Short Reviews #31
The Dark Knight (2008)
The superhero movie bar has been raised yet again with The Dark Knight, a near flawless Hollywood blockbuster that could easily be the best picture of the year. It’s more elaborate and epic in every department from the screenplay and the action set pieces through to the performances than its predecessor. There’s been so much talk about Heath Ledger’s performance and whilst I doubted him in the role when I first heard he was cast, his gusto and enthusiasm for the role comes through in truckloads with easily one of the greatest screen villains of all time. He’s up there with Hannibal Lecter and Norman Bates as an instantly memorable, calculated, and intelligent villain. Director Christopher Nolan has taken reference to Michael Mann’s 1992 drama Heat, particularly in the opening scene. Special mention should also go to the screenplay penned by Nolan and his brother Jonathon. Whereas the first film is all about beginnings and who Bruce Wayne is, this sequel places greater emphasis on the other characters such as Gordon, The Joker, Harvey Dent and Lucious Fox. By giving each character a third dimension however, you also extend the running time and that’s perhaps my only gripe with the film (oh and perhaps how Bruce Wayne’s voice changes when he becomes Batman). At two hours and thirty minutes, it does feel a little long, especially towards the final thirty minutes. Luckily the longer runtime can be forgiven since the quality of the material is constantly entertaining. Hopefully Nolan and co will return for a third film in the series but it’s going to take a mighty effort on everyone’s behalf to top this one.
Short Reviews #30
Cloverfield (2008)
Who doesn’t love a good monster movie? Note the word ‘good’ because there are plenty of monster movies that suck. But Cloverfield isn’t one of them. There are two reasons for this. The first is that the filmmakers went down the whole Jaws route in that they don’t reveal the ‘monster’ fully until much later in the film. And secondly, the use of hand-held camera-work and attention to suspense work beautifully, as it did in The Blair Witch Project. Brought to us by Lost and Alias creator J.J. Abrams (he didn’t direct this however) and rolled out over a highly successful online campaign, the film delivers the goods where it needs to. Letting the film down slightly is the two-dimensional, fresh-faced WB-lookers but that doesn’t matter a great deal since all the effort has gone into the execution and special effects and that’s what you pay your money for with these films. It would be nice to have stronger characters in there but it’s not essential for a film like Cloverfield. It’s intense and original enough to recommend it.
Short Reviews #29
First off, apologies for the lack of short reviews lately. Things are rather busy at the moment so I’ve resorted to posting even shorter reviews on my Facebook page. It’s terrible I know. But rest assured, I will still be posting reviews here prominently in the near future. Stay tuned.
No Country For Old Men (2007)
Don’t you love it when a filmmaker you love returns to form after a few misfires? It’s like they suddenly become conscious of the Hollywood machine and step way back, far enough so that they can get back to the very essence of what made them love film in the first place. It doesn’t happen very often because the idea of larger budgets often means the filmmakers take the money and run. But with No Country For Old Men, Joel and Ethan Coen have refused the riches and instead decided to focus on what makes an excellent thriller – story, direction, cinematography and mesmerizing performances. Much like they did with Blood Simple and Fargo, they have an incredible knack of putting you on the edge of your seat, taking you into a world you have never experienced before, while still providing the occasional comedic release. European actor Javier Bardem is indeed ‘the ultimate bad-ass’ and deserves the Oscar. I haven’t seen a villain this chilling on screen in years. Josh Brolin is also outstanding here (he’s come a long way since the big brother in the Goonies) and for those who think this is a Tommy Lee Jones movie may need to think again. He’s very good here but not on the same playing field as the aforementioned actors. Kudos must also go to Roger Deakin’s stark and stunning cinematography and although I absolutely adore everything Carter Burwell has scored, here his music is virtually non-existent and it works beautifully for this film. This may be my favourite Coen brothers film to date (although I am partial to Fargo and The Big Lebowski) and a contender for film of the year. But please, please don’t expect a Hollywood resolution. It doesn’t need one and you will be thankful they didn’t go there.
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Hooverdust is a pop culture blog designed and developed by James Sann. I cover a range of topics such as Film, Music, TV, Photography, Design and teh internets.
Based in Melbourne and Bendigo, Australia, in my professional life, I am a freelance multimedia designer, photographer and a part-time University lecturer & tutor.
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