Years ago, I used to abuse my students who admired films that I didn't. I took a certain pleasure in flying high above everyone in a hot-air balloon. And hot air is the proper metaphor. I was a bit puffed up with my own sense of what was great and what was not. Anyway, I hope I've been kinder this year to those who hold differing opinions.
And now, I will be as kind as I can to those who recommended "The Dark Knight." I did my best hanging on for one hour and 15 minutes. The swirling camera made me dizzy. The plot was tedious. The characters did not engender any interest. Even the romantic lead was funny looking and a bad actress.
Then, when I had written it off completely, I remembered that it's based on a comic book, so I tried to judge it on that basis, but to no avail. I could not care less. And the thought that Heath Ledger won some award for pretending to be an effeminate psychopath sort of annoyed me.
But, perhaps I missed something. This is the first Batman installment I've watched in two decades (I think I walked out after seeing Danny Devito scarfing down raw whole fish) so any continuity was lost on me. Also, these kinds of films don't do much for me, so I'm the wrong guy to ask. I can't watch Harrison Ford type action movies either. I just fall asleep. I skipped "The Bourne etc." series for that reason, although I'm sure I'll want to watch it in 30 years (if I'm alive) to see all the shots of NYC.
Anyway, feel free to tell me why I'm mistaken in a comment below. And, allow me to state for the record that anyone who liked this film has not lost a scintillia of my respect. I still love you all. Mwah!
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I have to say I agree with you Mr. Bennett, I have considered myself an exception to this Dark Knight madness that has been going on. I agree that the plot was extremely drawn out to an unbearable length, and I found the porcine Maggie Gyllenhaal to be a terrible lead actress.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I did enjoy Aaron Eckhart's performance, who played Harvey Dent, because I think his character was the most complex. But I didn't find the other two hours of morbidity as enjoyable. I definitely agree with your comments.
I could post a long winded response explaining all the reasons I feel you are wrong, but I don't think it would help. If you want to see my full opinion I have a review on my other blog. But to save you some time, I disagree immensely.
ReplyDeleteActually, I don't disagree with everything you said. Maggie Gyllenhaal, the romantic lead, is horrifyingly ugly and was not very good. Believe it or not though, she was an improvement over Katie Holmes, the actress that played the same character in the previous film. Also Batman Returns, the movie with Danny Devito you were referring to, was a horrible cartoonish film that was way over the top. That film was in a completely different series from Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, which are mostly grounded in reality. Mostly.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm sure she'd be shocked to hear herself described, in succession as "funny looking and a bad actress," "porcine," (which means 'pig-like') and finally "horrifyingly ugly." The last of these I tend to think goes beyond the pale. She's an attractive woman, just not possessing the kind of divine beauty necessary to distract a viewer from an otherwise tedious film. If you can send me the link to your review, I'll read it.
ReplyDeleteNever mind. I searched for it, and found it, and commented on it. It's nicely written, as all your reviews are, but I disagree with every point you make. In fact, I could just put a "not" in every positive sentence, and detract a "not" every time you put it in, and the post would express my thoughts exactly.
ReplyDeleteI don't mean this to be simply biting sarcasm. I like the way you point out the important and salient features of the film. The atmosphere. THe plot. The characterization. The acting. Internal tension, etc. But, where you saw it, I did not.
While every character who plays Rachel Dawes does seem to be doomed to mediocrity, I do have to respectfully disagree on the Heath Ledger point. I think it's rather difficult to even slightly justify a character who is not trying to either better the world in any way (even villains are doing this, in their own way) or benefit themselves. Nonetheless, I feel as if this Joker proved to be one of the most realistic 'supervillains' I've seen in cinema to date.
ReplyDeleteNow, let's see how you feel about Watchmen.
Understandable. I don't mind that you didn't like the film. At least you have actual reasons rather than people who just say, "I don't know, I just didn't like it".
ReplyDeleteI disagree with most of the review but i agree with the opinion of Maggie Gyllenhaal letss just say there is a reason they killed her off
ReplyDeleteFirst of all I want to thank Mr.Bennett for beating everyone up today in class about the blogs on my behalf. But I am a fan of the Dark Knight seeing as how it took Comic book movies to a whole new standard that the majority of the public did enjoy. I will agree with Billy in his rejoicing of killing Maggie Gyllenhaal though she wasn't such a looker. The Watchmen I believe have taken the Comic book to movie to an entirely different level beyond the comparison of the Dark Knight. I'm not saying the Watchmen is better I just don't think they're comparable. I believe the Watchmen was a good movie but if you have a chance to read the graphic novel pick it up immediately. But this is just my .02!
ReplyDeleteI liked the Dark Knight for a variety of reasons, but the biggest one was that it added a lot of sophistication and artistry to the comic book genre. It surprised me, actually, that you suggested you maybe didn't like it because you;re not very attracted to action movies. Neither am I(my love for Watchmen notwithstanding), and what I love about this particular movie was that it took action and, for once, gave it a purpose.
ReplyDelete& I also agree with Roberto completely on the Watchmen comments! Both movies seem to be getting compared a lot as "the two sophisticated comic book movies" but the truth is that other than that, the movies are very different.
& jeez guys, spoiler alert on the Maggie Gyllenhaal death. (Not that anyone really cares about Rachel Dawes. Why are most women in comic books written so awkwardly?)
Did not the great, omnicient, omnipotent Mr. Bennett say that in order to condemn a movie one must judge it in its entirety? By logical extension, in order to judge a movie as a whole one must see it as a whole. I think you have to sit down and watch the rest of The Dark Knight to the bitter end before you can condemn it.
ReplyDeleteI know. I am aware of that failure on my part. However, I was with my wife and my mother, the two women to whom I owe, well, everything. And they did not want to continue watching. So, we shut it off. I did mention that I was basing my critique on the first one hour and 15 minutes. Of course, one can say that if a film hasn't grabbed you by then, something is amiss. However, your point is well taken.
ReplyDeleteI was one of the people who urged Mr. Bennett to watch Dark Knight and I was a little bummed he did not really enjoy the film. I must say everyone I knew who saw the film enjoyed it, even the harshest of critics. You wife and mom must be tough cookies. Anyway the beginning i thought was not the bets parts of the film, and the true moments of moral ambiguity and deep thoughts came later on in the film. I felt Mr. Bennett left pretty much during the rising action before the actual climax. Thus no rocket ship blasted off(pun intended)
ReplyDelete