The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight might just be the quintessential summer movie. In fact, the release of the second installment in the Christopher Nolan Batman series is the adult version of summer camp.
Stay with me here. Batman fans were like excited pre-teens leaving home for a secluded camp when production for The Dark Knight began. There was an immeasurable amount of hype for this film. Disturbing photos of the film’s villain, the Joker surfaced a year before the film’s scheduled release, and Batman enthusiasts from around the world congregated on internet discussion boards to argue and obsess over the details of the upcoming movie.
Let’s face it: we all went a little crazy. We even had to go through the bureaucratic motions of pre-reregistering to reserve our spot to see this movie. The scene at your local movie theatre probably looked like herding packs of kids onto buses: lots of smiling faces, wide eyes and bodies trembling with anticipation while in line for the movie.
But make no mistake, this Batman movie is by no means filled with child-friendly activities. The Dark Knight’s not a part of the ever expanding “Superhero Genre.” Rather, the film flows more like a fantastical crime drama. Laughs are scarce and nothing is played for comedy.
Batman—played by a very sleek Christian Bale— is no longer Gotham City’s hero, but instead a disruptive vigilant who’s wanted by various mobs and even its citizens.
In order to have the true identity of Batman revealed, the Joker sets up a series of elaborate traps in order put those whom Batman relies on and works with in serious danger. Amongst the targeted are Police Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman), District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) and Batman’s old flame and assistant D.A. Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal).
But these traps are much more than simple quick “shoot or don’t shoot” decisions, instead the Joker prefers to make his prey—and the audience—squirm with impossible ethical conundrums. Although the plot primarily revolves around the Joker’s attempts to ruin Batman, Nolan and his writing partner and brother Jonathan manage to introduce new characters and reach more interesting depths than may have been previously expected of a “Superhero” film.
But, it’s truly the character work that makes this film what it is. Aaron Eckhart portrays D.A.-turned-nihilist and takes on the role of Two-Face with an interesting humanity and profundity considering the absurdity in his character. The same can be said for all of the characters in this film. It couldn’t be any further away from a comic strip. The characters are realistic in an unlikely world.
Finally, how could we forget this summer’s ultimate fling? The Joker—he’s mysterious, tortured and strangely charismatic.
Heath Ledger’s performance is absolutely mesmerizing and the film owes its more artistic and inventive scenes to Ledger. It’s obvious that Nolan was inspired by the young actor’s truly original take on the Joker but, unfortunately Ledger’s performance is fleeting. It was good while it lasted.
Summer is bitter and sweet and so, too, is The Dark Knight as it ventures away from comic book entertainment and leaves a deeper impact. When the film’s credits role, we are not left with a feeling of hope or redemption in Batman, but asking ourselves more questions.
—Emily Whalen
Mamma Mia
There is nothing I can say that will prepare you for the wonder and terror that is Mamma Mia. This adaptation of the successful Broadway musical manages to combine the music of ABBA, amateurish acting from some fairly renowned actors, awkward dance moves and more sequins than you’d find at a Liza Minelli concert into a movie that’s completely horrifying.
If you were to think of the most cringe-worthy moment of your life and multiply it by 10, you would end up somewhere in the ballpark of this movie. Yet somehow the devil-may-care attitude of the entire cast allows Mamma Mia to exist in the realm of awful that lands somewhere between laughable and endearing.
The story—which is loosely constructed but does a surprisingly good job of serving the songs—centers on Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) who, in preparation for her wedding, snoops through the diary of her mother (Meryl Streep) and invites the three men who she has learned could possibly be her father—a clichéd-sexy bill of Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgård—to her mother’s Villa in Greece.
It took me about two songs—the ridiculous “Money, Money, Money” and “Mamma Mia”—to realize that this movie was not expecting the audience to take it even a little bit seriously. A “greek chorus”—made up of the locals because they’re in Greece, of course—pops in and out of the musical sequences, often as what I’m not entirely (but fairly) certain are figments of Meryl Streep’s imagination.
