Logan Lucky

Directed, shot, and edited by Steven Soderbergh and written by Rebecca Blunt, Logan Lucky is the story of a trio of siblings who try to end their family’s streak of bad luck and underachievement by robbing the Charlotte Motor Speedway and hope they don’t get caught by the FBI. The film marks a return from Soderbergh following a four-year break from films as he returns to a genre that has brought him success and mixing it with humor. Starring Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Riley Keough, Katie Holmes, Hilary Swank, Sebastian Stan, Katherine Waterston, Seth McFarlane, Jack Quaid, Brian Gleeson, Dwight Yoakam, and Daniel Craig. Logan Lucky is an exhilarating and whimsical film from Steven Soderbergh.

The film follows two brothers whose lives haven’t gone well as they conspire with their younger sister about stealing money at the Charlotte Motor Speedway with the help of an incarcerated safecracker they know. It’s a film with a simple premise with some complexities and intrigue yet it is about a family trying to change their fortunes and hope to give themselves a better life. Yet, they know they can’t do it by themselves as it’s not just this safecracker they need but also his brothers who aren’t very smart but are dependable. Rebecca Blunt’s screenplay does follow a simple three-act structure as the first act is about the Logan family with the eldest in Jimmy (Channing Tatum) was once a promising football star until his right knee gave out as he works in construction and wanting to be a good dad to his daughter Sadie (Farah Mackenzie) whom he has shared custody with his ex-wife Bobbie Jo Chapman (Katie Holmes).

Yet, he would be laid off due to insurance liabilities relating to his knee as it add to his growing misfortunes that would include his younger brother Clyde (Adam Driver) who lost part of his left arm in the Iraq War and is wearing a prosthetic while working as a bartender. The first act doesn’t just play into the Logans’ misfortune and Jimmy’s motivation to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway but also wanting to change it as he knows what to do, where to steal, and when as they recruit their younger sister Mellie (Riley Keough), the incarcerated safecracker Joe Bang (Daniel Craig), and Bang’s younger brothers Sam (Brian Gleeson) and Fish (Jack Quaid). The second act isn’t just about the heist but also how Joe and Clyde, who would put himself in prison to help Joe, break out and later get back in to serve their sentences but there are also complications as it relates the day of the heist forcing Jimmy to change plans. The third act is about its aftermath where the no-nonsense FBI agent Sarah Grayson (Hilary Swank) come in and figure what is going on as she would prove to be a match for all involved.

Steven Soderbergh’s direction is definitely stylish in some respects in terms of some of the compositions and set pieces he creates yet much of it is still straightforward as it play into the simple world of a trio of unfortunate siblings. Shot on various locations in North Carolina as well as Charlotte including the Charlotte Motor Speedway and parts of the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Soderbergh does use the locations to play into this world of the American South as it is set mainly in the border between West Virginia and North Carolina where Jimmy did some of his construction work in the latter though he lives in the former. Soderbergh would emphasize on a simple approach to the compositions such as the opening scene of Jimmy fixing his truck while talking to Sadie about a John Denver song. It’s among these moments where Soderbergh can bring so much by doing so little which would also include a key scene of Sadie doing her pageant performance as the simplicity of the shots are captivating in establishing what is happening but also would serve as a key motivation for the few involved in that scene.

Also serving as cinematographer and editor in respective pseudonyms as Peter Andrews and Mary Ann Bernard, Soderbergh’s approach to the visuals as there are some stylistic approach to lighting for some of the interiors and scenes at night whether it’s the usage of dark-yellowish colors or something natural for some scenes set in the daytime. Soderbergh’s editing does have style such as this usage of dissolves in a montage for some characters during the third act but also in some stylish cuts as it play into the heist and its aftermath. The heist sequence has elements of comedy but also intrigue into the attention to detail of what is going on and how they get the money but there’s also some twists and turns along the way such as what is happening at the prison Joe and Clyde are serving at. Soderbergh would also infuse bits of comedy as it relates to a snobbish British businessman in Max Chaliban (Seth MacFarlane) who would rile up the Logan brothers but also put himself into some serious shit. All of which play into two sets of siblings trying to pull off a heist without having the authorities wonder who it is. Overall, Soderbergh crafts as mesmerizing and fun film about a trio of siblings trying to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway to end their family curse.

Production designer Howard Cummings, with set decorators Barbara Munch plus art directors Eric R. Johnson and Rob Simons, does brilliant work with the look of the homes that some of the characters live in as well as the interior of the tube system inside the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Costume designer Ellen Mirojnick does fantastic work with the costumes from the dresses that Sadie wears for her pageant as well as some of the stylish clothing that Mellie wears. Visual effects supervisors Christina Mitrotti and Lesley Robson-Foster do terrific work with the visual effects as it relates to Clyde without his prosthetic as well as a few set dressing scenes. Sound designer Larry Blake does excellent work with the sound as it play into the way the tube system sounds from the inside as well as the scenes at the race track. The film’s music by David Holmes is amazing for its electronic-jazz score that has a lot of energy in the way it play into the suspense and humor with some blues and rock in the mix while music supervisor Season Kent provides a fun soundtrack of blues, rock, and country from artists and acts like Bo Diddley, John Denver, the Groundhogs, Lord John Sutch, John Fahey, LeAnn Rimes, Dr. John, and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

