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The Dark Knight: Tense, Sad, Unsettling - And One of the Best Movies I've Seen in Years

BuzzSugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 05:30:27 PDT

"This town deserves a better class of criminal." – The Joker

Indeed. And by extension, audiences deserve a better class of villain. In The Dark Knight, we get one. Director Christopher Nolan seems to have a keen understanding that we want our heroes to be badass - but we want our villains to be way badder. The movie tells a story about Batman, sure, but really, this is The Joker's tale. Even when it's Batman's story. . . The Joker owns it.

The Dark Knight is unlike almost any other superhero movie that came before it. It's insanely dark, it's melancholy, it doesn't leave you with a great sense of peace. But the thing is, we can handle it. I think this is Nolan giving audiences some credit. And every superhero tale has these themes of good vs. evil, order vs. chaos, hero vs. villain. It's just that this one doesn't sugarcoat these things at all. And why should they be sugarcoated? The superhero's tale is actually the perfect vehicle for exploring these things, and explore them we do. Nolan brings us an affecting, disturbingly dark tale, and one that could easily be seen as an allegory for the goings-on of today's world (terrorism vs. peace, cowardice vs. heroism, etc.). To see more what I mean (and I promise - no spoilers),

Christian Bale reprises his role as the manly, gravel-voiced Batman by night and the wealthy Bruce Wayne by day. Michael Caine again dryly charms his way through the role of Bruce's helpful butler Alfred, and Gary Oldman is again the likable Commissioner Gordon. Maggie Gyllenhaal gives Rachel Dawes, Bruce's love interest and Gotham City's District Attorney, some much-needed depth and chutzpah. In this installment, there's an evil mastermind on the loose, terrorizing Gotham, and his name is The Joker. As The Joker continues to taunt Batman, trying to get him to break his noble moral code of beating the bad guys without actually harming anyone, the body count rises and Joker gets closer and closer to forcing the citizens of Gotham City to turn on each other. He is the greatest fearmonger of all time.

Heath Ledger is thoroughly mesmerizing as Joker. Should we be talking Oscars? Absolutely. I haven't seen a performance so impeccably realized, so desperately truthful in a long, long time. However, another impressive performance comes from Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent, Gotham's great white hope for a safer, Joker-less future. His mixture of political-minded bravado and inner turmoil makes for a far more layered character than one might expect.

In perhaps my favorite scene - one that is so exciting, and yet so agonizing - we get both of these tortured souls, The Joker and Harvey Dent, alone together. The outcome of this scene is a profound sense of despair because in it we witness how quickly people can shift from good to evil, and how easy and nonsensical violence is. On Joker's part, there is no real reasoning behind his cruel madness, and we're reminded that sometimes evil simply exists for no good reason. It taps into a very real, basic and horrible fear: that in this world where terrorism could lurk anywhere, where chaos and war and murder exist, we struggle continuously to figure out "why?" The Joker represents our most feared response to that question: There is no reason.

Then again, here is another truth: Sometimes people choose good over evil, no matter what. Some will surprise you with their unselfishness. There is a lot of bleakness in this film, but there is also hope.

Of course, compounding the darkness of the movie is the maddening real-life tragedy that is forever intertwined with it. An unsettling side effect of Ledger's death is that we will never see the man behind the garish, horrifying makeup. And in this sense, the Joker is forever, hauntingly alive. There’s no Heath Ledger to do the late-night TV show circuit or the red carpet interviews. He's not coming out from behind the screen to reassure us, "No, no, it's all an act. Here I am, just a guy, just an actor, see?" Logically, we're adults who understand that the Joker doesn't exist. And yet. . . Ledger's absence causes the tiniest of doubts in the back of our minds, the part that's still on board for superhero movies. With no one telling us otherwise, we're left with the cryptic suggestion that the Joker might very well be. . . real.

This is partly what has left me with such a sense of uneasiness since watching the movie, and one of the things that is keeping The Dark Knight at the forefront of my mind. But even beyond that, the film is so well-written, thrillingly suspenseful, action-packed and brilliantly acted. It's all the things we want in a superhero movie - along with a whole bunch of dark, thorny morality issues tossed in.

