The Osterman Weekend

Based on the novel by Robert Ludlum, The Osterman Weekend is the story of a network news broadcaster who has been approached by the CIA to meet with friends during a weekend outing to see if they‘re really KGB spies who are threatening national security. Directed by Sam Peckinpah and screenplay by Alan Sharp from a screen story by Ian Masters, the film is a suspense thriller set during the Cold War as it play into a eerie weekend for a man. Starring Rutger Hauer, John Hurt, Craig T. Nelson, Dennis Hopper, Meg Foster, Helen Shaver, Chris Sarandon, and Burt Lancaster. The Osterman Weekend is a fascinating though flawed film from Sam Peckinpah.

The film revolves around a controversial network news broadcaster, whose TV show has often criticized the American government, that is met by officials from the CIA and the FBI who tell him that his three powerful friends are KGB spies. It’s a film that isn’t just about trust but also a world where everyone is watched as it’s part of this emergence of a new world order as this news broadcaster finds himself targeted for his critiques of the government. Still, he has to force himself to see that there are dark forces as he reluctantly agrees to help them on the condition that the CIA director appears on his show as it would all revolve on this weekend outing with friends that becomes unlike any other weekend. Alan Sharp’s screenplay does create a lot of intrigue about not just national security but also in who to trust as the protagonist John Tanner (Rutger Hauer) becomes a pawn in a game run by the CIA director Maxwell Danforth (Burt Lancaster).

Helping Danforth in assignment is an agent in Lawrence Fassett (John Hurt) who has his own motivations to do this as he believes the KGB killed his wife and wants revenge where he does whatever to help Tanner expose and hopefully get Tanner’s friends to defect. The second act would be set in Tanner’s home with his wife and son where their friends would appear for an annual weekend where no one, except for Tanner, knows they’re being watched by Fassett nearby through surveillance video. What was supposed to be a fun weekend ends up being very tense as the TV producer Bernie Osterman (Craig T. Nelson), plastic surgeon Richard Tremayne (Dennis Hopper), and the stock trader Joseph Cardone (Chris Sarandon) become uneasy by strange things happening. Though it does have a straightforward narrative, the script doesn’t flesh out the three men accused as spies fully as well as in what is revealed. Plus, the twists and turns become very messy as it does lose some insight into what is happening and which characters are good or evil.

Sam Peckinpah’s direction is definitely mesmerizing for the way it plays into the mystery and suspense as it starts off with a surveillance video of Fassett and his wife having sex until she is killed while he is in the shower. It play into this emergence of a world where everyone is watched as well as what kind of power the American government is willing to do during the age of the Cold War as well as target the media who have begun to question their tactics. Shot largely in Los Angeles, the film play into this emergence of an ever-increasing world of surveillance and media trying to manipulate what is truth and fiction. Much of Peckinpah’s approach to compositions are intimate as well as using a lot of intricate camera work to play into growing new world order in the Cold War. Especially with the usage of surveillance video as it adds to the suspense where Tanner would watch Fassett on a TV set talking to him and vice versa as there would be bits of humor that would emerge in the film.

There would be moments of violence such as a chase scene where Tanner goes after men attempting to kidnap his wife and son as well as a climatic confrontation involving Tanner where it has a lot of the stylistic touches that Peckinpah is known for. A lot of it is quite exciting and such yet the film does feel very muddled during the second act and its lead-up to the third where it loses some of its suspense. It’s not just the script that becomes messy but it is also the fact that there were some forces behind the scenes who wanted to create something with a lot of twists but it ends up becoming somewhat predictable and heavy-handed which is something Peckinpah isn’t about. Despite the flaws and the fact that he didn’t have final cut, Peckinpah does at least make a fascinating thriller about a TV broadcast reporter being used as a pawn to lure his friends who are believed to be KGB spies.

Cinematographer John Coquillon does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as it largely focuses on low-key lighting and such for many of the film‘s interiors and nighttime exteriors through its low-grade film stock. Editors Edward M. Abroms and David Rawlings do some nice work with the editing as it feature some slow-motion cutting for some of the action including a great chase scene and in some of the action in the climax though it does feel muddled at times. Art director Robb Wilson King and set decorator Keith Hein do fantastic work with the look of the home that Tanner lives which is the setting for the weekend as well as the office that Danforth works at.