The casting by Carmen Cuba is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from real NASCAR racers Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch as state troopers, Jon Eyez as an inmate friend of Joe in Naaman, Kyle Larson as a limo driver, LeAnn Rimes as herself singing America the Beautiful, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano as security guards, the trio of Jeff Gordon, Darrell Waltrip, and Mike Joy as themselves commentating the race, Charles Halford as a friend of the Logans in Earl, Macon Blair as Grayson’s partner, Jim O’Heir as Jimmy’s boss early in the film who reluctantly lays him off, David Denman as Bobbie Jo’s husband Moody Chapman, Boden and Sutton Johnston in their respective roles as Moody’s sons Dylan and Levi, Ann Mahoney as a woman working security named Gleema, and Sebastian Stan in a terrific small role as NASCAR racer Dayton White who tries to live a healthy lifestyle despite working for Chaliban.

Katherine Waterston is fantastic in a small role as a former classmate of Jimmy in Sylvia who runs a mobile clinic where she gives Jimmy a tetanus shot. Dwight Yoakam is superb as Warden Burns as a prison warden who tries to uphold some order during a prison riot that lead to Joe and Clyde’s brief escape. Jack Quaid and Brian Gleeson are hilarious in their respective roles as Joe’s dim-witted brothers Fish and Sam as two guys who aren’t smart but are still guys who can get the job done. Katie Holmes is wonderful as Bobbie Jo Chapman as Jimmy’s ex-wife who is still bitter about Jimmy’s shortcomings as she is also concerned about her daughter’s performance at the pageant. Farrah Mackenzie is brilliant as Sadie as Jimmy and Bobbie Jo’s daughter who is entering a beauty pageant as she turns to her Aunt Mellie for help while wondering what song to sing at the pageant. Hilary Swank is excellent as Sarah Grayson as a no-nonsense FBI agent who arrives in the film’s third act as she knows something is up but is also aware that whoever stole the money are a lot smarter than anyone realizes.

Seth MacFarlane is a joy to watch as Max Chaliban as a pretentious businessman from Britain with awful hair and a mustache who insults the Logan brothers as well as try to get his racer to drink his awful energy drink as he is just fun to watch. Riley Keough is amazing as Mellie Logan as a hairdresser who doesn’t believe in the family curse but is aware that the family hasn’t done great as she helps her brothers with the robbery in her own way while being there for her niece Sadie for the upcoming pageant. Daniel Craig is incredible as Joe Bang as a safecracker who is doing time in prison that knows how to open safes while Craig is given the chance to be funny and charming as he is a joy to watch. Adam Driver is marvelous as Clyde Logan as a former Iraq War veteran with a prosthetic left arm who also works as a bartender where he is reluctant to be part of the bank robbery as he had gotten arrested before as a kid yet is hoping to reverse the family curse. Finally, there’s Channing Tatum in a remarkable performance as Jimmy Logan as a former football star turned construction worker who decides to rob the Charlotte Motor Speedway in the hope to change his family fortunes but also give his daughter a chance for a future as it is a low-key but charismatic performance from Tatum.

Logan Lucky is a phenomenal film from Steven Soderbergh. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, a killer music soundtrack, and a witty take on the caper/heist film. The film is definitely one of Soderbergh’s most entertaining films but also one that is full of engaging characters and moment that are full of heart and joy. In the end, Logan Lucky is a spectacular film from Steven Soderbergh.

Steven Soderbergh Films: sex, lies, & videotape - Kafka - King of the Hill - The Underneath - Gray’s Anatomy - Schizopolis - Out of Sight - The Limey - Erin Brockovich - Traffic - Ocean's Eleven - Full Frontal - Solaris (2002 film) - Eros-Equilibrium - Ocean’s Twelve - Bubble - The Good German - Ocean’s Thirteen - Che - The Girlfriend Experience - The Informant! - And Everything is Going Fine - Contagion - Haywire - Magic Mike - Side Effects - Behind the Candelabra - (Unsane) – (High Flying Bird)

The Auteurs #39: Steven Soderbergh: Part 1 - Part 2

© thevoid99 2018

Thank You for Smoking

Based on the novel by Christopher Buckley, Thank You for Smoking is the story of a tobacco spokesman who tries to help sell cigarettes while trying to be a good father to his 12-year old son. Written for the screen and directed by Jason Reitman, the film explores the world of the tobacco industry and its tactics in the form of a black comedy. Starring Aaron Eckhart, Cameron Bright, Katie Holmes, Maria Bello, Rob Lowe, Adam Brody, David Koechner, William H. Macy, Sam Elliot, J.K. Simmons, and Robert Duvall. Thank You for Smoking is a witty feature-film debut from Jason Reitman.

Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart) is a tobacco lobbyist whose job is to speak for tobacco companies as they’re often under target for giving its customers lung cancers and other diseases. Naylor manages to win people over by talking about the good that tobacco does as he’s the darling of the tobacco company while his best friends are also lobbyists in firearms spokesman Bobby Jay Bliss (David Koechner) and alcohol spokeswoman Polly Bailey (Maria Bello). Naylor’s success at a talk show against anti-tobacco groups has gained the attention of the legendary tobacco company head the Captain (Robert Duvall) over Naylor’s idea to spend $50 million for an anti-teen smoking campaign that would give teenagers the choice to smoke.

While Nick is also a good father to his son Joey (Cameron Bright) whom he takes to on a trip to California to meet with film producer Jeff Megall (Rob Lowe). Nick would also meet Washington news reporter Heather Holloway (Katie Holmes) for a profile on him as the two have an affair. During Nick’s trip with Joey in California, the Captain asks Nick to do a job for him in which he is to give money for former Marlboro Man figure Lorne Lutch (Sam Elliot) where Joey watches putting Nick in an uncomfortable position. Nick’s career is suddenly shaken by a kidnapping attempt on him that left him unable to smoke again while Heather’s article does more damage to his reputation. With Nick’s boss BR (J.K. Simmons) doing damage control and Nick in trouble, he gets some surprising help as he faces off against the anti-tobacco campaign leader Senator Finistirre (William H. Macy) in front of Congress.

The film is about a lobbyist who tries to be a good role model to his own son while selling tobacco to the public. While he knows that he’s selling a product that is harmful but he doesn’t apologize for it nor force people to go buy it. He’s part of a group of people whom he’s comfortable with and often talks his way into getting people to sway his way for the good of the people he’s working for. Yet, he would face things that would put him in an uncomfortable position as he has to bribe a former tobacco spokesman to stop from talking while he’s also being seduced by a reporter with ambitions of her own.

Jason Reitman creates a script that is essentially a character study of a lobbyist’s life and the product he’s supporting as he has people trying to stop tobacco. It’s also a classic rise and fall tale of sorts though it’s third act would have Nick Naylor finding a way to redeem himself. While the characters that Nick meets are essentially characters that represent some form of caricature in a film that is partially a satire. Yet, the whole film is told through Naylor’s perspective as he narrates what he does and the tribulations he faces as he’s just trying to do what he thinks is right. While there’s parts of the script that doesn’t work such as Naylor’s son Joey and a kidnapping subplot. Reitman does create a solid and engaging story.

Reitman’s direction is quite fluid in the way he presents the film with lots of style such as a montage of Naylor and his son arriving to Los Angeles shot in super 8 film stock. Other scenes such as Naylor’s monologue about what he does and how he believes he’s contributing to society where Reitman has Naylor hitting a home run. Reitman creates lots of intimate scenes with compositions where he always have more than one person in a frame or is shooting from afar. Yet, he also knows who to aim for during such big scenes while shooting from a certain perspective. Overall, Reitman creates a film that is very intriguing as well as entertaining.

Cinematographer James Whitaker does a superb job with the film‘s sepia-laden cinematography to complement a stylish look from the restaurant that Nick eats at to the Californian exteriors to emphasize the world Nick hoped to conquer. Editor Dana E. Glauberman does a nice job with the editing in creating Nick and Joey’s California montage to a few jump-cut and stylish cuts in scenes where Nick talks about the people he works and hangs out with.

Production designer Steve Sakland and set decorator Kurt Meisenbach do some fine work with the set pieces created such as Jeff Megall‘s Asian-inspired office and Nick‘s own apartment. Costume designer Danny Glicker does a very good job with the costumes created such as the suits that the men wear to the business-like wardrobe the women wear. Sound editors Perry Robertson and Scott Sanders do fantastic work with the sound work to capture the atmosphere of the Congressional hearing to the intimate scenes of the restaurant that Nick eats at.

The film’s score by Rolfe Kent is wonderful as it features playful jazz and blues-style music to complement its sense of humor along with more intense orchestral pieces for its dramatic moments. Music supervisors Peter Afterman and Margaret Yen do some terrific work with the soundtrack that features a wide array of music from blues, country, and pop to play the whimsical tone of the film.

The casting by Mindy Marin is brilliant for the ensemble cast that is created which includes notable appearances from Adam Brody as Jeff’s hyperactive assistant, Kim Dickens as Nick’s ex-wife Jill, Daniel Travis as Jill’s boyfriend, Connie Ray as Lorne’s wife, talk show host Joan Lunden as herself, Todd Luiso as an anti-tobacco protester, Marianne Muellerleile as Joey’s teacher, and Rob Lowe as the very funny and eccentric Hollywood producer Jeff Megall. Robert Duvall is excellent as the wise tobacco legend the Captain while Sam Elliot is wonderful as the bitter Lorne Lutch. J.K. Simmons is superb as Nick’s devious boss BR who tries to use Nick for his own gain while making himself look good for the tobacco company. William M. Macy is terrific as Nick’s nemesis in Senator Finistirre who tries to outwit Nick in a war of words in his quest to ban tobacco.