A mention in a song of going to “Las Vegas or Monaco” leads to a shot of Streep’s head super-imposed over a roulette wheel while poker chips rain down on her. And if there was any lingering doubt that this movie knows how absurd it is, Brosnan singing “S.O.S” puts it to rest.
While it would be understandable for the actors to appear self-conscious being so completely out of their element, no one, aside from Skarsgård, is phoning in their performance.
Everyone gamely goes for every song, dance and cheesy line of dialogue with gusto, which creates a general mood of joviality that’s contagious. But Streep comes off looking mostly, um, crazy. I’m hesitant to bad mouth the acting of the woman who has been nominated for 14 Oscars, but she is all over the map in this movie, showcasing some embarrassing dance moves and overacting while she sings.
The direction of the movie doesn’t do her, or the rest of the cast, any favours. Phyllida Lloyd, a first time film director, employs quick zoom-ins and slow motion reminiscent of a bad Kung-Fu film from the 1970s, which alternately adds to the silliness of the movie and makes the actors look ridiculous.
When the movie slows down for the ballad “Slipping Through My Fingers,” the audience is reminded of Streep’s acting chops and the intended sweetness of the musical, but it’s only a temporary reprieve before the horrific musical finale. After seeing every member of the cast in one piece sequined jumpsuits, I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again.
Upon leaving the theatre, I can almost guarantee that you will be dumbstruck—the first word I heard from a fellow audience member was “yikes”—but after looking back on the sheer ridiculousness and spectacle of what you just witnessed, you can’t help but appreciate the movie for its spirit.
As my friend pointed out, “I cringed a lot, but I smiled a lot too.”
—Tekla Nagel
Young People Fucking
It’s been a long hot summer and for those of you who are a little more, um—hot, than usual you might think seeing a movie with the title Young People Fucking would be the perfect prescription to satisfy your summertime … er … needs.
But don’t let the title fool you. The film isn’t nearly as frank as it sounds. In fact, it’s a much more subtle and heartfelt film than the title suggests.
The film is Canadian Martin Q. Gero’s directorial debut and documents the sexual encounters of five different sets of people: the Friends, the Couple, the Exes, the First Date and the Roommates.
With a commendable sense of symmetry, director/writer Gero follows these five couples through his six stages of fucking: foreplay, sex, interlude, orgasm and afterglow.
This would seem to cover just about everything, but things aren’t always that simple, especially when it comes to sex. Each couple has their own set of problems that the audience gets to see them deal with or just stumble through.
The Couple has fallen into a life full of routine and both halves seem equally bored with their sex life. Their night is spent trying new things in an attempt to save their sex life and relationship.
The Friends are, you guessed it, lifelong friends who decided to sleep with each other for instant gratification and nothing more. They spend most of their night psyching themselves up and drinking in order to go through with it.
The Exes are two people who obviously share a mutual attraction, but are wavering in the status of their relationship.
The First Date couple consists of a womanizing thirty year old pursuing a younger co-worker, although this storyline is turned on its head when more about these characters is revealed as the night moves along.
The last couple is not actually a couple, it’s a threesome involving a girl, her boyfriend and her boyfriend’s roommate. Much like the Couples, the threesome partakers all have their own distinct wishes that come to a head throughout the film.
Young People Fucking succeeds where many romantic comedies fail because it’s one thing most Hollywood romcoms aren’t
—it’s real.
The characters are honest and familiar. We feel like flies on the wall while watching—but not in a totally voyeuristic way—this diverse group of people have sex. It’s not a cheap film, but one that relies heavily on witty dialogue instead of gratuitous images of various body parts.
This film has been described as a “more grown-up version of American Pie.” But, this film seems decidedly Canadian.
The characters are likeable and the faces familiar, like you’ve maybe seen them in a Canadian commercial, but not distractingly so. It’s because these people aren’t famous that we are able to focus on the dialogue and stories instead of the actor portraying them.
In a Canada where the impending threat of Bill C-10 might stop stories like these from being told, it’s crucial that this film is seen and embraced by Canadians.
We’re going to need to fight for our right to … well, you finish the sentence.
—Emily Whalen
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