Sound designers Alan Howarth and Clancy T. Troutman do terrific work with the sound with the way some of the surveillance equipment is presented as well as in some of the action though the mixing is low in the way some of the dialogue is presented at times. The film’s music by Lalo Schifrin is pretty good for its jazz-like score with elements of keyboard and piano-based music as bits of orchestral music that play into the suspense though it feels like it doesn‘t do enough to make it intense.

The casting by Michael McLean is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Merete Van Kamp as Fassett’s wife, Christopher Starr as Tanner’s son Steve, Jan Triska as a KGB agent, Hansford Rowe as a general Tanner destroys on his TV show, and Sandy McPeak as Danforth’s right-hand man Stennings whom he aids in creating trouble with Danforth. Cassie Yates is good as Cardone’s wife Betty who becomes uncomfortable with the weekend due to the tension while Helen Shaver is fantastic as Tremayne’s wife Virginia as this wild and talkative woman with a cocaine addiction who just riles people up as she manages to piss off Tanner’s wife Ali. Meg Foster is excellent as Ali as Tanner’s wife who is wondering what is going on as she also suspicious of Fassett where she would have her moment as a full-on badass with a bow-and-arrow. Chris Sarandon is terrific as the stock trader Joseph Cardone as someone who becomes unhinged by what is happening on the weekend though it’s a very underwritten role. Dennis Hopper is superb as Richard Tremayne as a plastic surgeon who tries to maintain some control despite his wife’s drug addiction as he is the most sensible of the three men.

Craig T. Nelson is amazing as the TV producer Bernie Osterman as a man who is the most suspicious of the three that could be affiliated with the KGB as he is also a martial arts expert where Nelson manages to convey that ambiguity despite his ridiculous-looking mustache. Burt Lancaster is remarkable as the CIA director Maxwell Danforth as this man who is willing to do whatever it takes to win the Cold War while trying to get Tanner to see the bigger picture of what will happen as he also has some ambiguity to him. John Hurt is marvelous as Lawrence Fassett as a British agent working for the CIA who would aid Tanner in uncovering the truth to pursue his revenge over his wife’s death while there is also something about him that is ambiguous that is added with some offbeat humor. Finally, there’s Rutger Hauer in a stellar but flawed performance as John Tanner as this TV show host who finds himself being a pawn where Hauer doesn’t really do much to flesh out his character due to the faults of the script despite his determination to try and make sense of things and take action.

Despite the post-production tampering, faulty script, and muddled tone, The Osterman Weekend is still a terrific and fascinating film from Sam Peckinpah. Featuring a fantastic ensemble cast and a compelling look into the world of surveillance and national security. It’s a film that is definitely flawed but does say a lot about the dark aspects of the modern world in the age of the Cold War. In the end, The Osterman Weekend is a good yet messy film from Sam Peckinpah.

Sam Peckinpah Films: The Deadly Companions - Ride the High Country - Major Dundee - Noon Wine - The Wild Bunch - The Ballad of Cable Hogue - Straw Dogs - Junior Bonner - The Getaway - Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid - Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia - The Killer Elite - Cross of Iron - Convoy - The Auteurs #62: Sam Peckinpah

© thevoid99 2016

Sin City

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 1/4/06 w/ Additional Edits

Based on Frank Miller's graphic novel series, Sin City is a collection of stories set in a dark seedy world featuring many of its players as they defy the law and do all sorts of dastardly deeds. Written for the screen, produced, and directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller with special guest director Quentin Tarantino, Sin City is a dark, violent, gritty film that pushes the limits of the film noir genre. Using the same, digital style of his Spy Kids films, Rodriguez goes a look that is similar to Miller's graphic novels. Starring Rodriguez/Tarantino regulars like Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Josh Hartnett, Michael Madsen, Elijah Wood, and Carla Gugino plus Jessica Alba, Devon Aoki, Alexis Bledel, Rosario Dawson, Nick Stahl, Brittany Murphy, Jamie King, Marley Shelton, Rutger Hauer, Powers Boothe, Benicio del Toro, Clive Owen, and Michael Clarke Duncan. Sin City is a fast, powerful, in-your-face film that brings Frank Miller's vision to life.