David Koechner and Maria Bello are very good in small but funny roles as Nick’s lobbyists friends with Koechner as the more wilder person of the two with Bello as the reasonable one. The weak links in the cast are Cameron Bright and Katie Holmes as Bright doesn’t really display much of a personality to his character despite some of the good one-liners he has in the role of Nick’s son. Holmes meanwhile, is really miscast as ambitious reporter since she doesn’t really exude the sexiness nor the humor that is needed for this character. Finally, there’s Aaron Eckhart in a fabulous performance as the charming Nick Naylor. Eckhart has a wit and personality that is fun to watch while also bringing a serious side to his character as it’s definitely one of best roles of his career.

Thank You for Smoking is a funny yet smart film from Jason Reitman that features a phenomenal performance from Aaron Eckhart. While it’s a film that is a bit flawed due to a few casting choices as well as ideas that doesn’t work, it is still a pretty engaging film about the tobacco industry and those who try to oppose it in the wrong way. In the end, Thank You for Smoking is an insightful and humorous film from Jason Reitman.

Jason Reitman Films: Juno - Up in the Air - Young Adult - Labor Day - (Men, Women, & Children) - Tully - The Front Runner - Ghostbusters: Afterlife - The Auteurs #30: Jason Reitman

© thevoid99 2011

The Ice Storm

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 12/21/04 w/ Additional Edits.

One of the more recent prolific directors in cinema, Taiwan-born Ang Lee has made films in his homeland whether it was the dramas Eat Drink Man Woman and The Wedding Banquet or the martial-arts masterpiece Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Yet, he's also ventured into the world of Hollywood with the Civil War drama Ride with the Devil, the Jane Austen adaptation of Sense & Sensibility, and more recently, a big-budget action flick with Hulk. In 1997, Lee goes to the early 1970s in America where the age of cynicism begins as the ideals of American family life begins to disintegrate based on a novel by Rick Moody entitled The Ice Storm.

Adapted into a script by producer James Schamus, The Ice Storm is a family drama about a man and wife whose perfectly good marriage disintegrates as the man has an affair with his neighbor while his wife is trying to find fulfillment in her boring role as a housewife. Meanwhile, their children begin to explore sexuality and angst while looking at the world through their own sense of cynicism around Thanksgiving in 1973. With its central characters trying to find something, they realize that what they seek isn't, as it seems when tragedy collides through one night on an icy storm. Starring Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Jamey Sheridan, Henry Czerny, Allison Janney, Tobey Maguire, Katie Holmes, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, and Adam Hann-Byrd. The Ice Storm is a brilliant, provocative drama from Ang Lee and company.

16-year old Paul Hood (Tobey Maguire) is at a NYC prep school where he's become attracted to his classmate Libbets Casey (Katie Holmes).  Paul yearns to win her affections before his lothario roommate Francis (David Krumholtz) can.  Paul's family lives a small town in Connecticut as his parents Ben (Kevin Kline) and Elena (Joan Allen) are preparing for Thanksgiving with Paul set to return.  Paul's 14-year old sister Wendy (Christina Ricci) becomes intrigued by the Watergate scandal which prompts her to gain a cynical view on the world.  Ben and Elena eat dinner with Jim (Jamey Sheridan) and Janey Carver (Sigourney Weaver) where Elena begins to suspect something isn't right in her marriage in the way Ben eyes Janey.  Even as she begins to reminisce her own childhood when she saw Wendy ride a bike during a book sale where the local minister (Michael Cumpsty) attends.

Ben spends part of his time at work with rival George Clair (Henry Czerny) while his off-time sleeping with Janey while Wendy spends time with Janey's eldest son Mikey (Elijah Wood).  Mikey's younger brother Sandy (Adam Hann-Byrd) is reaching adolescents as he blows up toys and discovering sex when Wendy tries to expose herself.  Wendy's time with Mikey eventually leads to trouble as Mikey becomes more aloof towards the world.  When Paul returns home for Thanksgiving, things become chaotic when Wendy spouts remarks towards the U.S. government during grace.  Elena learns that their friend Dot Halford (Allison Janney) is throwing a party the next day as she and Ben reluctantly attend.  Paul goes to New York City to attend a party Francis is holding as Libbets is there where things don't go well as Paul hopes for.

At the Halford party, Ben and Elena learn it's a key party as the Carvers also attend where Elena decides to get into the party where things unravel.  Wendy decides to go see Sandy while Mikey roams outside during the cold November night where a night of party and intrigue becomes tragic.

What makes The Ice Storm such a compelling film is Ang Lee's approach to storytelling. Taking Schamus' wonderfully structured screenplay, the film builds up to a certain momentum where by the second half when the Hoods go to the party is where everything begins it sense of deconstruction. While the film has a lot of sexuality, there isn't any nudity shown but it doesn't matter with this film since Lee is playing an outsider in trying to discover what drives these people into behaving the way they act. Is it the cynicism that is surrounded by the American government or the idea that the American dream and ideal is over? The film plays well with its morals and strange parallels in the scenes where Tobey McGuire's Paul characters is reading The Fantastic Four while comparing it to his own family life. Lee's breathtaking directing style works very well in each frame, notably the scene where Elijah Wood's Mikey is running around on the icy grass in slow motion. It's clearly one of the most masterful and evocative presentation in film.

