The Batman
[info headline="Release date"]7 December 2018[/info]
[info headline="Language"]English, Hindi[/info]
[info headline="IMDb Rating"]7.4[/info]
[info headline="Genre"]Action, Fantasy, Science Fiction[/info]
[info headline="Cast"]Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson[/info]
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Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” isn’t a superhero movie. Not
really. All the trappings are there: the Batmobile, the rugged suit, the
gadgets courtesy of trusty butler Alfred. And of course, at the center, is the
Caped Crusader himself: brooding, tormented, seeking his own brand of nighttime
justice in a Gotham City that’s spiraling into squalor and decay.
But in Reeves’ confident hands, everything is breathtakingly
alive and new. As director and co-writer, he’s taken what might seem like a
familiar tale and made it epic, even operatic. His “Batman” is more akin to a
gritty, ‘70s crime drama than a soaring and transporting blockbuster. With its
kinetic, unpredictable action, it calls to mind films like “The Warriors” as
well as one of the greatest of them all in the genre, “The French Connection.”
And with a series of high-profile murders driving the plot, it sometimes feels
as if the Zodiac killer is terrorizing the citizens of Gotham.
And yet, despite these touchstones, this is unmistakably a
Matt Reeves film. He accomplishes here what he did with his gripping entries in
the “Planet of the Apes” franchise: created an electrifying, entertaining
spectacle, but one that’s grounded in real, emotional stakes. This is a Batman
movie that’s aware of its own place within pop culture, but not in winking,
meta fashion; rather, it acknowledges the comic book character’s lore, only to
examine it and reinvent it in a way that’s both substantial and daring. The
script from Reeves and Peter Craig forces this hero to question his history as
well as confront his purpose, and in doing so, creates an opening for us as
viewers to challenge the narratives we cling to in our own lives.
And with Robert Pattinson taking over the role of Bruce
Wayne, we have an actor who’s not just prepared but hungry to explore this
figure’s weird, dark instincts. This is not the dashing heir to a fortune
prowling about, kicking ass in a cool costume. This is Travis Bickle in the
Batsuit, detached and disillusioned. He’s two years into his tenure as Batman,
tracking criminals from on high in Wayne Tower—an inspired switch from the
usual sprawl of Wayne Manor, suggesting an even greater isolation from society.
“They think I’m hiding in the shadows,” he intones in an opening voiceover.
“But I am the shadows.” In the harsh light of day, Pattinson gives us hungover
indie rock star vibes. But at night, you can see the rush he gets from swooping
in and executing his version of vengeance, even beneath the tactical gear and
eye black.
As he’s shown in pretty much every role he's taken since
“Twilight” made him a global superstar in 2008, working with singular auteurs
from David Cronenberg to Claire Denis to the Safdie brothers, Pattinson is at
his best when he’s playing characters who make you uncomfortable. Even more
than Christian Bale in the role, Pattinson is so skilled at making his
beautiful, angular features seem unsettling. So when he first spies on the
impossibly sexy Zoe Kravitz as Selina Kyle, slinking into her leather motorcycle
gear and shimmying down the fire escape in her own pursuit of nocturnal
justice, there’s an unmistakable flicker of a charge in his eyes: Ooh. She’s a
freak like me.
Pattinson and Kravitz have insane chemistry with each other.
She is his match, physically and emotionally, every step of the way. This is no
flirty, purring Catwoman: She’s a fighter and a survivor with a loyal heart and
a strong sense of what’s right. Following her lead role in Steven Soderbergh’s
high-tech thriller “Kimi,” Kravitz continues to reveal a fierce charisma and
quiet strength.
She’s part of a murderer’s row of supporting performers, all
of whom get meaty roles to play. Jeffrey Wright is the rare voice of idealism
and decency as the eventual Commissioner Gordon. John Turturro is low-key
chilling as crime boss Carmine Falcone. Andy Serkis—Caesar in Reeves’ “Apes”
movies—brings a paternal wisdom and warmth as Alfred. Colin Farrell is
completely unrecognizable as the sleazy, villainous Oswald Cobblepot, better
known as The Penguin. And Paul Dano is flat-out terrifying as The Riddler,
whose own drive for vengeance provides the story’s spine. He goes to extremes
here in a way that’s reminiscent of his startling work in “There Will Be
Blood.” His derangement is so intense, you may find yourself unexpectedly
laughing just to break the tension he creates. But there’s nothing amusing
about his portrayal; Dano makes you feel as if you’re watching a man who’s
truly, deeply disturbed.
This is not to say that “The Batman” is a downer; far from
it. Despite the overlong running time of nearly three hours, this is a film
that’s consistently viscerally gripping. The coolest Batmobile yet—a muscular
vehicle that’s straight out of “Mad Max: Fury Road”—figures prominently in one
of the movie’s most heart-pounding sequences. It’s an elaborate car chase and
chain-reaction crash ending with an upside-down shot of fiery fury that
literally had me applauding during my screening. During a fight at a thumping
night club, punctuated by pulsating red lights, you can feel every punch and
kick. (That’s one of the more compelling elements of seeing this superhero in
his early days: He isn’t invincible.) And a shootout in a pitch-black hallway,
illuminated only by the blasts of shotgun fire, is both harrowing and dazzling.
Greatly magnifying the power of scenes like these is the score from veteran
composer Michael Giacchino. Best known for his Pixar movie music, he does
something totally different with “The Batman”: percussive and horn-heavy, it is
massive and demanding, and you will feel it deep in your core.
Working with artists and craftspeople operating at the top
of their game, Reeves has made a movie that manages to be ethereal yet weighty
at the same time, substantial yet impressionistic. Cinematographer Greig Fraser
pulls off the same sort of stunning magic trick he did with his Oscar-nominated
work in Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune”: Through pouring rain and neon lights,
there’s both a gauziness and a heft to his imagery. His use of shadow and
silhouette is masterful, and does so much to convey a sense of foreboding and
tension. I could write an entire, separate essay on the film’s many uses of the
color red to suggest energy, danger, even hope. And the costume design from the
great Jacqueline Durran—with Dave Crossman and Glyn Dillon designing
Pattinson’s rough-and-tumble Batsuit—put just the right finishing touch on the
film’s cool, edgy vibe.
This is the most beautiful Batman movie you’ve ever
seen—even if it’s not really a Batman movie at all.
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