Film Review: The Dark Knight Rises

There are three kinds of people in this world:

1)      People who like to go to a movie with a blank mind. No expectations, no spoilers and no opinions whatsoever. They probably kill spoiler spreaders in cold blood.

2)      People who go to a movie after reading some reviews and ensuring they are in for a good time. They’re the kind that reads the offer document carefully before investing.

3)      People who want to know the entire story before they watch a movie.

If you belong to class 1, kindly go away. There’s nothing for you here. Class 3 people, the Plot section of the Wikipedia page for The Dark Knight Rises would be a better place for you to look.

Class 2? Excellent. You’ve come to the right place.

***

And He shalt rise

You are presumably tired of all the The Dark Knight Rises reviews and fan posts flying hither and thither. This one is no different from the mainstream ones, I believe, and I wouldn’t blame you if you decide not to read any further. But I do promise you an unadulterated review; I haven’t read anything related to the movie (except the Knightfall comic series) starting from June 20 – exactly a month before the release of what is in all probability the most anticipated movie of the year – not even after I watched it yesterday morning at 11. What you read (if you do read) is my opinion alone.

It was in February 2010 that Christopher Nolan announced the much-anticipated news – he finally had cracked a story for the sequel to the ridiculously brilliant The Dark Knight. Fans of the franchise jumped with glee. It’s going to be awesome, we said, Nolan knows his stuff. He won’t let us down. The master filmmaker will see to it that the last of the much loved saga would be perfectly crafted with no loose ends. The long wait only made the nerves curl with huge expectations of an epic conclusion worthy of the Gotham Nolan had created.

The big question is: Does the movie deliver?

Yes. It does.

Right from the opening scene, Nolan’s invisible signature is felt, sprawling across the screen. The sequence in which a captive Bane escapes from a plane (shown in trailers, so not a spoiler, this) is one of the best I’ve ever seen and it sets the tone for things to come. The non-linear narrative, the portrayal of a Bruce Wayne who hasn’t donned the cape and cowl for eight bleak years, the anatomical exploration of human emotions, the slow goose-bump inducing build-up and efficient development of new characters ensure that you remain riveted in the first half. After the break, Nolan spits in his hands, rolls his sleeve and gets down to business. There’s a new vehicle in the Batcave – The Bat; the masked behemoth Bane potters around in his mercenary uniform, causing orderly havoc and fear; Bruce Wayne is pushed to limits mentally, physically and emotionally; and all other characters – Lucius Fox, Selina Kyle, John Blake, Commissioner Gordon, Miranda Tate et al make merry with their time in the spotlight. That’s all you’ll get out of me. The action sequences and special effects are spectacular and breathtaking, just as in Inception; kudos to the visual effects team.

Christian Bale is remarkable as the caped crusader and gives his best performance in the trilogy. Tom Hardy had the huge shoes – not literally – of Heath Ledger to fill as the antagonist of the film. His portrayal of the menacing, agile, cold, cunning, calculating and physical Bane deserves a toast. He goes to prove his versatility after playing the engaging Eames in Inception and being marvellously magnificent in the little-known 2009 indie Bronson. Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the young detective John Blake delivers a captivating performance. Mark my words, unless they screw up pretty bad, Gordon-Levitt and Hardy have huge stuff happening for them in the future. Anne Hathaway as always is a delight to watch and is mesmerizing as the foxy Selina Kyle/ Catwoman and so is Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate. Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine – all I say is that they are Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine.

The music, for me, was a bit of a letdown after the unique, jarring, broody masterpiece with a subtle emotional core that was the soundtrack of the previous two films. Hans Zimmer’s crowd-sourced chant is undeniably the most blood-chilling and epic bit of soundtrack from the entire trilogy. But that apart, the score has certain bland patches here and there, and James Newton Howard’s (Zimmer’s collaborator in the previous two films) contribution was sorely missed.

Thematically, The Dark Knight Rises utilises clichés at points and may not be as strong as its predecessor, which revelled in the disarray and chaos of the Joker’s unrestrained anarchy. But we do realize that exploration into deeper territories would have been disastrous, seeing this is the final chapter of the saga, and that nothing else could have fit the bill as perfectly as this film did – Nolan and the gang don’t let us down. As a story with an aim to bring a beloved tale to conclusion, The Dark Knight Rises more than exceeds expectations.