It's a rainy night in Sin City as a mysterious man (Josh Hartnett) looks upon a woman (Marley Shelton) as she looks out on the rain. The mood sets for the night when a big, battered ex-convict named Marv (Mickey Rourke) is accused of killing a hooker he loved named Goldie (Jaime King). He escapes the cops as he flees into the home of his lesbian parole officer Lucille (Carla Gugino) for some pills. After stepping into the bar where dancing is a young stripper named Nancy (Jessica Alba) while a waitress named Shellie (Brittany Murphy) gives him a drink. Marv looks for answers on who killed Goldie as her twin Wendy is going after him. Marv goes to a farm where he finds a young, cannibalistic killer named Kevin (Elijah Wood) who works for the town's cardinal Roark (Rutger Hauer) whose brother (Powers Boothe) is a senator. After another escape from the cops, he turns to Wendy and her gang in the seedy section of Old Town as he gets help to seek vengeance on Goldie.

Meanwhile in that same bar, Shellie is trying to evade a violent madman named Jackie Boy (Benicio del Toro) who is trying to figure who is Shellie's new boyfriend who is a big man named Dwight (Clive Owen). Jackie Boy comes to her apartment where he meets Dwight and after a confrontation, Jackie Boy leaves as Dwight decides to go after him. Jackie Boy enters the world of Old Town which is run by venomous hookers led by the sexy Gail which includes the innocent Becky (Alexis Bledel) and the silent samurai Miho (Devon Aoki). After Jackie Boy and his gang try to sweet-talk Becky into coming with them, Miho kills the gang as Dwight and Gail watch. Then they learn a horrible secret about Jackie Boy that threatens a peace treaty between cops and the ladies of Old Town as Dwight tries to return Jackie Boy's body downtown which starts troubling since Jackie Boy is still alive. After encountering a group of Irish mercenaries, Dwight is delayed as Gail is suddenly being tortured by Manute (Michael Clarke Duncan) who is the leader of corrupt cops. With the help of Miho, Dwight evades the Irish mercenaries led by Brian (Tommy Flanagan) as he joins Gail for their war.

The last story involves a burnt-out cop named Hartigan (Bruce Willis) with a bad heart condition who is one-day away from retirement as he tries to rescue a young girl (Mackenzie Vega) from a troubled young man (Nick Stahl) who turned out to be the son of Senator Roark. Despite saving the young girl and wounding Roark's son, Hartigan is in the hospital but is forced to go to jail by the Senator unless he confesses to molesting the young girl. Though the girl who would become Nancy would write to him, trouble emerges eight years later when a creature in yellow appeared as Hartigan decides to bust out. With help from his former partner Bob (Michael Madsen), Hartigan goes to Sin City where he finds Nancy and the Yellow Bastard as Hartigan's promise to protect Nancy is underway.

Shot with digital cameras in Rodriguez's own studio in Austin with top visual effects equipment, this film is truly one of the most visually-inspiring movies to come out in many years. With its ode to the film-noir genre, the film is shot mostly in black-white with dabbles of color to appear. The directing by Rodriguez and Miller is definitely amazing in its ode to the film-noir genre while the violence and sex is very graphic which is true to Miller's vision. This film isn't for those with a bad ticker, it's a film where anything goes and the violence is very uncompromising. From its fast-paced camera angles to the visual effects that plays to the emotions of the films in its color. Many of those visual effects is credited to Rodriguez who not only serves as the cinematographer but editor as well. Rodriguez brings a unique black-and-white style of lighting that is a wonderful ode to film-noir while his editing is fast-paced and to the point while not being a distraction to the story.

If Rodriguez's ability as director, producer, editor, and cinematographer helps, so does his writing in his collaboration with Frank Miller. While the script starts off with an early segment featuring Josh Hartnett and Marley Shelton, the film really starts off with an early part of Hartigan's story with Roark. Then there is the dialogue where its approach is very stylized, it works to the genre. From the narration to the words that are spoken is a true ode to film noir. A lot of that credit goes to Frank Miller who uses the world of 1940s film noir to create an atmosphere that is true to the film while its tone adds excitement to the story. Each segment is filled with excitement where each of them on their own merits have fascinating moments but as a whole, it's brilliant. It's a testament to not just Frank Miller's talents but also Robert Rodriguez. Then there's Quentin Tarantino who does a great job in the Jackie Boy/Dwight car scene which shows a lot of Tarantino's humor as he returns a favor for Rodriguez as he directed that part for $1 which Rodriguez did in his score for Kill Bill Vol. 2 for $1.

