Film Review: THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2012)

Director: Christopher Nolan
Writers: Bob Kane (characters), David S. Goyer (story), Christopher Nolan (story/screenplay), Jonathan Nolan (screenplay)
Running time: 164 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Action/Adventure/Crime
UK Release date: 20^th July 2012

Watched at the Picture House (K-town) Saturday 21^st July 2012.

 

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And so we come to the final chapter in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy and I must say it was well worth the wait. Everything from the opening sequence to the credits at the end had me gripped (even two boys arguing in the next row half way through didn’t spoil my enjoyment – I may have spoiled theirs though!). For a change I won’t do a summary as I know there are many out there not wanting to know any of the plot and so I’ll respect that and keep my comments as spoiler-free as I can. I’ll save it for when I review the DVD at a later date.

Many new characters are introduced in this instalment, the most important of which is Bane, The Dark Knight’s new nemesis. We are introduced to him in an action sequence that could have come straight from my favourite Nolan film, Inception. He is an echo from Bruce Wayne’s past; one that will resonate deeply for him. The renowned thief Catwoman (a.k.a. Selina Kyle) also makes an appearance; she can either help or hinder the Batman; I won’t tell you which. A young police officer, Blake, will also have a part to play; like Bruce Wayne, he’s also an orphan and this could shape his future. Miranda Tate is an investor who wants Bruce Wayne to help her with her charity work; she could be the key to saving Wayne Enterprises. Of course, returning characters, Commissioner Gordon, Alfred and Lucius Fox all have their parts to play in this quite extraordinary tale. The more I think about it the more I want to see it again! Yes, it’s THAT good.

The cinematography by Director of Photography, Wally Pfister, was once again truly epic! How he got some of those shots, I will never know, it’s a great piece of work for which he should be congratulated. The musical score by Hans Zimmer, again a great piece of work with themes that fit the visuals perfectly. And so we come to the performances; for an actor playing the same role for the third time, I thought Christian Bale gave his best performance as Bruce Wayne/Batman here. You really felt his pain and conflict and when we get to the end… well, I guess I’d better not tell you that bit. Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon was excellent as usual; given more to do in a slightly more demanding role this time, I thought he did a great job. Now to Bane, played with great aplomb by Tom Hardy, a tough part to play due to the restrictions of his costume; I thought he did it really well and I couldn’t imagine anyone else for the part. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was a good choice for the part of Blake; still young enough to play a role that could evolve if the franchise is continued (I can’t say any more). Anne Hathaway played Catwoman/Selina Kyle and I thought did a pretty excellent job (even without a skin-tight costume). Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate; her role really surprised me and she played it with great composure (no more clues). Finally I must say that both Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox and Michael Caine as Alfred were both as excellent as ever.

With set-piece action sequences that are truly epic and an intelligent plot that has many a twist to keep the audience interested; for me it was one of the best films I’ll see this year! I listened to Christopher Nolan in an interview before I saw the film and he was saying that although CGI is used in places, there’s always a physical effect at the heart of it, and it shows. All the effects are expertly done with some great stunt-work behind many of them (hats off to those guys). Some may find the slow build-up to the ultimate conclusion a little tedious but, for me, it made the ending all the more poignant and all the more effective!... VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

My score: 9.8/10

IMDb Score: [Awaiting 5 Votes (surprisingly)] (based on <5 votes at the time of going to press).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1345836/

MetaScore: 78/100: (Based on 43 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 87/100 (based on 228 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 94/100 ‘Liked it’ (based on 372,822 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_dark_knight_rises/

If you’re crazy enough… You can find me on Facebook at:
http://facebook.com/andy.steel3

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Jim Gordon: [lying in a hospital bed] We were in this together, and then you were gone. Now this evil... rises. The Batman has to come back.
Bruce Wayne: What if he doesn't exist any more?
Jim Gordon: He must... he must...

Bruce Wayne: That's a brazen costume for a cat burglar.
Catwoman: Yeah? Who are you pretending to be?

Alfred: You are as precious to me as you were to your own mother and father. I swore to them that I would protect you, and I haven't.

Lucius Fox: This conversation used to end with an unusual request.
Bruce Wayne: I'm retired.
Lucius Fox: Well let me show you some stuff anyway. Just for old time's sake.

Selina Kyle: [to Bruce Wayne] You think this can last? There's a storm coming, Mr. Wayne. You and your friends better batten down the hatches, because when it hits, you're all gonna wonder how you ever thought you could live so large and leave so little for the rest of us.

Bane: Gotham, take control... take control of your city. Behold, the instrument of your liberation! Identify yourself to the world!

Crowd: [chanting] Deh-Shay, Deh-Shay, Bah Sah Rah. Bah Sah Rah.
Bruce Wayne: What does that mean?
Prisoner: "Rise."

LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://www.thedarkknightrises.com/
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedarkknightrises
Trailer:

Film Review: TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (2011)

Director: Tomas Alfredson
Running time: 127 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Thriller
UK Release date: 16^th September 2011

Watched at the cinema Saturday 1^st October 2011.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Having seen the critical acclaim this has got I had to see it when it finally landed at The Picture House, my local cinema. I remember the TV adaptation of this John le Carré novel, starring Alec Guinness, being aired, but I never really watched it at the time. So it was all new to me and I have to say I was impressed. It’s not for everyone, it has quite a slow pace and there are no frenetic fight scenes, chase sequences or gun battles, it’s all very calm. Here’s a brief summary before I give you my thoughts.

