. There's something recognisable in the character, or at least something we'd all like to recognise in ourselves- the drive and grit to keep picking yourself up and keep going, the fortitude to keep fighting for what we believe.

Last night when I saw Batman Begins, I saw those qualities in spades, both in the character of Batman, and in the direction of Mr Nolan. Bravo on both counts. After Schmacher destroyed the Batman film franchise, it must have taken a lot of guts for Christopher Nolan to take it up and keep on plugging, but he did, and WOW! Right on the money, in all ways.

The Cast is fantastic! Christian Bale has been a fave of mine since Empire of the Sun, and makes both Batman and Bruce Wayne his own- something I never thought any actor could do in such balance. I loved Michael Keaton's take too, but Bale's billionaire playboy vs. dark knight take rang truer to me than Keaton's slightly quirky, hopeless Wayne. Morgan Freeman is always a winner, Michael Caine is himself (but he's soooo good at it!), cute-as-pie Katie Holmes was maybe a little young for the role, but very creditable, Rutger Hauer, Liam Neeson (shades of the Ep.1 Jedi and padawan here methinks...)all wonderful and totally in sync with the drive of the film.

Batmobile... what can I say? I'll say what every guy in the western world is saying right now. I WANT ONE! As comic book guy would say "Best Batmobile EVER!" The gadgets were cool, and not hopelessly OTT.

I'll be here all day if I itemize everything I liked about this film, so I'll keep it brief. Wonderful movie- perhaps the best (Sin City isn't out in New Zealand yet, so I'll stay my hand on the best ever comment until then) comic-book movie.

My eight out of ten reflects this movie very highly. 10 out of 10 is for the Godfather and Taxi Driver. 9 is for LOTR, and 8 puts it up there with some genuine all-time classics. Wonderful, wonderful wonderful. I want more Bale/Nolan Batman, and I want it now!

I loved this film.

The Tenenbaum's dysfunction (while amplified for the screen) is quite an accurate portrayal of family life. Families are, essentially, groups of people living in each other's pockets, and, invariably, those people who love you and hate you the most.

Don't get me wrong, Royal and his (thermo)nuclear family of brilliant buffoons do not represent my family (or any other in the world I think!) but the family united against a miscreant father is a motif a lot of people can understand. It is this common humanity that really appeals to me as a film watcher, and what, ultimately made this film so very memorable to me.

The ensemble cast is astonishingly proficient. They all lend a perfect quirkiness to the roles. Anjelica Houston is the perfect former Mrs Royal Tenenbaum, down to the smallest nuance, Ben Stiller and Luke Wilson turn in wonderful performances, and this is the only role I've seen Gwenyth Paltrow in where I actually thought she was someone other than Gwenyth Paltrow (this is not an insult, it's just that people don't always do it for everyone, you know...?). Bill Murray, Gene Hackman, Owen Wilson, all excellent, all the time.

The black comedy counterbalanced with the drama of the issues raised in this film left me feeling like I'd witnessed a film event, rather than just another film. I loved every frame of it, from the Baldwin narrated opening, to the final tying up of ends. It never dwelled on melodrama, or the more potentially unsavoury elements, and it didn't sink into the schmaltzy "We all love each other" end it could well have. It began perfectly, and it ended perfectly.

I can't recommend this movie more highly. It's a must see for anyone who loves quirky and emotive storytelling, great characters and beautiful dialogue.

10/10