Adding flair to the gritty look of Sin City is art director Jeanne Scott and set decorator David Hack along with visual effects supervisors Thierry Delattre and Richard Martin. The film's look shows a town in chaos where it's all authentic from its bar to the motels and everything in between. The visual effects are amazing in its mix of color and black-and-white backgrounds. Then we have the costumes by designer Nina Proctor who does a great job in not just the long trench coat jackets for the men as well as Dwight's Converse shoes but the clothing for the ladies which is filled with the punk-leather of the Old Town girls to the cowboy chaps that Nancy wears. Finally, there's the film score composed by Rodriguez, John Debney, and Graeme Revell that not only adds flair to the genre with its saxophone arrangements but the orchestral arrangements play to the film's wonderful action and dramatic scenes.

Finally, there's the film amazing cast that includes several fine small performances from Mackenzie Vega and Frank Miller as a priest in the Mickey Rourke segment. Josh Hartnett and Marley Shelton also do great work to the film' opening segment while veterans like Rutger Hauer and Powers Boothe do great job in their villainous roles. One of the strangest and memorable performances that deserves the term, "against type" is Elijah Wood as the silent, cannibal killer Kevin who delivers a performance that is clearly the anti-Frodo. Devon Aoki is also memorable as the silent but deadly Miho who brings an amazing presence to the film. Jaime King is excellent in her double duty as the slain hooker and her angry twin sister while Alexis Bledel is good as the innocent, charming young hooker Becky. Nick Stahl brings a creepy, venomous performance as Roark with his love for young girls and slithery demeanor. Michael Clarke Duncan is also good as the big man villain Manute. Michael Madsen is funny in his small role as Bruce Willis' partner while Tommy Flanagan is funny as an Irish mercenary.

Clive Owen delivers a great performance as the cool Dwight who shoots his guns and wears some cool Converse while Benicio del Toro is funny as the demented Jackie Boy. Rosario Dawson is hot, hot, hot as Gail with her fishnet, leather clothing and in-your-face attitude that gives the meaning of "girl power" to a new level. Brittany Murphy is also good as Shellie that is an ode to noir female characters while Jessica Alba is great as the stripper Nancy who knows how to move. Carla Gugino is great as the lesbian parole office who helps out Mickey Rourke while appearing in the film nude most of the time. Mickey Rourke delivers the film's best performance as Marv who is filled with confusion and doubts as he is battered and burnt out while delivering some of the coolest lines and moments throughout the entire film. Bruce Willis is also brilliant as the cop with a bad heart, Hartigan in a heroic performance that proves that Willis still have what it takes to be a hero.

The 2005 one-disc DVD that presents the film in its widescreen format ratio and 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS sound is great but for fans of Rodriguez's films, it's disappointing. Only because it has a 10-minute TV feature on the making-of the film which includes interviews with cast members, Rodriguez, Miller, and Tarantino.

***Added on 6/21/06, the 2-Disc Version of Sin City***

While the one-disc DVD for Sin City may be for those who just want to see the movie. In December of 2005, a brand-new two-disc set for the film has something that not just fans of the film wanted but has all the elements that co-director Robert Rodriguez has done with his DVDs. For this special edition, two-disc deluxe edition of the film, Rodriguez presents the film in two different versions. One is the theatrical version in all of its glory and a second disc featuring the film separated in its four different segments all extended with over 20 minutes of additional footage. Both version shown on the widescreen theatrical format of 1:85:1 anamorphic format with a 16x9 ratio along with DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound with Spanish subtitles.

The two-disc DVD also includes several special features and extras plus two different commentaries featuring Rodriguez with Frank Miller and Quentin Tarantino and an audio track of the film's premiere in Austin, Texas.

The first disc of the DVD which is the film in its theatrical version features the three different audio commentaries. First is Rodriguez's commentary with co-director and novelist Frank Miller where Rodriguez and Miller comment on the adaptation from book to film where it was very easy since they didn't change a lot of the dialogue. The two discussed the casting in how Bruce Willis and Mickey Rourke were perfect for their roles while Clive Owen auditioned to play Dwight. Of the commentaries, the one with Rodriguez and Miller is the most fun and insightful as they talk about a lot of the performances and the faithfulness to Miller's graphic novels.

The second commentary is mostly a technical commentary track from Rodriguez as he talks about the challenges of making the film, convincing Miller to do it and the casting. Popping up during the commentary, notably the Big Fat Kill segment is Quentin Tarantino who discusses the scene he shot with Clive Owen and Benicio del Toro as many people assumed it was a scene involving Miller's favorite character Miho killing guys with swords, Hatori Hanzo swords that they borrowed. Bruce Willis joins the commentary for the That Yellow Bastard segment as he talks about the acting challenges and his enjoyment of making the film. The third and final audio track is recorded from the film's premiere screening in Austin, Texas. For this particular track, Rodriguez wanted to give the viewer a chance to watch the film with an audience to bring the sense that the film is being seen with a big audience. The noise full of cheers, claps, and yells definitely brings the right tone since it makes the film more fun to watch.