It is the 1970’s and the cold war with Russia is at its height. Control has had word that there is a double agent at the top of the organisation and decides to leave, taking George Smiley with him. Some time later, Control is dead and George is asked to come back to find out who the mole is. He enlists the help of Peter Guillam, an agent, and former Special Branch Police officer, Mendel. The suspects are; Percy Alleline, Bill Haydon, Roy Bland and Toby Esterhase. The investigation begins by looking at an incident in Budapest involving another agent, Jim Prideaux, who was shot by Russian agents. Another source of information is Ricki Tarr who comes to George wanting to trade what he knows for the life of a Russian woman he has fallen for. There are plots within plots in this very complicated story and there’s no way I’m gonna give the game away or the Spoiler Police will have me marched off to Siberia as quickly as I can say ‘spy’.

Beautifully shot with really sharp imagery, I’m always impressed by that when I see a film on the big screen. The incidental music was good, but, for me, there wasn’t enough of it… many long silences in the dialogue. Moving on to performances, well, I have to say that Gary Oldman as George Smiley was superb! He really nailed it and went up a great deal in my estimation. I also thought the performances of; Tom Hardy as Ricki Tarr, John Hurt as Control, Mark Strong as Jim Prideaux and Benedict Cumberbatch as Peter Guillam were all most excellent! I really hope at least one of them gets an Oscar… if not a BAFTA. Oh, it was also nice to see an appearance from Kathy Burke as Connie Sachs.

As I said at the beginning, this film will not suit everyone, it had a very complicated plot and it’s one you really have to concentrate on or you’ll miss something. Concentration was quite hard at the viewing I was at because it was quite hot and stuffy in there. Not to worry, I stayed awake for the duration and really enjoyed what I saw. It’s the kind of film, I think, you might have to watch a few times to get the little nuances put in there, little clues to the identity of the mole. Some of it is told in flashback and it can be a little confusing at times figuring out whether it’s a flashback or not… It certainly keeps you on your toes! I will certainly be seeing this again at some point. So, for those that like a good cold war thriller, a slow burning plot with many twists and turns, then this one comes very highly recommended.

My score: 9.1/10

IMDb Score: 708/10 (based on 2,892 votes when this review was written).
http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1340800/

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97/100 (based on 38 reviews counted when this review was written).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tinker_tailor_soldier_spy/

FAVOURITE QUOTES:
Ricki Tarr: Mr Guillam, I'm sorry I was out for so long.
[Guillam attacks Tarr]
George Smiley: Ricki's been helping us, Peter! He's been telling us all about his adventures.
Peter Guillam: He's a double, George! There is no mole! Irina's been locked up by Moscow!
[turns on Tarr]
Peter Guillam: I stole that, because of you! I spied on my own, because of him! Do you know how that makes me feel?

Control: I know that Moscow has planted a mole, and I know it is one of five men.
[starts placing out chess pieces with photos on them]
Control: Allenine: Tinker. Haydon: Tailor. Bland: Soldier. We leave out "Sailor", too much like "Tailor". Esterhase: Poorman.
Jim Prideaux: And the fifth?
Control: Smiley.

Easterhase: [to Smiley] Things aren't always what they seem.

LINKS:
Official Site: http://www.tinker-tailor-soldier-spy.com/
Trailer:

Film Review: BRONSON (2008)

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Running time: 89 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

UK release date: 13th March 2009

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 25th July 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Most people have heard of the actor Charles Bronson, but few have heard of the notorious violent prisoner of the same name. The film is based on the true story of the man who has made his name in the English prison system as the most violent prisoner in Britain. Now, I have heard of Charles Bronson, the prisoner, and so was intrigued to see this film about him.

His real name is Michael Peterson; he was born in Luton, just north of London. He didn’t have a deprived childhood, he was well loved by his parents but there was obviously something different about this boy. From fighting with other boys he progressed to assaulting his teachers. He eventually grew old enough to be put in prison for holding up a Post Office; his sentence, seven years. Once inside he soon established himself as an extremely dangerous man. As such he was moved around from prison to prison until he eventually ends up in a mental asylum. Here they can keep him drugged but he still finds a way to fight back. Eventually he is declared sane and released. He goes about making a career as a bare knuckle prize fighter, which is where he got his fighting name, Charles Bronson. This, however, is short lived and it’s not long before he’s back inside again. But this time there are signs he is starting to reform… or is there? Up to the release of the film he had spent 34 years in prison, 30 years of which had been in solitary confinement. I’ll leave you hanging there; don’t want to give too much away.

A film that was obviously made on a small budget, but one that is quite entertaining in a strange and bizarre way. The story is told from Bronson’s point of view and as such has a bit of an art house feel about it in places. There’s a pretty good soundtrack with a few songs the audience might recognise. A real power-house performance from Tom Hardy as Charles Bronson/Michael Peterson. I must also give an honourable mention to Matt King who played Paul.

As I’ve already said, the film has an art house feel to it, lots of very short pieces put together in places, but then longer scenes that give more narrative. It’s a very interesting film to watch, always interesting, partly because the character of Bronson is so unpredictable. Thanks to the great performance of Tom Hardy and thanks to a great script. At times it is very violent and the language is very strong in places. Over all, it’s kind of bizarre, but I must say, recommended.

My score: 7.4/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1172570/
Official Site: http://www.bronsonthemovie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi1194066457/