Directed by:
Matt ReevesCinematography:
Greig FraserComposer:
Michael GiacchinoCast:
Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, Colin Farrell, Paul Dano, John Turturro, Andy Serkis, Peter Sarsgaard, Barry Keoghan, Jayme Lawson (more)VOD (5)
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Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies — Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright) — amongst the city’s corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens. When a killer targets Gotham’s elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World’s Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler (Paul Dano). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator’s plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City. (Warner Bros. US)
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Matt Reeves and his dark neo-noir detective Batman! I was hoping that the new Batman would instantly join the top 10 films I've ever seen and unfortunately that's not going to happen, as some of the individual elements didn't quite work for me, but that doesn't mean it isn't a solid film that everyone should see in the cinema. In fact, I can't really imagine seeing the film at home and not falling asleep. Matt Reeves pulls us into a three-hour dirty and dark Gotham that is no stranger to crime and corruption. The acting is very precise, Robert Pattinson as Batman is perfect, Zoë Kravitz is the sexiest Catwoman ever, Jeffrey Wright as Gordon is very solid, and Paul Dano is very good as the villainous Riddler (although at times I thought he overacted quite a bit, but nothing distracting). Colin Farrell as the Penguin should also be praised, he managed to shine in a small space as well. The atmosphere of the film is really reminiscent of Fincher's Se7en, and I was reminded of Saw in a few scenes (probably due to the puzzles). As a detective film The Batman is very good, with great crime investigation, but I'm a bit disappointed that we don't get much action itself, given the long running time, I would have liked at least a more spectacular finale (apart from a couple of ground fights in the dark, there's really nothing wow on my part), which unfortunately means I won't be in a hurry for a second viewing. Praise must also go to the music, which is spot on, and above all the cinematography and technical aspects are of the highest possible standard. I had goosebumps twice, during the one-shot Batman flyby and also when the Batmobile starts up (although surprisingly it was only used once!!). All in all the three hours were fine, there is a lot of quality work done in many ways, but it is so exhausting that the experience is not multiplied by euphoria as I had hoped. Maybe on a second viewing I'll enjoy the film even more, maybe the experience needs to mature, but either way, satisfaction prevails. Story 4/5, Action 4/5, Humor 2/5, Violence 3/5, Entertainment 4/5 Music 5/5, Visuals 5/5, Atmosphere 5/5, Suspense 3/5, Emotion 3/5, Actors 5/5. 8/10.
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This is an intimate, depressing, gothic noir emo that at times looks like a nightmare of a light-headed sociopath, on the one hand lonely, on the other thrown into a claustrophobic space where law and crime embrace each other so tightly that it is impossible to distinguish them. A cleverly adapted origin story and a tale of a man consumed by revenge are superimposed on an almost Fincher-esque thriller. It's slow, sometimes driven to maximum effect, backed by the famous Riddler... three hours doesn't seem like a problem to me, because Reeves does it with precision, heavy-handedly, and unlike Snyder, it's not a masquerade at the bottom of dead mannequins, but still a human drama - even if simplified compared to Nolan. Pattinson fits the role perfectly, but the main asset is Paul Dano as the king of the incels. Reeves has delivered his own similarly willful project like Villeneuve recently did. For me, it's a hundred times better than the comically depressing Joker charade and several levels above the DC duds of the last decade. Finally the darkness breathes, the scars don't heal and the rats gnaw at the flesh.
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A smoothie made of Se7en and Zodiac, filmed as a PG-13, with no blood and explicit dialog. To cap this, we have Batman playing the role of chief investigator of a series of unexpectedly personal murders. Comic-book poeticism vies with a realistic approach and, despite several small hiccups caused by the not completely perfect script, most of the time Reeves successfully manages to balance them both. From time to time, the slow and atmospheric story is interrupted by a skillfully sound-engineered, visually impressive and un-confusingly filmed action scene, the greatest treat of which is the car chase with Oz. Bob Pattinson does quite a good job of Batman, his aggressive style of keeping order is likeable, but had not enough time to be convincing as Bruce Wayne. Catwoman is a fox. Dano enjoys his part. The final confrontation with the Riddler is perfect. The Batman Oreos was a nice treat. Nobody!!!
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It is not worth measuring how The Vengeance stands against Tim Burton's or Christopher Nolan's concepts; this was primarily about defending Matt Reeves' perspective on Batman's existence. And even though there are many things that don't sit well with me, the living Gotham still immediately gets under my skin and the main character with it. Robert Pattinson doesn't fail for a second, even though this fragile psychological approach could have crumbled in his hands. Bruce Wayne walks in the rain with strands of hair falling on his face and as Batman writes crushing cries like "I am the twilight" in his diary. And yet he never passes into absurdity, he never crosses that emo boundary in such a way that I couldn't take his painfully personal quest seriously in the next scene. Which is crucial because he's literally investigating throughout the entire movie. The crime aspect is so paramount in the film that I even wondered if the comic book stylization was just an obstacle to the creators, distracting them from their obvious desire to make a Fincher-esque movie of their own. Unfortunately, the references to Se7en are so overwhelming that they disturb me and with them the result loses its own uniqueness. The second incomprehensible aspect is the length, which is unnecessary; if they had shortened it, there would have been fewer scenes of watching the dirty and shady city in the background and monologues or dialogues about the dirty city infested with shady individuals. On the other hand, thanks to this, the scale of storytelling never diminishes, as it thoroughly builds a foundation for escalating key scenes (the funeral). In the end, my feelings are mixed, just as they are in the movie, but because they all work, I support the idea that this confident approach should continue and fear not to venture into Batman's enemies and directions. The complete absence of mysticism, or at least caution with supernatural and science fiction elements, could quickly lead to predictability in future sequels.
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It's impossible not to see a hundred or more sources of inspiration; from 1970s Lumet to thriller Fincher to early Proyas. Ditto when it comes to the inspiration for specific comics, games and cartoons featuring the Dark Knight. And yet, it's purely Reeves's singular vision that doesn't go for traditional blockbuster gilding. It builds on atmosphere, grime, big city corruption, style (just the camera and lighting work), subliminal tension and pacing (or lack thereof). Gotham is more of a character than most of the ensemble. Pattinson plays Batman purely through stubborn silences and penetrating glances as a "voyeuristic inexperienced weirdo in a costume" instead of a traditional (super)hero. What Reeves didn't manage well, however, is the running time. Not that there's anything that feels out of place, and not that it drags, but several of the themes and characters (including Bruce) are so far down the road that they could (and should) be in the eventual sequel. That said, as an origin story of a grounded Bat-universe, it’s flawless.
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