Movies Reviewed: The Dark Knight
The film is a traditional May-December romantic comedy revolving around a young assistant district attorney’s (Maggie Gyllenhal, subbing here for Katie Holmes, who opted out of the role to pursue her study of scientists) attraction to elderly manservant Alfred (Michael Caine) whom she’s known since childhood. Christian Bale reprises his supporting role as a vigilante ninja intent on revisions of municipal traffic and property laws, while Heath Ledger plays comic relief as a “joker” with a rather morbid sense of humor.
Gyllenhal’s turn as A.D.A. Rachel Dawes will beguile purists longing for a return to the traditional damsel-in-distress, an archetype largely absent from the silver screen for nearly a quarter-century. Director Christopher Nolan offers a female lead who brims with authentic, palpable vulnerability, proving there’s no better rescue for a girl than a good (bat) man.
Internet rumors to the contrary, not a single bat appears in this film, though Bale’s character does at times don a cape and pair of ears, lending him the appearance of an oversized, if mildly disturbing, version of the famed fruit bat of southern Peru.
Another downside: the film’s focus on public policy solutions to problems of urban mass transit, law enforcement, and prosecutorial discretion may prove inappropriate for small children and Malthuvian economists.
Still, the film satisfies as light-hearted summer fare suitable for dates or family movie night. Children of all ages will find something to love in Ledger’s clown makeup and antics, while astute grown-ups will appreciate the nuanced romance and visual atmospherics reminiscent of that charming British author, Joe Conrad.
