Dark Knight gets inceptioned

"You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger darling."
--Tom Hardy (Inception)

"You must become more than just a man in the mind of your opponent."
--Liam Neeson (Batman Begins)

Christopher Nolan doesn't disappoint when it comes to suspense. He gives you a taste and then says nothing, but Dark Knight Rises seems to be on the same track as its predecessor.

Similar to the first Joker photos, Nolan released a photo of Bane, which gives you a small taste of how he will look, but doesn't give much away. One thing is for sure. Tom Hardy (Inception, RocknRolla, Black Hawk Down) has packed on massive amounts of muscle for the role. He isn't exactly a small guy to begin with, but he looks pretty impressive.

I assure you. Poison Ivy will not be dragging this Bane around on a leash.

Aside from Hardy, Nolan is also bringing back some big names from Inception. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Brick, Ten Thing I Hate About You, Killshot), a once potential villain for the current film has been cast as Beat Cop John Blake. Marion Cottillard (La Vie En Rose, Nine, Big Fish) has also been cast as Wayne Enterprises employee Miranda Tate. In true Nolan fashion nothing has been revealed about either character, but there is some speculation that Gordon-Levitt's character could eventually become a future villain. Whether that actually happens remains to be seen, because this is the last Batman film that Nolan will be writing/directing. He will stay on as a producer for future films, which means I will be preparing for the return of the Schumaker Bat-nipples.

I am intrigued by the rumor of Liam Neeson possibly returning for a cameo as Ra's al Ghul, but not nearly as much as I am excited about the return of Joker...okay Private Joker from Full Metal Jacket. Matthew Modine (Full Metal Jacket, Any Given Sunday, Weeds) has been cast as politician/villain Nixon (yes named after that Nixon), which should be good if any of you remember his appearance on Weeds as the sleazy Real Estate/Megachurch head: Sullivan Groff.

At any rate, Dark Knight appears to be the only superhero film that has me interested at all, but I am sure that will change once I see a little more from The Avengers film that Joss Whedon is writing and directing. It's really too bad that the lead-up films have not had me excited in the least.

Tree of Life: A Review

"Unless you love, life will pass you by."

--Tree of Life

This may be the shortest movie review I ever write. Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line, Badlands, The New World) basically looked at Kubrick, Godard, Bergman, Welles and the entire Southern Gothic genre and said, “I can do that. But I can take it a step further.”

Tree of Life is a little of everything to everyone and yet it will not reach everyone. As a very non-traditional film, it wouldn’t be something I would expect a very casual movie-goer to enjoy. I say this not to sound like an elitist, but because I watched two people walk out of the movie 20 minutes in ne’er to return. Despite its experimental content, it is very much a Malick film. His intense camera style, off center framing of shots, and sparse dialogue makes for a very contemplative almost meditative film.

It will mean many different things to many different people but it is definitely a very personal movie. Never in my life have I ever witnessed a movie keep an audience so quiet. There was almost no coughing, shuffling of feet, or whispering side conversations. At times you could hear the projector. If the rest of the audience was like me, they were transfixed. Or they could have been asleep.

I found it very emotional at times and felt that I could start weeping uncontrollably during certain parts of the film. Though the film boasts Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Fight Club, Se7en) and Sean Penn (Milk, 21 Grams, I am Sam) the headliners of the film, Malick did his best at humbling their star power before the greater good of the film. Pitt and Penn did a great job (especially Pitt), but they were certainly overshadowed by the acting of two young boys in their first ever movie. Hunter McCracken plays the young version of Penn’s character Jack and Laramie Eppler plays his younger brother R.L. and they pulled off the sibling relationship to perfection. Their nuanced performances far exceeded their age.

It is really hard to say much else than that. If you are a fan of Malick’s previous films, or just want to see something that is the total opposite of a comic book movie, this is a must see film. This will be one of those films that will come to define a new generation of directors just like Kubrick, Godard, Bergman and Welles. Well done Malick, well done.

Making the Grade

Acting: Malick always manages to draw the best out of his actors even in limited screen time. The acting is simple, to the point, but still filled with a lot of emotion that doesn’t feel overdone. Not to mention he gets world class, academy award nomination acting out of a first time film actor. A+

Special Effects/Visuals: This film is beautiful from start to finish. Malick uses CGI, simple light effects and his trademark color, and texture to make a perfectly shot film. A+


Music/Sound: The music was simple, classical and choral composition, used in a sparse manner to highlight certain portions of a movie, but the absence of sound was just as powerful. There were a few bits of sound that could have lent to the feel of the film. But who am I to judge? A


Rewatchability: I am seeing this again next week. This is a film that will have a different meaning each time you watch and a different meaning for every person. I guarantee that you will see something new each time you watch this film. A+



Overall: A+