The Dark Knight Rises

I don't know if I have ever started a review like this but I want you to do yourself a favor and stop reading after this first paragraph, in fact stop reading everything about this movie. There are no spoilers in this review, I'm not going to ruin anything but if you really want to enjoy this movie then you need to get away from it all.   If you are anything like me before you saw this movie you read everything that came out, you rewatched the previous ones, you are probably even shaking in anticipation.  Nothing I write is going to sway your opinion one way or the other, and being one of the most hyped movies EVER how can this movie possibly rise to the occasion. Plus with reviewers getting death threats for posting anything negative about the movie I think a step back would do us all some good.  So step away and go enjoy The Dark Knight Rises and what I can promise you is an epic finale to a near perfect series.

Alright so now you are either someone who has followed my directions or a rebel who enjoys torturing thenselves.  For the latter while I appreciate your devotion reading everything will not make Friday come any faster.  For those who have seen the movie:  OH MY GOD HOW AWESOME WAS IT RIGHT AHHHHHH! I loved this movie.

While the movie is long, a running time of 164 minutes, I don't know if anything could have been cut.  It seems like it takes a while to get there, but everything seems so important.  If anything it feels like some of the movie was rushed (if that is even possible at almost three hours).  After examining the movie, it is impossible to tell what if anything could have been cut out.

You already know what you are getting from the series regulars like Christian Bale (A growley and deep voice), Morgan Freeman (a wonderful smile and clever quips), and Michael Caine (a stirring speech to inspire the Bat-Man).  But what about the newbies?  Well they are just as good, if not better.  By now I am sure everyone has seen Anne Hathaway in her cat suit, but her performance is just as hot.  I loved that while the script contained some not so subtle quips Selena Kyle is never referred to as Catwoman.  And why would she be, she is just a regular hi-tech burglar.  It makes the whole thing feel more realistic which keeps the audience entrenched.  While it was assured a couple movies ago that Joseph Gordon Levitt was a star now there is no doubt.  Tom Hardy plays an incredibly soft spoken part for a man so powerful.  It is impressive just how jacked he got for this movie, and while there are some moments that are hard to hear the mask doesn't stop you from understanding the character.  As for Marion Cotillard, Nolan thought her performance was so necessary he pushed back the filming schedule and the release just so she could be cast in the movie and it is tough to disagree with that.

The effects are amazing.  One of the features that make Christopher Nolan the best director of our current generation (and he is, don't kid yourselves), is his love for filming things without CGI whenever possible.  It is not possible to film the bat wing flying inbetween buildings, but the opening sequence featuring a mid-air hijacking was incredible and really set the tone.  That along with the reemergence of Batman into the public eye and the football sequence that we have all seen by now (and if not the trailer is at the bottom) are just as epic as the buildup to the movie has been.

Christopher Nolan is able to pull off a climax in modern day storytelling that I think many directors today are afraid to even try, worried they may not be convincing enough.  All the anticipation builds to this conflict making the ride totally worth getting there.  You can not help but be on the edge of your seat, feeling the danger these characters are in.  Plus knowing that this is the end for Nolan and Bale, that they are done with the series doesn't help you feel at ease.  There is a real sense of danger throughout, I'm sure the eight year old inside you is scarred.  Nolan has shown before he is remorseless and loves to leave his viewer wanting more.  He leaves you wondering: could this really be the end?

The direction that Nolan chose to take this movie is amazing.  There is not any cartoonish silliness and his trilogy has set a new almost impossible bar to reach in what we should expect from our blockbusters.  The combination of fierce and well shot action sequences set against real world concerns of class inequality and terrorism is an amazing feat.  Even more astonishing may be keeping his movie away from the 3-D glasses, although if you get the chance some of his long shots are definitely worth an IMAX viewing.  I won't say it is better than The Dark Knight, it's not.  That movie was near perfect and Heath Ledger's performance was untouchable but the finale is edge of your seat stuff.  The Dark Knight Rises is an amazing conclusion to a near perfect trilogy.  A

Love and Other Drugs

Sometimes life can feel a little unbalanced as you try and find just that, balance. Through the harder times that you may face people will look for ways to avoid thinking of the turmoil you may face using laughter and maybe if you’re lucky the comfort of another person if only for a little while. There are a lot of people out there who will critique this movie for being unbalanced. Considering the material, I think that is exactly why I liked Love and Other Drugs.

The story features two actors who feed very well off each other, which is probably why this is the second time they are being coupled up. Having previously knocked boots in Brokeback Mountain, the two seem to try and make another Academy run. While this one will fall short of any nomination, that doesn't stop the two actors from lighting up the screen.

Based in the nineties Jake Gyllenhaal plays Jamie Randall, a man who is currently trying to find his calling. While passionate about whatever he does, he often lets his passions get in his way. Until his charm is able to help him in a billion dollar industry with pharmaceuticals. It also allows him to meet Maggie Murdock, played by Anne Hathaway, who suffers from Level 1 Parkinson's. Both are looking for a casual encounter, to help them keep their minds off the heavier stuff.

The movie tries a little too hard to capture the era with some of its music selections but we'll give it a pass since visually the nineties don't look all that different from today. From there the movie fluxuates between a comedy, romantic comedy, drama, and then back to romantic comedy. Not to say that many Rom-Coms don't try and do just that, but it seems like director Edward Zwick is not sure what story he wants to tell. He starts with a romantic comedy featuring a lot of naked Anne Hathaway, I mean a lot of naked, but if I looked as good as her naked I'm sure I wouldn't mind bearing it all either. From there the movie shifts towards a look at how people with a life altering disease and those around them cope. What seems like two different stories may be attributed to the movie coming out of two different source materials. The movie is based loosely on Jamie Reidy's memoir "Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman," along with Zwick and his buddy Marshall Herskovitz contributing a love storyline.

MINOR SPOILER ALERT (I TALK MORE ABOUT TONE)

While the bulk of the movie was enjoyable, even with two different messages occurring within the flick, the end retreats back to a cliché romantic comedy and ends in a very cliché way. The rest of the movie was different from what has recently come out of Hollywood and had something to say, even if it wasn’t defined. But because the movie was so unclear, I think Zwick, who also helped with the screenplay, had no choice but to retreat back to a formulaic approach to the movie, leaving the viewer with a bad taste in their mouth walking out of the theater.

SPOILER OVER

Gyllenhaal and Hathaway don’t have to do this all by their lonesome. They get some big help from a solid supporting cast. Oliver Platt stars as a mentor to James Randall showing him the ropes of the traveling salesman; Platt’s character follows along with the storyline showing off both a funny and softer side. The main sales target for these two is Hank Azaria playing Dr. Stan Knight who can be bought off for the right price. Then there is James’ brother Josh who is set for life and introduces him to the business, but then doesn’t really have too much reason to be in the movie. While getting more screen time than his other co-stars, after getting his brother the job Josh doesn’t serve much of a purpose besides being the occasional comic relief. He does a good job in the role, but even Jamie eventually asks his brother why he’s crashing the couch.

Yes, the movie loses its way but its hearts in the right place. Not only that, but the two young actors’ charisma help outshine any problems that the story may have. I liked this movie a whole lot, as there were some moments that really hit home, but can understand those who just felt lost in the jumble. B-/C+