The Dark Knight Rises was great... I did not even notice the long running time-- was completely engaged all the way through. Actually, I think Christopher Nolan's Batman may be the best movie trilogy I have seen. He kept this big budget series real with his indie sensibilities... I think I said it before, that these are the most "realistic" comic book movies that have been made. There is also something a little haunted about them, and I guess that fits the background of the character. Of course, it's hard not think about the tragedy that occurred in Colorado over the summer... but the movie does end on a high note that makes you hopeful for real heroes. I was pleasantly surprised with Ann Hathaway as Catwoman, and totally called the "Robin" character early on... Joseph Gordon-Levitt did a great job, and I'm all for seeing a Nightwing movie in the near future... but this was a wonderful way to seal Nolan's series. It's been a rare, dignified Hollywood blockbuster.
From realistic comic books to animated realism:
The music lover in me was really charmed by the Spanish film Chico & Rita. Latin jazz in 1940s Cuba/New York City... the story tells about the life story of Chico and Rita, two musicians who also fall in love. The couple struggles through misunderstanding, career, and music, and this animated film really draws you into this world. The story is loosely based on the life of Bebo Valdés, a Cuban pianist/composer, who provides much of energetic soundtrack. Artist Javier Mariscal's designs are charming, and really follow the rhythm of the music.
And speaking of a movie with a great look:
We went old-school ourselves last weekend, and caught Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom at the drive-in... on a moonlit night. The film tells the story of a couple young pre-teen outsiders who run away from home and camp--sort of an us against them tale, which I think perfectly captures the feelings of that age. I always like Anderson's films, but I think a reviewer put it best when they said that this one feels more from his heart than head. His films are always quirky, well-designed, sort of ironic, tongue-in-cheek... and this one is no different. It is set in the mid-1960s, and it has a great vibe. The actors are all great, including Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Bruce Willis, and Edward Norton, who plays sort of the ultimate Norman Rockwell Boy Scout type... serious and dedicated in his efforts to play by the scout rules. But the real stars of this show are Jared Gilman and Kara Hayward, who play the kids (Sam the misunderstood scout and Kara the dark, pre-goth girl) beautifully. I didn't know what to expect from this film, but I really enjoyed it, and think it's worth catching again to take in all the details... visual, storytelling, and performance... in fact, all of these films we saw last week succeeded in this respect. It gives you hope for the state of movie-making.
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