In the special features of the first disc, there are several documentaries and featurettes about the making of the film. First is the six-minute How It Went Down: Convincing Frank Miller to Make the Film revealed Miller's reason for making Sin City as an anti-film after his horrible experience in Hollywood, notably the Robocop films. Featuring interviews with Miller, Rodriguez, Tarantino, props master Steve Joyner, and cast members Bruce Willis, Benicio del Toro, Carla Gugino, and Josh Hartnett. The small featurette revealed how Rodriguez wanted to make a completely faithful adaptation of the novels with the blessing of Miller. It started with the test shoot that Rodriguez did with Hartnett and Marley Shelton for The Customer is Always Right where Miller was immediately impressed. Rodriguez is considered the more technical director as Miller was the artistic director as Rodriguez felt that Miller should co-direct since its his baby.

Special Guest Director: Quentin Tarantino is a seven-minute featurette that opened with Tarantino and Rodriguez's longtime friendship/collaboration since they both released their debut features at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival. When Rodriguez was to score Kill Bill Vol. 2, he mentioned Sin City as Tarantino decided to return a favor by directing a scene for Sin City. Rodriguez's wife and producer Elizabeth Avellan thought it would be a great idea although Tarantino had some reluctance on shooting digital. In the end, Tarantino was amazed at the digital work that Rodriguez had done with the test short as he directed the car scene of del Toro and Clive Owen that owed to his French New Wave style. The scene showed some of Tarantino's exuberance and how Rodriguez played cinematographer/editor and Miller as the writer for Quentin's scene. It's really one of the enjoyable featurettes in the DVD.

A Hard Top with a Decent Engine: The Cars of Sin City is a seven-minute-and-a-half featurette which revealed the importance of cars in the movie. Cecil D. Evans who serves as the transportation coordinator reveals on finding the cars for the film which gives the movie a sense of style. The ones he found were in Austin like Wendy's '55 Porsche Spyder Convertible, Dwight's red '59 Cadillac Convertible, Hartigan's '55 Buick Convertible, '55 Chevy Police Car, Jackie Boy's '57 Chevy Imperial, Dallas' '41 Chevrolet, Roark Jr.'s '61 Jaguar XKE, the 57' Ford Thunderbird for the Body Transfer, the Priest's 1990 Mercedes 420 SEL, Marv's '68 Chevrolet Corvair, a '49 Chevrolet Taxi, and Mr. Shlubb's '89 Ferrari. Nancy's '57 Chevy Nomad was the only car found outside of Austin while the Yellow Bastard's 1937 Cadillac was the most expensive since it costs $100,000 to rent for a week. Many of the cars were chosen in ode to film noir and they were the kind of cars Frank Miller loved.

Booze, Broads, & Guns: The Props of Sin City is an eleven-minute segment that focuses on the contributions of props master Steve Joyner. Joyner plus property master Caylah Eddleblute reveal the weaponry they find and how they created them through a 3-D clay-like style. Using the books for storyboard and detail with help from graphic designer Troy Engel, they created the weaponry design and detail through computer before creating it into a 3-D machine. Eddleblute had to find the look of the weapons just to get a full idea on the designs for them since Miller draws them with great detail. Transportation captain Joe Llanes was responsible for teaching Jessica Alba how to lasso while props sculptor Brandon Campbell and head props fabricator Marcus Laporte reveal the making of the weapons through a 3-D clay-like machine. Devon Aoki reveals the martial arts props that were used and the swords she got are indeed, Hatori Hanzo swords from the Kill Bill movies that they got from Tarantino's garage as Miller, is so in love with Miho.

Making the Monsters: Special Effects Make-Up is a nine-minute featurette that focuses on the work of Greg Nicotero who is the special effects makeup supervisor. Nicotero reveals that with Miller's help and the books, the look of Marv, Hartigan, Jackie Boy, and Yellow Bastard come to life. While Hartigan's scar was only minor, the look for Marv took them three weeks to do but it worked. For Jackie Boy, Benicio del Toro wanted the look to be more like the book and they had more fun with the look, even when he's covered in paint for a scene. The toughest was the Yellow Bastard where on set, Nick Stahl is in full-make up and look where he's blue but on post-production, he's yellow. The last featurette for Trench Coats & Fishnets: The Costumes of Sin City focuses on the work of costume designer/supervisor Nina Proctor. Proctor reveals the work into the costumes with help from Miller's book as it became a very fun experience. Rosario Dawson and Brittany Murphy praise Proctor's work as they all had fun wearing the costumes while Murphy was totally into character once she wore some six-inch heels.