Helping Lee in that breathtaking vision is cinematographer Frederick Elmes in capturing the evocative world of the 1970s with scenes of bike riding and notably the night scene of the ice storm itself with its idiosyncratic approach to lighting. Editor Tim Squyres also brings that same idiosyncratic style in the film's structure with its editing sequences where the film not only has a nice pacing but the way the scenes of its characters are moved back and forth. Production designer Mark Friedberg and art director Bob Shaw also help in the film with a grand, very detailed look of the 1970s with its furniture and appliances along with the waterbed. Costume designers Carol Oditz and Elizabeth Shelton also help out with the film's look with a great detail on the costumes and clothing in the film that really gives that 1970s authenticity.

Atom Egoyan's longtime composer Mychael Danna also shines with his eerie, melancholic film score with his use of morose piano sequences and eerie, evocative flute playing while music director Alex Steyermark shines with his soundtrack of the film that includes Elton John, Jim Croce, and many more including a haunting ballad from David Bowie redoing his song I Can't Read from his work with Tin Machine.

The film has a great cast overall with fine, small performances from Allison Janney, David Krumholtz and a sleazy one from Henry Czerny as Kline's rival. Michael Cumpsty also stands out as a minister where in the party scene, we see for what he really is which proves that no one in the film is safe. Katie Holmes shines in one of her early performances as Libbets with cute sexiness and the ability to play stoned. Jamey Sheridan is the film's most quiet performance as Sigourney Weaver's husband who is often gone in his life and yet, he gains sympathy during the party scene. Sheridan shines in his clueless role of husband and father while he and Joan Allen have great scenes together.

Adam Hann-Byrd also stands out as the more innocent but angst-ridden Sandy with his curious approach to his performance that is really amazing to watch. Elijah Wood is wonderful in a performance that marks a transition from child actor to a more determined young thespian as the more offbeat and quirky Mikey. Wood's stoned out performance represents as a young man who is trying to find more in life away from sex and family while presenting a distance from reality in a performance that is awe-struck. Christina Ricci also brings in a transitional performance by being a sexy cynic who tries to figure out sex and ways to anger her own parents in a performance that is intimidating yet enchanting. Tobey Maguire is excellent in his role as narrator along with the clueless family patriarch who doesn't know what goes on in his town in favor of his own desires. It's a great and mature performance from the young Maguire while proving himself as a gentlemen and dreamer.

Sigourney Weaver is wonderfully cold in an amazing performance as Janey Carver with her vivacious sexiness and an awful selfishness that is very complex. Weaver's character may have been the most unlikable but it's also the most intriguing as we see a woman who is trying to fulfill her own needs by having affairs while she begins to slip away from what is really important. This is truly one of Weaver's most enduring performances. Kevin Kline is also amazing as the bored, commanding father and husband who seeks to have this affair with Janey as if it's the greatest thing for his own sexual needs that isn't at home. Yet, his character begins to disintegrate in the party scene where Kline really shines in his dramatic stature.

The film's best performance goes to Joan Allen as Kline's anguished wife who is trying to find her own niche into the cynicism of the 70s. Allen brings a subtlety and calmness early in the film but by the second act, she makes her character sympathetic but not a martyr as she tries to explore her own sexual needs while trying to deal with what's going on with her children and the world around her. It's a great performance from the always, underrated veteran actress.

The Ice Storm is a compelling film from Ang Lee thanks to Lee's eerie direction, James Schamus' Cannes Film Festival award-winning script, a dedicated crew, and a superb cast. In many ways, The Ice Storm wasn't just a film of the 1970s but also what was going on in the late 1990s where the dysfunctions of families become more evident and later in 1999; Sam Mendes' American Beauty will fulfill the boredom of suburbia. The credit really goes to Lee, Schamus, and novelist Rick Moody for capturing the world of American culture in its decline through cynicism and angst in the 1970s when everything begins to go wrong. The Ice Storm is one film not to be missed.

Ang Lee Films: Pushing Hands - The Wedding Banquet - Eat Drink Man Woman - Sense & Sensibility (1995 film) - Ride with the Devil - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - The Hire: Chosen - Hulk - Brokeback Mountain - Lust, Caution - Taking Woodstock - Life of Pi - Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk - The Auteurs #19: Ang Lee

(C) thevoid99 2011

Batman Begins

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 6/15/05 w/ Additional Edits.

For many comic book fans, there's been loads of superheroes whether it's Superman, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men. One of the darkest superheroes to come out of the DC Comics franchise has been Batman from comic book writer Bob Kane. A dark vigilante to who preys on villains for justice at night while at day, he's a millionaire named Bruce Wayne. Batman has been one of the most popular comic book franchises that in the 60s, a popular, campy TV show was made that starred Adam West as the Caped Crusader. Then in the late 1980s, Warner Brothers wanted to create a film franchise on the Batman series when finally, they succeeded with the first Batman movie with Michael Keaton in the title role that also starred Jack Nicholson as the Joker.