Fifty Years, and Still Stoned

July 12, 2012. Six words sum up this day. Fifty years of The Rolling Stones.

L – R: the late Brian Jones, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman.

Fifty years since Brian Jones, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ian Stewart, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts performed at the Marquee Club in London under the name The Rollin’ Stones – a name that would later drop off the apostrophe and replace it with a g; a name that would go on to change forever the way the world perceived rock ‘n’ roll. From their humble roots as a heavily Jazz influenced six-piece band, led by Brian Jones, performing covers of the likes of Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly, they have come a long way to become the musical powerhouse that they are, headed by one of the greatest songwriting pairs of all time, churning out classics like Paint it Black, (I can’t get no) Satisfaction, Sympathy for the Devil, Honky Tonk Women and so many more. And the world’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll band (arguably), which has been entertaining a handful of generations for precisely half a century now, looks good to carry on for a few more years.

Being quite a classic rock buff, the pure unadulterated sound of Keith’s guitar and the flawless rhythm of Watts’ drums, with the ever-so-slight hint of his Jazz background, was musical paradise served on a platter when I first listened to Jumpin’ Jack Flash. While songs such as Gimme Shelter, Brown Sugar and Tumbling Dice give one the elusive musical high and turn one to professional air-guitarists and bathroom singers, Sympathy for the Devil, You can’t always get what you want and It’s only Rock ‘n’ Roll take the feel-good factor up by several notches. And there are the kickass softer songs – Angie, Wild Horses, Play With Fire, Far Away Eyes and Ruby Tuesday come to mind. I must admit, I was introduced to the sui generis of The Stones’ music – the infusion of rock music to a predominantly jazz and blues setting – quite recently, and I do not consider myself an authority on their music. So, pardon a factual error or two. I write this article because it just has to be written. The situation demands it.

What I find most remarkable about The Rolling Stones is the way they have remained true to themselves, and yet not fade away with the changing (degradation, I’d like to call it) of mainstream tastes. Yes, there was a phase – the late 80’s and the 90’s – when they dabbled in disco, dance rock and hard rock, possibly a bit blanched by the emergence and rising popularity of Metallica, Duran Duran and the lot, but even in that rough patch – which many critics claim is the worst of the fifty-year-career – there was always a faint serenade of their real sound, whispering “I’m still here” in the backdrop. Maybe they realized they were slowly drifting away like so many others of their time. Their latest studio album, 2005’s A Bigger Bang, sees them going back to basics – their trademark mosaic of rock ‘n’ roll, good ol’ classic rock, rhythms and blues and blues rock. And boy, are they good! That they took eight years to come up with the album, which comprises of sixteen tracks in total, with so much conscious effort put in to begin where it all started, goes to show that they know what they are, and that they know what a true fan expects of them. The Rolling Stones, without doubt have remained true to themselves, while so many others have come and go.

The line-up demands mention. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards – the pen-wielders of the band while not performing – would be the last people I’d place my bets on in a beauty contest. That would be where my longest abuse directed at the duo would stop. Two men in their late sixties, they both have maintained their distinctive style, and they both seem like bottomless wells of infinite energy. I would be surprised if there’s anyone my age that could perform with as much passion and ecstasy as did Mick just a few years ago while touring for A Bigger Bang. They are a dying breed. They are true rock stars. That all the members have remained with the band for a huge chunk of time is also noteworthy. This is quite rare, in the time of ever-changing band dynamics (one tends to think of Axl Rose and his gang). Jagger and Richards always had their altercations and feuds, but in the end they inevitably placed the band and their music where they belonged – way above such petty squabbles. Their treatment of Ian Stewart is probably the only major blemish in their history, but the band did make sure that their subsequent treatment of him made up – at least partially – for their lack of decorum.

The current line-up: Charlie Watts, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood

A song about coming down off acid, named after a gardener (Jumpin’ Jack Flash); the fictitious Nanker/Phelge; a former member in the 27-club; Keith falling off from a tree in Fiji. There are so many things, so many events, so many anecdotes which set The Stones apart from all the other rock bands over the ages.

You may say it’s only a rock band after all. It’s only rock ‘n’ roll.

But we like it.

[With contributions from Pranav Ram, Anindita Ravikumar (title) Nithesh Tumkur (link suggestion) and Nivedh “Mattak” Jayanth (content).]