The last two special features on the first disc are a trailers sections that reveals both the teaser and theatrical trailer that brought anticipation for the films. The second is an interactive feature called the Sin-Chroni-City Interactive Game where you take a character, put him in a place, and connect him with another character and through Frank Miller's voice. You hear background stories, details, and everything about places and the characters in one of the best interactive features available.

The second disc of the DVD includes more special features and the Recut, Extended version of Sin City which are separated into four different segments. In his introduction, Rodriguez cut over 20-minutes of footage for the theatrical release for length reasons. For the Recut version, he chose to separate the four segments into their own individual stories with the option of viewers to watch a segment at any time. Whether its in chronological order for: That Yellow Bastard, The Customer is Right, The Hard Goodbye, and The Big Fat Kill or in the order that the film had. Still, each segment is given new treatment and new ideas that is faithful to Miller's novels.

The first one for The Customer is Right with Josh Hartnett and Marley Shelton isn't done with a lot of work since it's a prologue and the only touch Rodriguez adds is the film's epilogue that also involved Hartnett and a major character from one of the stories. In The Hard Goodbye, a few moments of dialogue, notably Marv's rant in the rain is extended while a scene of him going to his mother's house to retrieve his gun, Gladys has been added. The scene overall is great as it works for the entire segment which shows a more sentimental side of Marv as he goes into his childhood room and later, meeting his blind mother (Lucina Paquet) which shows more of the range that Mickey Rourke has as an actor.

The Big Fat Kill features some extended dialogue and narration from Dwight McCarthy along with an extended scene between Clive Owen's McCarthy and Brittany Murphy's Shellie. The best added scene comes right in the end in the big final battle between the mob and Dwight with the girls of Old Town. Most notably, the battle involves the sweet, little Miho who gets to show everyone what she can do with an ax, a big fucking ax!!!!!! I love Miho, I'll fight Frank Miller to the death for her heart.

That Yellow Bastard is the segment that adds more scenes to the film. First that are added is a bridging sequence that comes between Hartigan's shooting and his meeting with Senator Roark. It's when Michael Madsen's Bob is surrounded by police cars and an ambulance that leads a sequence where everyone including a nurse (Katherine Willis), a DA, Hartigan's superiors, and Hartigan's wife Eileen (Babs George) is asking Hartigan about what happened as he refuses to talk. The second added sequence involves Carla Gugino's Lucille who serves as Hartigan's attorney where she's called for the parole hearing who is disgusted in Hartigan's false intentions to leave the jail. There's also an extended sequence with Nick Offerman's Mr. Shlubb and Rick Gomez's Klump on their way to the motel Hartigan and Nancy were staying. Overall, the extended and added scenes that are filled with more violence reveals the true nature and style of Frank Miller.

Five special features are on the second disc which includes two regular segments of all of Rodriguez DVDs. The first special feature is the actual movie shown in high-speed on green screen. There, you see the entire film in 10 minutes through a fast speed time where you see how all of the performances are done and who's acting with who along with isn't in the frame. It's one of the best featurettes with a wonderful introduction from Rodriguez. The second featurette is The Long Take: 14 Uninterrupted Minutes of Tarantino's Segment which shows an uncensored, uncut outtake of Tarantino directing Clive Owen and Benicio del Toro in their scene with the car. It reveals the exuberant energy of Tarantino as well as the relaxed chemistry between Owen and del Toro.

The two regular Rodriguez DVD special features arrive with the 15-Minute Film School with Robert Rodriguez. The lesson Rodriguez gives is about the advantage of working with digital cameras and shooting a film like this with a cheap budget as opposed to shooting the film with a full studio backing. Since Rodriguez is one of few directors to have his own studio, effects team, and collaborators, he can do a film on green screen and not having to create scenes outside or create production scenes most of the time. Since he uses green screen for lighting purposes and production, Rodriguez was able to save more money and with own effects team, he didn't need to have a visual effects team from other studios where he saved more money.