The success of the first Batman film that was directed by Tim Burton in 1989 returned with a successful 1992 sequel in Batman Returns that starred Keaton, Danny DeVito as the Penguin, and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman. Many say the reason both films were successful because of Tim Burton's quirky yet dark vision since both films came out with very little color. Fans loved Burton's vision but when Burton chose to step down for more personal projects, he remained as an executive producer for the next part as Warner Brothers chose Joel Schumacher to helm the series. 1995's Batman Forever that starred Val Kilmer in the title role along with Chris O'Donnell as Robin, Jim Carrey as the Riddler, and Tommy Lee Jones as Two-Face seemed like a good idea at the time.

Unfortunately, Schumacher's campy approach for a more entertaining Batman didn't fare well with some fans and critics. Despite some fine over-the-top performances from Carrey and Jones, fans felt Kilmer played Batman in a very dull way. George Clooney then replaced Kilmer for the fourth film, Batman & Robin that starred Clooney as the Caped Crusader. With O’Donnell returning as Robin along with Michael Gough as Alfred the Butler and Pat Hingle as Commissioner Gordon, the new cast also included then "It" girl Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl, Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy, and Arnold Schwarzennegger as Mr. Freeze. The result was a disaster that fans of the series were disillusioned as plans for a fifth Batman film were scrapped as Schumacher was officially out of the fold.

After the fallout of Batman & Robin that left Warner Brothers in a mess, the company took some years off before deciding that it's time to restart the franchise. Instead of moving forward to the story, some insiders decided to tell the story of how Bruce Wayne became Batman. Fans were excited about Warner Brother restarting the franchise but the development wasn't easy. Rumors were abound on who was to play Batman as some casting people wanted then-hot actors like Freddie Prinze Jr. Fans were disgusted but were relieved that it was a rumor. Producers then approached indie film director Darren Aronofsky of Pi/Requiem for a Dream fame to direct ther series but never got off the ground. After years of searching and creating the right script, Warner Brothers finally found a new director and a new actor for the new Batman movie.

For their director, they chose Christopher Nolan who has only made three features yet 2000's Memento and 2002's remake of Insomnia proved that he was an edgy director with a dark sensibility. Nolan took the job as long as he wanted to remain true to the series and with fans. For the role of Batman, that proved to be harder to find with many actors wanting the role. Everyone from Joshua Jackson, John Cusack, Ashton Kutcher, Hugh Dancy, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Billy Crudup wanted the role.

Two British actors also wanted the role of Batman including Cillian Murphy of 28 Days Later and Girl with a Pearl Earring as Nolan chose to put him in the film but not as Batman. Instead, he chose Christian Bale for the role not because of his physique but also his diverse range of roles from films like Empire of the Sun, Metroland, Laurel Canyon, Velvet Goldmine, and his breakthrough 2000 role in American Psycho. In early 2004, Bale starred in Brad Anderson's dark, indie sci-fi thriller The Machinist in which Bale lost more than 68 pounds for the role where he nearly lost his life but the performance got him great reviews as did a 2002 cult film called Equilibrium as fans felt, he is Batman.

Screenplay by David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan, Batman Begins is a chronicle of Bruce Wayne's transformation from a tortured, troubled young man traumatized by the murder of his parents to an heir who takes over his father's business by day and by night, fights crime in Gotham City. Darker than Tim Burton's version and more intense in terms of action, the film is really more of a character study piece that relies on drama with the intensity of the action ready to build up. With an all-star cast that includes Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson, Rutger Hauer, and Katie Holmes. Batman Begins is the Batman movie every fan has been waiting to see.

For the young Bruce Wayne (Gus Lewis), he's lived a carefree life with his parents in Wayne Manor with his caretaker Alfred (Michael Caine). His father Thomas Wayne (Linus Roache) uses his wealth of Wayne Enterprises to be a doctor and help people along with Bruce's mother Martha (Sara Stewart). Then one day when playing with his childhood friend Rachel Dawes (Emma Lockhart), Bruce falls into a well in a greenhouse where he finds himself inside a cave full of bats. The experience left him in fear of bats and after a night on the opera has scared him, the night only got worse when a criminal named Joe Chill (Richard Brake) gunned down Thomas and Martha Wayne in front of young Bruce. While the criminal is captured by a cop named James Gordon (Gary Oldman), Bruce remained emotionally scarred.

Feeling responsible for the death of his parents, life never got easier for Bruce (Christian Bale) as he returned from college to see the trial of Joe Chill. With Rachel (Katie Holmes) now becoming a law student, they oversee the trial as Bruce's plan for revenge is shattered when Joe is killed after being exonerated. Learning that Chill was killed because of a payoff by Gotham's big crime boss Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson), Bruce confronts him only to be bullied his way out. Feeling that no justice is done, Bruce walks away from Gotham and everyone around him. For the next seven years, he would travel alone to the world where finally, he gets arrested and sent into a Chinese prison is where his story begins. After fighting several men in the prison he is locked up to meet with a man named Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson) who asks Bruce to join his vigilante group, the League of Shadows.

