The Dark Knight Rises

My View: The Dark Knight Rises (2012) It’s been eight years since Batman (Christian Bale) defeated The Joker and took the fall for Harvey Dent’s crimes. It left most of Gotham City convinced that Batman is a criminal. Bruce Wayne is in a dark state and feels that he is no longer up to wearing the cowl and the cape, but a new menace is hell-bent on destroying Gotham City, and he’s a terrorist called, Bane (Tom Hardy). Complicating things is Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway), a burglar who goes by the name of Catwoman and who works for Bane. The city seems helpless as Bane takes what he wants until Batman decides to get back into the game. But is Batman, even with the new gadgets that Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) has developed, up for this final confrontation? I thoroughly enjoyed this third and final film in the Christopher Nolan Batman series. Though it's a long film (165 minutes), it moves at such a good pace that you never feel its excess. This film has an impressive cast, and it’s led by Christian Bale’s excellent performance as the battered and tortured Batman, but it’s Anne Hathaway as the burglar, Catwoman, who steals this movie. She is picture-perfect as the tough as nails Selina Kyle, who can hold her own in a fight and steal you blind. There are plenty of twists and turns in the plot, and the action sequences are very impressive on screen. Be sure to see it in IMAX, as 73 minutes were shot on IMAX cameras, which makes the film even more engrossing. It’s almost as you are there and part of the mass of people living in Gotham City.  Let’s just hope Batman can save us. My Rating: I Would Pay to See it Again   The Dark Knight Rises Website

The 50 (A Movie From My Best/Worst Films of All Time)

#17 Best Film

Rear Window (1954) Jeff (James Stewart) is a photographer who has a broken leg and is wheelchair-bound in his apartment. Lucky for Jeff, he has a big window in his top floor apartment that looks out into a courtyard and onto a large group of apartment units, all of which also have big windows.  Jeff spends his home-time looking out the window with his binoculars or his camera, watching all the people in the other apartments. One night, Jeff witnesses what may have been a murder and now is out to try a prove that it did happen. He is aided by his socialite girlfriend, Lisa (Grace Kelly), and his physical therapist, Stella (Thelma Ritter). The director, Alfred Hitchcock, is a master of creating tension and suspense, something this remarkable film has plenty of.  Grace Kelly is incredibly beautiful, and I love that the relationship between Stewart and Kelly is treated as an adult one, as Kelly brings an overnight bag when she plans on staying the night to help Stewart catch the killer. The look of this film also helps create suspense and was shot in Technicolor, which brings out lush colors and creates incredible shadows. This is one of those films that you would watch over and over, and you would enjoy it each and every time.   Rear Window Info

Forgotten Film: My Brilliant Career (1979) Judy Davis plays Sybylla, a headstrong woman who has grown up in the rough and tumble world of 19th century Australia. She gets proposed to by a wealthy suitor who has known her since they were kids. Instead of marrying Harry (Sam Neill), she gets a job as a governess to a family that her father owes money to. After a time with the family, she returns home and decides to write a book about her experiences, which helps her keep her independence. Davis gives a smart, touching performance, and the film has a beautiful feel to it. Gillian Armstrong, the director, does a brilliant job of showing us the rough but magnificent countryside, which makes you appreciate the people who created a life there.  My Rating: Full Price   My Brilliant Career Info

In Case You Missed it (A Film Just Released on DVD): The Three Stooges (2012) I didn’t like this film about the three goofy guys who try to save their childhood orphanage. I felt that only children under ten would enjoy this film and that, at times, the film felt as if it were a bad 80’s sitcom.  My Rating: You Would Have to Pay Me to See it Again   The Three Stooges Website

In Memory of Ed Wood (A Movie I’ve Only Seen in Trailers but Just Looks Like a Bad Idea): Premium Rush (2012) A NYC bike messenger (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is given a package, and now someone is willing to kill him to get the package back. This film looks like it’s arriving with two flat tires.   Premium Rush Website

Weird Credits: From the Credits of Natural Selection: Slaughter Patrol Tattoo

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: ParaNorman (2012) In this animated film, Norman is a boy who is picked on at school and has a curiosity about all things creepy. But Norman isn’t an ordinary boy - he can see and talk to dead people. Now Norman must try and save his town from a zombie attack brought about from a hundred year old curse.   ParaNorman Website

Until Next Time!