For performance, actors had to move a little bit faster than usual where after a few days, they get really comfortable acting in a green-screen set. While the production part was easy, the entire film was made on post-production which took a long time but it allowed Rodriguez and his team to think of ideas, using computer dummies, and things to get the ideas of shots and visual photography. Rodriguez closes the featurette saying that if you have some film, visual effects computer software and a digital camera, you can make a film like Sin City while you can take your time in making effects and learning about the technology.

The 10-Minute Cooking School with Robert Rodriguez is easily one of the most enjoyable featurettes. The recipe Rodriguez makes are Sin City Breakfast Tacos. For these tacos, Rodriguez makes his own flour tortillas with flour, baking powder, a bit of salt, some lard, and butter to give the sense of Mexican authenticity. He makes the tacos in two variations both with scrambled eggs. One of them has peeled, diced, chopped potatoes which he fries as he refers to them as Mexican fries and he likes them crisp. The second variation includes diced, fried corn tortilla chips, tomatoes, onions, and jalapeno peppers. Mix them with the eggs and fry the flour tortillas and you got yourselves some damn good tacos. In the words of Marv from an outtake of the film, enjoy those tacos.

The final special feature is Sin City Live Night at Antones-Filmmakers, Cast & Crew Party which features a full performance from Bruce Willis and his own band the Accelerators doing Devil Woman along with clips of performances from Robert Rodriguez's band. Showing up in the clip are not just cast members Nick Stahl and Jessica Alba but director Richard Linklater and his cast including Woody Harrelson from Linklater's film A Scanner Darkly. While Willis may not have been a good recording artist like most Hollywood stars, he does bring in a good live show.

Added to the two-disc edition of Sin City which is a good starting point for people new to the novel is a complete graphic novel of the first Sin City novel for The Hard Goodbye, which reveals in complete detail, Frank Miller's drawing style, some added scenes, and how close the dialogue that Miller wrote is to the actual film. Overall, it's a great book and anyone who is new to the novels will definitely be interested in the entire series of Sin City. In the end, the 2-Disc DVD special edition of Sin City is a must-have for not just fans of the film or of the work of Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez. It's also one of the best film collections ever assembled on DVD.

***End of 2-Disc DVD section***

In Conclusion, Sin City is a hands down, visual, noirish, violent, sexual, and stylized film from Robert Rodriguez & Frank Miller with a great cast, a great crew, and the contribution of Quentin Tarantino. For anyone interested in the novels will definitely get a new introduction as the vision of Frank Miller definitely comes to life. Anyone interested in film noir will see how closely Rodriguez pays tribute to the genre. So for anyone who wants a great film with lots of violence, sex, and cool dialogue, go see Sin City.

Robert Rodriguez Films: (El Mariachi) - (Roadracers) - (Desperado) - Four Rooms: The Misbehaviors - From Dusk Till Dawn - (The Faculty) - (Spy Kids) - (Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams) - (Spy Kids 3D: Game Over) - (Once Upon a Time in Mexico) - (The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3D) - Grindhouse: Planet Terror - (Shorts) - (Machete) - (Spy Kids: All the Time in the World) - (Machete Kills) - (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For)

(C) thevoid99 2012

LAMB Movie of the Month: Blade Runner (1992 Director's Cut)

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 6/12/05 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Based on a novel by Phillip K. Dick (whom the film was dedicated to), Blade Runner is a stylish, film-noir detective story set in the futuristic 2019 Los Angeles about a retired cop who returns to the scene to eliminate four murderous androids known as replicants. Directed by Ridley Scott and adapted into script by Hampton Fancher, David Peoples, and Darryl Ponicsan, the story is set in traditional film-noir with elements of character studies, conflict, and dark humor that only Ridley Scott can come up with. With a cast that includes Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Daryl Hannah, Edward James Olmos, M. Emmet Walsh, Brion James, and Joanna Cassidy. Blade Runner is a brilliant yet dark film from Ridley Scott.

It's 2019 in Los Angeles where the world is overtaken with many wondering who are the humans and who are the replicants. The latter of which, lives in a colony owned by a corporate head named Tyrell (Joe Turkel) as a new replicant named Leon kills an interrogater named Holden (Morgan Paull) as he escapes with three new replicants. A former blade runner named Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is contacted by a replicant named Gaff (Edward James Olmos) where Deckard is asked by his former superior Bryant (M. Emmet Walsh) to hunt down the four escaped replicants. Deckard takes the job as he meets Tyrell and his assistant Rachel (Sean Young) where Tyrell reveals information on the new replicants led by Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer). After asking Rachel some questions to see how the interrogation process happens, Rachel divulges something that adds to Deckard's suspicions.

