The Batman (2022) Dir: Matt Reeves
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When this new Batman project was announced, it had its fair share of skeptics, myself included. I wasn't sure what new portrayal DC could or would be able to bring to life, so I kind of felt like this one would be a bit of a rinse and repeat job.
I could not have been more wrong. This felt like a true crime thriller with Batman injected into it. The dark, gritty and sinister overtones and themes mixed perfectly with the grungy portrayal of Bruce Wayne we were presented with.
The film delved into a number of genres, even having some very welcome horror elements at points. Everything in this film seemed to add more to this broody aesthetic and it ultimately worked to strengthen the overall product immeasurably.
The colour palette and cinematography was exemplary. The striking visuals and stunning camera shots were nothing short of beautiful and the overall aesthetic was sublime.
The sound design was very well mixed and the soundtrack was phenomenal - the score ebbed and flowed, peaking at the perfect points, using its violins to great and impactful effect. The use of 'Something In The Way' by Nirvana was an inspired choice.
The narrative was intricate, complex and remarkably compelling. I was virtually transfixed to the film for the entire near three hour runtime. Usually I struggle with films of this length but the pacing here meant that each scene felt important and nothing noticeably dragged.
The film also contained a multitude of references and easter eggs that illuded to other Batman stories, characters and lore - something I loved.
Robert Pattinson's intense and broody interpretation of Bruce Wayne might be one of my favourite versions of the vigilante in a long time - it may even be my favourite. I know a lot of people, rightly or wrongly, were concerned about his casting, but I for one see it as an absolute masterstroke.
This notion can be further extended to both Zoë Kravitz and Paul Dano in particular. Kravitz easily outshines the bland portrayal Anne Hathaway gave in The Dark Knight trilogy and encapsulates Catwoman so naturally by comparison.
Dano manages, with the help of the writing of course, to make The Riddler feel like a legitimately sinister threat - something the character has often struggled to do in prior stories. His unhinged acting was a pleasure to watch and genuinely left me feeling unnerved at points, which is exactly what I wanted from this.
I have to give credit to Colin Farrell too, because I was not expecting to like his version of the Penguin as much as I actually did.
Furthermore, Jeffrey Wright makes for a very good Jim Gordon - I'm undecided over whether or not he matches up with Gary Oldman's version, but what I can say with great certainty is that Wright did a brilliant job here.
John Turturro also gives a good performance as Batman mainstay Carmine Falcone, while Andy Serkis continues to flex his fine acting muscles as Alfred.
Overall, I have to say this film truly blew me away in just about every facet it could have. I really was not sure how good this one could be, but it far exceeded my expectations and once again proved why Batman is easily the best comic book character to be given the big screen treatment.
I usually don't care for sequels, but this one really has me desperate for more from this particular version of Gotham. I think this has to be my new favourite Batman film.
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