All told: It. Is. Amazing.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Marion Cotillard Talks Rust and Bone and Loving Her Baby Son Marcel

Allie Merriam — Fri, 18 May 2012 08:08:36 PDT

Marion Cotillard is at Cannes this week chatting up her latest movie Rust and Bone. She wore Dior last night for the red carpet premiere of the film, and posed alongside costars Matthias Schoenaerts, young actor Armand Verdure, and director Jacques Audiard. The picture is ready for audiences after Marion and Matthias worked on it together last Fall in the South of France. Marion plays Stéphanie in the film, a killer-whale trainer whose life is changed after a tragic accident. So far, the Rust and Bone reviews are positive.

We caught up with the actress today at a press event this morning. Marion chatted about getting into the mindset to play Stéphanie, as well as about her career. She also touched on how life is different now that she's a mom to 1-year-old Marcel, and whether or not she consults with her husband, director and actor Guillaume Canet, before making a big career decision. Marion also gushed about her Inception and Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan. She said:

On motherhood changing her approach to work: "When I am in the character, it's completely the character. But usually when I work, I create this environment - especially that most of the time I am out of Paris and France - so I can create a new apartment in a new house or a hotel room. I can create a special environment that I need. I will entirely go back to myself when the movie is finished . . . [but during production] someone is sharing my body and is there most of the time. With my son it's impossible to take someone else home . . . There is this human being that I love more than anything, and who needs me."
On consulting with Guillaume before accepting a role: "It's usually all for myself. If I need advice, I will obviously ask the people I love and the people I trust. Usually, I create my own little world and deal with it."
On it being easier to act in French: "To play in French is definitely less demanding than playing in English with Polish accent or Italian or even French accent. Simply because I don't have to think about how I say the words. I don't have to think about, 'Does it sound French?' Because it will obviously sound French! But I love working in English. It's very, very interesting."
On being tough like her character, Stéphanie: "I definitely have strength . . . it would be a long conversation on how strength is manifested in yourself, but there's very few things that - actually I don't think there's one thing I could think about that could put me down."
On working with Christopher Nolan: "I really love this guy. He's so, so smart. He is such an amazing director and author. It's very rare to work with a director in Hollywood, especially on big, big movies like Batman, who not only directs the movie but writes the script. It's very, very unusual . . . It's massive, but it's also very, very intimate. I love this about him. He loves real things, real connections, real feelings."
On using her celebrity to spread awareness about the environment: "If you manage to spread what you think - because you think what you think is right - it's a beautiful thing to meet people who are not aware. Because there are still people who are not aware of what we are going through and what the world is going through. It's a good thing to share, and to change, step by step."

The Avengers Take Europe as They Look Forward to a Super Opening Weekend

Lindsay Miller — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:54:52 PDT

Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Scarlett Johansson, and Mark Ruffalo were at Rome's De Russie Hotel on Saturday for a stop on The Avengers press tour before the guys headed to Germany, sans Scarlett, for yet another photocall today. The foursome traveled abroad to promote the superhero movie all last week, kicking things off with an appearance in Moscow before moving onto London and then Italy together. The Marvel movie is expected to enjoy a big debut at the box office. Early reviews for The Avengers have been overwhelmingly positive and the movie is estimated to earn as much as The Dark Knight and The Hunger Games each did in their opening weekends. That could easily make The Avengers the biggest first-weekend earner among superhero movies to date when it hits theaters on May 4.

