At 12:01 a.m. EDT last Friday morning, a rowdy crowd in Petoskey, MI was clapping in rhythm for the theater to dim the lights and the projectionist to start the show. It was a typical high school- and college-age group for a midnight showing, and my wife and I were two of the oldest people in the audience for The Dark Knight Rises, save a few parental chaperons.
The screening was uneventful, unless one would consider teenage giggling and guffaws in a darkened cinema news flash material. Probably the all-you-can-eat pizza and popcorn with admission kept their mouths shut and chewing. Otherwise, the young audience gasped and laughed in all the "right places," and heartily cheered and applauded the final scene.
Hundreds of moviegoers filed out of the theater, tired but basically happy, their biggest dilemma being how to combat the approaching sleep deprivation later that day. It was a welcome escape from reality for a few hours. No one present knew of the tragic events in Aurora, CO yet.
I learned of the mass shooting from news alerts during some late night/early morning viewing of The Weather Channel, seeing what the weather would be for our hike in Petoskey State Park later that day.
Along with the incident-free movie screening, an event earlier this summer near my Valparaiso home puts the Colorado theater shooting in perspective for me. An armed and crazed man from Texas, disgruntled about a failed investment, stormed the Prudential Building on Calumet Avenue and held an office of workers hostage. Fortunately, he eventually let them all go, physically unharmed, but then he shot and killed himself. If only James E. Holmes would have done the same.
Was the talk among office workers in Northwest Indiana "we can't go back to work any more after this?" No, working and getting paid for it is a necessity for most people and their families. Though seeing a movie at a cinema is not one of life's absolute necessities, having an outlet or place for escape and relaxation should be.
Do not let fear dictate or shape the actions of your life. Please, do not allow the acts of a sadistic, selfish human being keep you from the pursuit of your happiness.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES--movie review by Gordon Stamper, Jr.
The Dark Knight Rises
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Screenplay by Nolan and Jonathan Nolan; story by Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer
Starring Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Joseph Gordon-Hewitt, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Matthew Modine
A Warner Bros. Pictures/DC Entertainment/Legendary Pictures release
164 Minutes
Rated 'PG-13' for intense sequences of violence and action, some sensuality, and language
The Dark Knight Rises begins eight years after the disappearance of Batman and the manufactured story that the vigilante superhero killed District Attorney Harvey Dent. The Wayne Corporation and its charitable foundation are in a state of disrepair. Despite encouragement and cajoling from faithful butler Alfred (Michael Caine) and active board member Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is now a physically battered recluse, with the manor hosting parties that he does not attend.
Three factors may signal a necessary return for the Caped Crusader. Master cat burglar Selena Kyle (Anne Hathaway) has infiltrated the Wayne staff as a maid, seeking to swipe some treasures. Concerned police patrolman and fellow orphan John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Hewitt) confronts Wayne about his foundation's declining support for orphanages and his suspicions that Wayne is Batman. And there is Bane (Tom Hardy), a sadistic terrorist with forces seemingly ready to overrun any protective defenses Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) could throw at them.
The third and final film of the Nolan/Bale Batman trilogy is a bit of a letdown following the artistic achievement of The Dark Knight, perhaps the greatest superhero film ever made. Bane, with his distorted Sean Connery-like voice and vicious musclebound temperament, is a threatening villain but is no true intellectual wild card like Heath Ledger's Joker. This movie is more on the quality level of Batman Begins, which means it may not reach your personal all-time list, but it will probably be one of the best films you will see this year.
Uplifting this entry to the franchise is the development of supporting characters. Once again, Commissioner Gordon, Lucius, and Alfred are fully realized characters and the distinguished troupe of performers portraying them (Oldman, Freeman, Caine) continues to breathe life into them. Hathaway's Catwoman is an amoral, funny, and sexy creation who has excellent chemistry with Bale. Along with Hewitt's likeable everyday hero character, Wayne's fellow corporate officer and philanthropist Miranda Tate (Marion Cotillard) is also a welcome addition, mainly for providing some compelling back story. However, if any romantic sparks between Bale and Cotillard were intended, they are virtually nonexistent.
Probably the best example of the Nolans' writing craft for supporting characters is Foley (Matthew Modine), a social climbing police officer who would in an average movie be a one-dimensional pain in the neck, but instead we the viewers see a full character arc. He alternates between misinformed schemer, lowdown conniving slug, coward, family man, and a duty-bound police officer with an unexpected brave streak. Such development is commendable for the action genre, and another exhibit of evidence in the high quality of the trilogy.
This does not mean The Dark Knight Rises is a filmed stage play. Spectacular action set pieces abound, including Bane's initial scene, which owes a lot to the James Bond series; Batman's re-emergence in the public eye; and Selena Kyle/Catwoman's combination of slinky acrobatics and lethal martial arts.
With exciting action sequences, mostly strong character development, and the usual dazzling Batman gadgets, The Dark Knight Rises is a more than satisfactory end to this series. Shot with IMAX cameras and full of atmospheric location work (this time in Pittsburgh, PA--its bridges are particular stars in a few special effects sequences), this is meant to be seen on the big screen. Just be prepared that the film is not quite the genre-transcending experience of its predecessor.
My rating: ***1/2 out of ****
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