I mentioned that the last film on my countdown was one that not too many have seen because of its central figure. This is not the case for today's entry. You might have a hard time finding people who haven't seen it. Yet despite the colossal hype, and the often ridiculous hard core fans, enough rewatches have convinced me that it wasn't just the hype that led to my reaction; I just feel that the film is that damn good. And if that means running the risk of being lumped together with a bunch of pyschopaths, then so be it. The next film on the countdown, coming in a #11 is none other than...
#11. "The Dark Knight" by Christopher Nolan: In someways I'm not at all surprised that this is number 1 on IMDb's list. For one, it's quite recent and exceeded sky high expectations. Naturally fanboys appeared. Hell, there was an online uproar when the film wasn't nominated for Best Picture, one that certainly didn't happen all of the times that Pixar has been left out of the running for the big prize. In fact, it may have been the biggest outpouring of rage since *gasp* the "Eternal Sunshine" snub. Of course, with anything so insanely popular with both critics and audiences, there's going to be some backlash. And y'know, there are some good reasons to label this film as overrated (however, this does NOT include using the "the movie wouldn't have been anything special without Heath Ledger argument". He WAS in it. A is A. You can't create a reality where he wasn't in it so the "criticism" is invalid). In fact, this was part of why I saw the movie multiple times (twice in theaters and twice on DVD), each time fearful that suddenly I would see something that would make me say "yup, I bought into the hype. The movie is good but it isn't THAT good". Well, four viewings later, I still love the movie, and the only reason I don't like it's being on IMDb's list is that it will only make the vocal haters that much louder. So, why do I love this film so much? It all comes down to the relentless energy. Though, when you really look at it there isn't a whole lot of action, it's engaging and exciting the entire way through, thanks to the editing and camera work, in which there are rarely scenes in which the camera doesn't move at least a little. In some ways, the Joker's scenes, which are filled with such intensity, almost create what one might call "dialogue-action scenes". The opening heist, aside from being a wonderul homage to "Heat", showcases everything that's right with the movie. The editing is tight, the score perfectly matching the rhythm and energy of events onscreen, and best of all, it feels, dare I say it, real. It's a "superhero" movie, yet it feels so grounded in reality, and really this could only have been done with a hero like Batman, who has no superpowers (not to mention that his outfit is black, making it seem less cartoony). And best of all, there are none of those "cute" little moments that are there to remind you that it's a superhero movie (I'm referring to scenes like one in "Spiderman 2" where Peter Parker, in normal clothing, jumps super high out of the way of a truck. Two little kids look at him and ask "how did you do this?" to which we get the oh-so-precious reply of "y'know, go to school, eat your vegetables". Eh...). One of my favorite aspects of the movie, which has received more discussion than I would have thought, is the score. Some find that it adds unecesary tension to scenes that are already tense on their own. It's a fair point: The Hurt Locker had plenty of tension with virtually no music. Even so, I stand by the score. "The Dark Knight" is a big movie in every sense, and the music only helped to push scenes that were tense into the territory of "holy crap I can't breathe". Most notable was that one drawn out note on a violin/electric guitar/cello(???) that was more or less the Joker's "theme". It would play, and gradually increase in volume, and that one simple effect was enough to make my heart race. The scene where the Joker corners Rachel and starts to tell her how he got his scars, as the camera menacingly circled around them? Part of the reason that scene is etched in my brain is because of the presence of the music. And then there's the Joker. If there's one part of this film that even the detractors won't diss, it's Ledger's performance. And the more times I see it, the more I realize that it doesn't matter if he's dead or not, it's just an amazing performance, all around, and totally worthy of the massive hype. Both terrifying and darkly funny (the pencil scene, anyone?), it's hands down one of the greatest villains ever created, and a true testament to Ledger's talent. In fact, in the course of the 2.5 hour movie, he's only on screen for 20 minutes. That's right, 20. Before I found this out, I would have sworn he was in it for at least double that. That's how much of an impact he has. That's not to discredit the rest of the cast, who often get overlooked due to their much less colorful roles. Aaron Eckhart in particular is excellent, and Maggie Gyllenhaal brought a refreshing toughness to the role of Rachel (although this might have been due to the fact that, unlike Katie Holmes, she doesn't look like she's 12). So, do I have anything bad to say about this movie? Actually, yes. Even in the countless raves of this film, the one thing that people will take (slight) issue with it Christian Bale's "Batman voice", and I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan either. It's not gut-wrenchingly awful, or bad enough to seriously detract from the movie, but it's still a bit much. Specifically at the end of the film, where everyone is probably emotionally drained beyond all belief, and yet he still has enough energy to maintain the voice, even delivering a mini-speech to Gary Oldman's Lt. Gordon? Really? However, is the voice, which isn't there too much anyway since much of the film has Bale as Bruce Wayne, enough to make me think any less of the movie? Not at all. Is it important? At the risk of sounding totally silly and pretentious, I still say yes. Why? Because it showed us that a "comic book movie" could be something more, to the point where the only thing comic-like about it is the fact that a guy wears a cape for parts of the story. Other than that it isn't a comic book movie; it's a full blown epic crime thriller. But if we're going to put it on a list that honors the best efforts of this incredible decade, maybe it doesn't need to be all the way at #1...Final Grade: A
Best Performance: Heath Ledger
Best Scene: If there's one moment that really captured the madness of the Joker, it's this. Honestly, this scene freaks me out more than many horror movies do in their entirety.
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