After walking through the mountains, Bruce meets Ducard and the group's leader Ra's Al Ghul (Ken Watanabe) as they train him to become part of their group. Ducard tells Bruce that the death of his parents wasn't his fault but the fault of his own father because he doesn't understand the nature of criminals. Bruce is forced to confront his own fears, anger, and guilt until finally, he is about to become part of the League of Shadows. Then when Bruce learns their idea of justice, he chooses to be on his own as he decides to return to Gotham with Alfred at his side. Knowing that Gotham is a town full of corruption, deceit, and no real hope, Bruce decides it's time that someone should go out there and make a difference.

Knowing only sharing his ideals are Jim Gordon and Rachel, who is now an assistant district attorney, Bruce learns that he needs more. After returning to Wayne Enterprises to the shock of its CEO William Earle (Rutger Hauer), Bruce turns to an old adversary of his father in Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman). Fox now works in the basement as an inventor where Bruce notices the armor and gadgets he’s built. Bruce also decides to confront his fears for good as he enters the bat cave and he chooses to make peace with the bats as they use the cave as a new place for his great plan. After meeting with Jim Gordon in disguise, he learns that Gordon is the only cop that is honest and not paid. With Fox showing him new ideas including a hybrid Lambourgini/Hummer called a Tumbler, Bruce's plan nears completion as he receives word that Falcone is going to be at a drug shipment.

With the help of a corrupt cop named Flass (Mark Boone Junior), Falcone and his goons think everything is in the works but they meet the Caped Crusader in Batman. Falcone and his goons are captured only upsetting the plans Falcone has with a controversial doctor in Jonathan Crane (Cillian Murphy). Rachel suspects Crane of lying on testimony about the behaviors of criminals but what she doesn't know is that Crane had been working on experimental gas that drives people to see their fears as he lives through his alter-ego known as the Scarecrow. With many of the cops in Gotham suspecting Batman to be a villain, only Gordon knows that he's on the side of good as Batman chooses him to be his secret partner. Batman confronts Flass about upcoming plans about Falcone as he goes to meet the Scarecrow only to learn more about the gas he's been using. With the help of Alfred and Fox, he investigates the use of the gas while as Bruce Wayne, he lives the life of a playboy to the disturbance of Earle and to Rachel's disappointment.

When Rachel learns about Falcone being put in Arkham asylum, she learns more about Crane's plans to poison the city's water supply for his experimental gas. Bruce learns to as he puts on his Batman costume to learn more of Crane's plans. He learns that the gas that he's been familiar with as Crane and Falcone had been working with Ra's Al Ghul. It would only get worse as with Gotham in danger, he must battle the Scarecrow and the League of Shadows with very few allies.

Since Batman Begins is an origin story of the creation of Batman, the credit of the film's structure, approach to storytelling, and its intention really goes not just the film's screen story writer David S. Goyer but also co-screenwriter Christopher Nolan. Relying on their research of comic book stories of Batman, the duo crafted one of the smartest scripts ever put into a blockbuster that exceeds the one Alvin Sargent wrote for Spider-Man 2. The first act is non-linear since part of it is told in flashbacks of how Bruce Wayne feared bats and his training with the League of Shadows. The second is Wayne reentering the world and creating Batman with the third act showing Wayne in accepting his role as Bruce Wayne and Batman while leaving fans with the idea of what's to come. The story builds the momentum while there's a bit of action in the first act but once the second and third act moves, there's plenty of action and fighting with a mix of drama and humor that keeps everyone attentive.

The script is told in a smart way with a lot of dark elements including character study of how a man can become a superhero without any kind of powers or coming from another planet. The reason people identified with Batman because he is human yet with the right training, the access to gadgets, and the heart and determination, anyone can be Batman. This is something Goyer and Nolan understood right from the beginning while they know that if they're going to make a movie about Batman, it doesn't just have to be smart but entertaining as well. On the entertainment side, only 1/3 of that is there but it's enough since the film has a bit of humor and some great one-liners from every major character so each one is filled with depth and can be memorable.

Then there's Nolan in the directing front and going away from the Gothic look of Tim Burton and the campy mess of Joel Schmacher, Nolan takes the Batman story to darker levels including its look and location with Chicago playing the role of Gotham City. Using wonderful crane shots, steadicams, and loads of intense camera angles, Nolan uses his independent director's vision to create a unique feel for Batman. Mixing a bit of humor with drama and action, there Nolan finds the balance without sacrificing too much to the point that it leans towards a campiness that would ruin the story and the idea of Batman himself. Sure, there's not much humor in the Caped Crusader but there's no need since he's all about doing the right thing for the people of Gotham.

With Nolan bringing in a great vision to the film, credit also goes to his dedicated crew. Wally Pfister does a great job in the cinematography department by using a bit of dark, sepia colors for many of the sequences of Gotham with very little color while the Chinese sequences are used with great natural lighting in some of the best cinematography work done in a blockbuster film. Production designer Nathan Crowley along with a team of art directors and visual effects designer give Batman that dark, intense look that is need in great detail. From the dreary world of China to the early, clean look of Gotham and the look of Wayne Manor to the dreariness of modern day Gotham. Crowley also deserves credit for the new look of the Batmobile and in the words of Jim Gordon, "I gotta get me one of those".

