An awesome and ridiculous film that leaves you thrilled beyond the point of your natural endurance
2012
Theatre
The show has suddenly become quite wonderful, and the galvanising factor is the terrific stage debut of Melanie C
Blood Brothers
Music
The British pop music industry may be eating itself but if Muse are the pick of what it can offer the world in 2010 then British music is in rude health indeed
Muse
I was smitten by both Gilberts enormous luxuriant moustache and the intelligence and nuance of this highly entertaining play
I totally recommend Babbo to anyone who is looking for really good and traditional Italian food
Always been a fan but never seen them live. I was ecstatic to be part of this epic event. WOW!
London,
Nick Curtis's rating
Reader rating
Dir: Christopher Nolan.
Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman, Eric Roberts, Cillian Murphy, Anthony Michael Hall
Description: Millionaire Bruce Wayne continues his crusade against crime in Gotham City in his guise as Batman, aided by Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, who is romantically involved with Bruce's old flame, Rachel Dawes. Crime figures soar when criminal mastermind The Joker declares war on the police and on Batman. As the battle between good and evil becomes increasingly personal, Bruce turns to his loyal butler Alfred and to Wayne Enterprises technical genius Lucius Fox to keep his winged alter-ego from plummeting into the abyss.
Country: US. 2008. 152mins
Look who's Bat: Chrstian Bale at the London premiere
With this taut, intelligent blockbuster Christopher Nolan surpasses the success of his earlier Batman Begins. The Dark Knight again has dazzling visuals, a hectic pace and a fine cast of character actors supporting Christian Bale's brooding caped crusader. But this time the story is clearer, the personality of rich but soulless Gotham City more fully realised. And, as anyone sentient knows by now, we have the late Heath Ledger giving a grandstanding performance as the Joker.
We get a taster of this mutilated psychopath's amoral methods, as much terrorist as criminal, in the opening bank robbery sequence. Then the narrative snaps to Bale's Batman, who is troubled by copycat vigilantes, and wondering whether he should make way for crusading DA Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhardt), who has already won the heart of his childhood sweetheart Rachel (Maggie Gyllenhaal). Unfortunately the Joker, backed by Mob money, is on a mission to prove that Gotham's a writhing pit of iniquity, where no one is reliably safe, sane, or good. He and Batman engage in a struggle for the city's soul.
Nolan smuggles complex issues of identity and the limits of morality into the cracking set-piece confrontations between the two costumed oddballs, who are flipsides of the same coin. He also equips Bale with some great new toys, a mordant wit to undercut the story's essential bleakness, and a trio of advisers: Michael Caine's butler Alfred, Gary Oldman's good cop Jim Gordon and Morgan Freeman's weapons-master Lucius Fox. The pace sags and the story falters only slightly towards the end, before a satisfyingly grim climax that sets up the next film.
And Ledger? Although the Joker's menace is anonymous, random and impersonal, meaning this is more of a star turn than a performance, he's magnificently creepy and unhinged. His manic zest gives the film its energy. He knocks Jack Nicholson into a cocked purple hat. Even if he doesn't get that posthumous Oscar, this is enough of a tour de force to make us mourn him again.
The film is released on Thursday.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
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