Freelance writer. Melbourne based cinephile. Fond of food.
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Having an iconaclastic visionary like Christopher Nolan directing Batman movies automatically elevates them to a rarefied level hitherto unseen in the superhero genre. "The Batman" himself already has the distinction of not actually being endowed with super powers, he's just a very resourceful and rich man on a burning mission.
As a visual experience, the best way to see this film is at an Imax cinema. Nolan has always been a major proponent of the format and as with the previous Dark Knight film, he has shot some scenes using IMAX cameras. Thankfully, Nolan is not such a fan of 3D, which in truth hasn't offered much benefit to the live action films screened in the format. The cons, including a darker screen, and those dinky glasses, outweigh the pros.
As the final part in Nolan's Batpic trilogy, he explores further the conflicts and grey areas between good and evil. The character played by Anne Hathaway, for example, is so morally ambiguous sometimes it's hard to tell if she's playing Catwoman or Batgirl. And any misgivings I had about Hathaway beforehand playing the part were quickly erased the minute she appeared on screen.
Elsewhere in the cast it feels like an Inception re-union, with everyone from Marion Cotillard to Tom Hardy on board. Do I mind? I Joseph Gordon love it! Even Hans Zimmer is present, with a characteristically pulsating score.
This is an operatic, extremely dark work, and although it runs close to three hours, every scene is there for a reason. There's an impressive procession of toys, action and destruction, but also a gratifying complex study of humanity. You'd expect nothing less from Christopher Nolan. I pity the director who tries taking his place in the next instalment - whenever that may be.