Costume designer Lindy Hemming does a great job with the contemporary look of Gotham from its posh lifestyle to the working class of Gotham but in the Batsuit, it is a vast improvement and thank God there are no, no, no, nipples in the Batsuit. The film in its 140 minute time running doesn't miss a beat thanks to editor Lee Smith who gives the film a nicely paced feel and some non-linear style of editing in the film’s first act. The sound work and everything is just loud enough to keep up with the film's intensity. Even the score work of Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard helps up with the film's intensity and dramatic tones with vast arrangements in its orchestra and thunderous rhythms that keeps everything going.

Then, there's the cast and you have to give credit to Nolan and his casting directors for choosing not just the right actors but a cast that is to die for. With some nice small performances from Mark Boone Junior, Sara Stewart, Richard Brake, Emma Lockhart, Linus Roache, and Rade Serbedzija as a homeless man along with Gus Lewis bringing an excellent performance as the young Bruce Wayne. Tom Wilkinson might seem like a strange choice to play a mob boss with a Brooklyn accent but Wilkinson gives a cunning and expertly played performance with intimidation and swagger that is needed for someone as evil as Falcone. Rutger Hauer is also excellent as the sly, power-hungry Earle who has great scenes with Bale and Freeman as he tries to maintain power while holding on with Bruce Wayne now re-appearing to the world as Hauer remains one of our most gifted character actors. Ken Watanabe brings a mysterious complexity as the Ra's Al Ghul character with a sense of strange wisdom and intelligence to the point where at first, we're not sure what kind of man he's playing only to see his idealism as Watanabe does fine work in that character.

Katie Holmes is pretty good as Rachel Dawes with her good-hearted idealism for a safe, good world while having great moments with Bale, even in a scene as she confronts him about his behavior. Holmes makes sure she doesn't make her character as some damsel in distress but a woman who gives Bruce Wayne a reason to be Batman. It's not a great role but Holmes makes her character likeable and memorable enough. Gary Oldman plays against type in the role of a honest cop who wants to do right and when Batman arrives, the character finds hope as Oldman plays the character with a weariness turn usefulness as Oldman makes the Jim Gordon character one of the centerpieces in the Batman story.

Cillian Murphy brings a wonderful charm and intensity to his role as Dr. Crane/Scarecrow with his sly intelligence and maddening faces where he gives the Scarecrow a wonderfully memorable villain that makes everyone forget about Mr. Freeze, Poison Ivy, and all of those other lame villains. Liam Neeson is also excellent in his mentor-like role as Henri Ducard with an intensity and strictness that is punishing to watch since he is tough as Neeson proves himself to be one of the most memorable characters with his role of teacher and vigilante.

When it comes to great actors, there's a list of those elite who deserve to be on top of the mountain like Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, Christopher Walken, Gene Hackman, and Clint Eastwood. In this film, we have two. First is the always eloquent Morgan Freeman who uses his sly charm and intellect as inventor Lucius Fox who delivers some great one-liners and a performance that is only to be described as expertly handled. With Morgan Freeman, you can never get a bad performance. The same goes for Michael Caine who brings a fraternal/mentor role of Alfred as he comes up with some funny one-liners and a lot of heart as he is the man to remind Bruce Wayne of his family's legacy and is more of a butler as the man who guides Bruce into doing the right thing.

Finally, there's Christian Bale in the dual role of Bruce Wayne and Batman and if your names are Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, and George Clooney. Go away, Bale is Batman. Bale brings a mix of wit, torment, determination, and morality into the role of Bruce Wayne. This is a star-making performance for Bale since he has some great one-liners and a lot of charm while he seems to have a good time being the playboy. When he's Batman, you better watch out because he brings an intimidation and excitement to a superhero that you can only dream of. He makes Batman more real to an audience since he's someone that feels pain and has fear only to find ways to use that fear for the heart of good. If this doesn't make Bale a full-fledge star, then I don't know what film will do but he deserves every amount of credit for all the hard work from all the film work he's done to actually giving fans a Batman that lives up to the character.

Batman Begins is a magnificent film and one of the rarest of blockbusters that is smart and entertaining thanks in large part to Christopher Nolan, co-writer David S. Goyer, a dedicated film crews, and a great cast led by Christian Bale. Finally, this is Batman film to see. Thank Nolan for not bringing in anything stupid like nipples, Robin, or anything campy. Not even using stupid corporate sponsorship like Batnuggets or a lame Batman credit card. This is by far one of the best films of 2005 and it's really the only blockbuster film to see that is entertaining and filled with great intelligence while remaining true to the comic book fans.

Christopher Nolan Films: Following - Memento - Insomnia (2002 film) - The Prestige - The Dark Knight - Inception - The Dark Knight Rises - Interstellar - Dunkirk - Tenet - Oppenheimer - The Auteurs #13: Christopher Nolan

Batman Films: (Batman (1966 film)) - Batman (1989 film) - Batman Returns - Batman Forever - Batman & Robin - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - The Lego Batman Movie - The Batman (2022 film)

© thevoid99 2011