Rewind: Sundance Magic

BuzzSugar — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 03:05:00 PST

We had a blast in Park City this year! Feast your eyes on these beautiful cast portraits from Sundance Film Festival.
Be sure to check out our reviews for Celeste and Jesse Forever and Your Sister's Sister: two of our favorite films of the fest.
The full list of Oscar nominations was released on Tuesday! Read through our snap judgments on the picks, and watch which nominees that surprised us!
New stills were released of some upcoming films we can't wait to see. Click through photos from The Amazing Spider-Man, The Hunger Games, and The Dark Knight Rises to see all we have to look forward to in 2012.
Cameron Diaz, Elizabeth Banks, and more rock big bellies in new What to Expect When You're Expecting movie posters.
We took a trip down memory lane, remembering all of Katherine Heigl's leading men through the years.
Check out all of the TV guest stars who will be making appearances on the small screen soon.
The first leg of the journey kicks off February 19 - check out the 11 dynamic duos who will compete on The Amazing Race Season 20.
Cougar Town is almost back! Get psyched for the season three premiere on Valentine's Day with these Cougar Town pics.

Link Time - Check Out a New Dark Knight Rises Poster

BuzzSugar — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:36:39 PST

See the latest poster for The Dark Knight Rises - Rotten Tomatoes
The best parts of James Franco's Breaking Dawn review - Moviefone
Get the scoop on Disney's latest princess, Sofia - The Hollywood Reporter
The American Film Institute names the top 10 TV shows of 2011 - Aol TV
Watch the teaser trailers for new HBO shows Girls and Veep - Zap2It
The best returning TV series of 2011 - BuddyTV
Relive The Muppets with the "Man or Muppet" music video - NextMovie
Get fashion inspiration from the stars of New Girl and Hart of Dixie - FabSugar

Marion Cotillard Welcomes a Son!

Allie Merriam — Fri, 20 May 2011 06:18:12 PDT

Marion Cotillard and her long-term boyfriend, Guillaume Canet, have welcomed their first child. Their son, named Marcel Canet, entered the world last night in her hometown of Paris. Marion and Guillaume announced the pregnancy in January.

She has a role in Woody Allen's new movie, which hits theaters today - check out BuzzSugar's Midnight in Paris review. With the baby's impending arrival, Marion skipped out on the promotional tour that included a stop in Cannes. Marion already has another project in the works, as she's set to star in The Dark Knight Rises. Congrats to the happy family!

Video: Joseph Gordon-Levitt Reveals Plans For an Album, 50/50 Filming, and The Dark Knight Rises

PopSugar — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 02:15:00 PDT

Joseph Gordon-Levitt's performance in 50/50 earned rave reviews and a standing ovation at the big Toronto Film Festival premiere last week. We sat down with the star to chat about what it was like working with the real-life person, the movie's writer Will Reiser, on a day-to-day basis. JGL remained pretty tight-lipped about The Dark Knight Rises, which he was coming straight from shooting. He was also eager to talk about his hitRECord project and revealed that we may just get a full Joseph Gordon-Levitt album some day. Check out the interview and watch him take on the cancer comedy 50/50 when it comes out Sept. 30.

Anne Hathaway Has Jim Sturgess to Lean On at One Day's London Premiere

Lindsay Miller — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 13:54:00 PDT

Jim Sturgess and Anne Hathaway, who wore Alexander McQueen, were side by side for the London premiere of One Day this evening. The costars, who walked the red carpet together, reunited overseas after spending a few days together promoting the project in NYC earlier this month. Our I'm a Huge Fan winner was in the Big Apple to chat with Anne in person during her visit, and the two talked about everything from Anne's love of Adele to her Glee guest-starring desires, and her latest role as Catwoman. Anne has been taking breaks from the set of The Dark Knight Rises as she travels to do press and make appearances for her latest film. One Day hasn't necessarily been a critical hit with American reviewers, but we'll see if European audiences give it a warmer reception when it opens there this week. After all, the bestselling novel it's based on originated - and is especially beloved - in England, though it has now sold more than one million copies worldwide.

Link Time - Watch a New Trailer For Immortals

BuzzSugar — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:49:12 PDT

Check out the hot new trailer for Immortals - /Film
John Cusack looks extra spooky in The Raven - Moviefone
15 movies out for revenge - Rotten Tomatoes
Read an early review of tonight's premiere of The Big C - Aol TV
New pics from the set of The Dark Knight rises! - Zap2it
Jeff Probst is getting his own daytime talk show - The Hollywood Reporter
Celebrate the anniversary of Labyrinth - GeekSugar