The Dark Knight Rises - Brooding, Edge-of-Your-Seat, Exhilirating

Bruce Wayne, the billionaire philanthropist of Wayne Enterprise, has turned into a recluse. It’s been 8 years since District Attorney Harvey Dent’s (aka Two-Face) death for which Batman has assumed responsibility. While lamenting in his solitude, Bruce (Christian Bale) meets a jewel thief named Selina Kyle, known underground as the Catwoman (Anne Hathaway). Meanwhile, an underground army is gradually taking Gotham down its knees, headed by a warlord called Bane (Tom Hardy). He has effectively disarmed the city by trapping its 3,000 police force in the sewer tunnels. 

For 3 long months, the city turns into a chaotic society with no effective law enforcement. Moreover, a thousand of Gotham’s inmates has been released to the streets. What’s worse, they want to segregate Gotham and its 15 million populace from the rest of the world to destroy the “corrupt” ways inherent in the governance of the city, i.e. “to fight the decadence of Gotham”.  Bane eventually gets hold of the 4 megaton nuclear reactor which, when unstable, becomes a fully primed neutron bomb, with a destructive reach covering 6 miles. Needless to say, this becomes an urgent matter because Bane wants to blow the city into smithereens.

Bruce’s curiosity about the mysterious jewel thief has him donning his cape again, but this leads him to Bane and his minions. A rookie cop-turned-Special Agent John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) turns to the hibernating Bruce for help. He somehow knows of Wayne’s alter ego and the city is in dire need of a hero, what with Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) falling ill. And would a dark knight turn his back on Gotham when its survival is on the line?

Bruce Wayne steps back into the spotlight. With Wayne Enterprise running bankrupt, Wayne has to rise up from his seclusion.

The Catwoman triggers the return of Batman.

Christopher Nolan’s final installment is an engaging ride into the psyche of retribution and heroism. Despite its contemplative tone, Nolan deftly covers the iconic bubble of these comic book characters, turning two-dimensional personas into real people with plausible motivations. Alfred Pennyworth (the resplendent Michael Caine), Bruce’s butler, is particularly heart-wrenching as he emotionally blackmails his “Master Bruce” against becoming Batman again. Selina – the Catwoman – oozes with mischievous and malignant charm as she slithers her “paws” around Bruce, et.al. She believes that she is beyond redemption, thus she moves around with nothing but self preservation in her mind. Tom Hardy (who gained 30 pounds for the role) is as menacing as the Bane that I knew from comic books. In fact, Nolan and Hardy’s depiction of this behemoth “beast” is astounding. He frightens me so. I am absolutely impressed by how this film is able to retain the essence of comic characters the way they were originally conceived.

SPOILERS!

There are moments of utter agony: when Bruce is overpowered by Bane, demasking him, taking him prisoner, then breaking his back (his vertebra protruding from his back). Bruce is left almost-invalid and thrown into a pit alongside other prisoners (this pit was said to have been partly filmed in the Indian city of Jodhpur). During a conversation with one of the inmates who asks him why he doesn’t fear death, Bruce replies: “I fear dying in here while my city burns.” Despite a lingering undertone of hopelessness, Nolan turns the exposition into one of endurance and optimism; that no adversity is too difficult to overcome. And that human beings – like Bruce Wayne – are capable of rising from personal and moral catastrophe.

Morgan Freeman is Lucius Fox who runs Wayne Enterprise fro Bruce Wayne. He also "suits up" Wayne's alter ego.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays John Blake whose fascination with the "rich orphan" Bruce Wayne gives him clues as to Wayne's alter ego. Blake was an orphan himself. What's more appetizing is how his character is primed to give us a possible follow up featuring a famous sidekick! 

Selina Kyle as the jewel thief.

Anne Hathaway as the adorably mischievous Catwoman.

Marion Cotillard plays Miranda Tate whose character I refuse to expound further as this will cramp  your viewing pleasure. She plays a pivotal role and gives you one of those "ohmygosh" moments!

The Batman

Bane: intellect and brawn in one scary package.

The Catwoman rides a bike.

Fisticuffs

The comic concept of Bane - sure makes you wanna return to buying those expensive DC Comics again!

Bane in one of his more contemporary comic depictions.

What's Gotham without its crusader?

Be Very Wary of Your Reality in Shutter Island

When I first saw the trailer of "Shutter Island" last year, I was in a tizzy! Martin Scorsese - one of the greatest living directors of all time - with Leonardo DiCaprio in a thriller? Are you kidding? It's nothing short of an event! And for all the right reasons!

Writing even a movie capsule about it gives a lot of its story away thus I shall limit it here: U.S. marshals Teddy and Chuck (Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo, respectively) are sent to an island off the coast of Massachusetts where a facility exists to incarcerate violent crime offenders who are mentally incapacitated! A criminal has escaped and no traces of "her" has been found. But Teddy has more personal reasons for his visit. His wife and children were killed by someone who's in Shutter Island! Unfortunately for the marshals, the management and staff of the facility seem to be hiding something. They suspect that sinister activities are being performed on the patients. Just when they are to call off their investigation, a hurricane lashes out, trapping them in the island. Will they succeed in uncovering the secrets that cloak this island?

A hint? This is a Martin Scorsese film and essaying predictions or jumping into conclusions isn't as easy as watching a Star Cinema movie, that's for sure. LOL

Peppering this gritty thriller is an amazing cast that includes Ben Kingsley, Michael Caine, my favorite Patricia Clarkson (of "Cairo Time") and Michelle Williams. The setting is as sinister as the convolutions in the story, and there's the brilliant use of a hurricane to create an atmosphere of paranoia, claustrophobia and isolation! Leonardo DiCaprio is downright intense; when was he not? And I giggle every time I see Mark not because he's bad, but because he's as cute as ever - ohmygosh! Pardon the lady in me. ;->

Leonardo DiCaprio - intense as usual.

Mark Ruffalo - a marshal or a doctor? He was once diagnosed with a brain cancer - which turned out to be benign. After a brain surgery, he was completely healed although he is suffering from a minor facial paralysis due to the operation - that's where he gets this very sexy lopsided grin. ;->

Mark Ruffalo, who stands 5'9", understands the idea of patience. He worked as a bartender in New York for 9 long years - where he was said to have auditioned for some 800 roles - before luck finally came.