The four replicants arrive to Los Angeles where Leon and Batty search for the inventor J.F. Sebastian (William Sanderson) while Deckard begins his investigation as he finds one of them in a woman named Zhora (Joanna Cassidy). Deckard later receives a visit from Rachel who asks about her interrogation and the images of her head as she wonders about her true self leaving Deckard confused. While being pursued by Bryant and Gaff, Deckard gains information from Chew (James Hong) about the replicants and what they're after. A young woman named Pris (Daryl Hannah) meets Sebastian as they befriend each other while Deckard finds one of the replicants as Rachel becomes a suspect. With Pris introducing Sebastian to Batty, they reveal what they from Sebastian as Deckard also learns about what Rachel is going through. This would lead to an all-out battle where Deckard has to make choices as he deals with the psychotic Batty.

With a wonderful screenplay that is filled with playful one-liners and stylish subtext, the credit goes to director Ridley Scott for bringing his visual approach to storytelling on the forefront. He brings in a mix of Asian cinema, classic film-noir, and post-modern sci-fi all into a stylish, grand spectacle with bleak settings. In his technical brilliance, Scott's use of slow-motion shots, entrancing camera angles, and eerie settings shows his brilliance to convey moods onto a single frame. Clearly, his inspiration was in film noir since the film is partially inspired by classic detective stories and it shows the brilliant range of Scott. He evens adds a bit of humor to balance out the film, even with the script that has that one famous line, "Wake up, time to die" along with some memorable one-liners.

In the acting, Scott relies on the script as his source and with the script, he helps conveys the tortured soul of Deckard along with a complexity of what he might or might not be. Even the villains, notably Batty has a complexity that isn't stereotypical of villains seen before and since. There's not many themes other than the post-apocalyptic world of human replicants trying to wipe out the human race. It's more about trying to figure out what you are, even if the life span is very short. While the love story of Deckard and Rachael might seem to be added on, it has depth since it's something that Deckard can fall back on, even if the timing is brief.

If Ridley Scott achieves himself on the technical side, many credit goes to his film crew, whom Scott has often relied on. Cinematographer Jordan S. Cronenweth brings a vast outlook with noir-like lighting textures in several interior, night scenes, and the neon lighting helps give the film its Asian, post-modern look. Production designer Lawrence G. Paull and art director David Snyder help bring that vision to life with their use of big screens, Asian architecture in the seedy L.A. world, and that grand, posh look of Tyrell's world as the film remains in its futuristic outlook. Helping out in the visuals is Douglas Trumbull who brings in great special effects for many of the film's visual sequences involving flying cars and the world of Tyrell. With editor Terry Rawlings bringing a nicely-paced feel to the film, the movie doesn't lose sight of its outcome or makes anything boring. Then there's the creepy electronic score of Vangelis who just uses hypnotic textures and atmospheres to bring the future closer to the screen with each note bringing more suspense as the film progresses.

Then you have the amazingly, talented cast that is brought to the film. While Joanna Cassidy and the late Brion James had small, villainous roles, they each do have memorable moments, notably James early in the film and in the scene where he says, "Wake up, time to die". William Sanderson is wonderful in his innocent role as Sebastian with his reclusive stature and childlike approach to the performance while Joe Turkel is excellent in his eccentric, calm performance as the dark creator Tyrell. While Edward James Olmos doesn't have much to do in the film, he is very memorable as the replicant Gaff with his weird smile and even stranger lines, including the final one as he brings some of the dark humor to the film. Noted character actor M. Emmet Walsh is excellent as Deckard's former superior who brings in a bit of sleaze and humor to a very memorable performance. Sean Young is wonderful and complex in her subtle role as Deckard's replicant love interest but it's Daryl Hannah who really stands out in her small role as one of the evil replicants with her girlish innocence and crazy personality where she gets into some intense action.

Rutger Hauer gives a great performance as the villainous yet complex Roy Batty. Hauer uses his charm, wit, and face to give a villain that many will remember while making him more depth-driven than other villains. Hauer makes sure his character isn't just a totally evil man but one who knows what he wants. Even in the final moments of the film, Hauer brings in some of his best acting into the forefront as you can see why he's a cult favorite among film buffs. Harrison Ford delivers one of his best performances as Rick Deckard with a mix of weariness and determination. While he's playing the hero, he makes sure it's one that people can relate to since he has no desire to kill but when he's brought back, it's only with reluctance. Ford doesn't make himself the usual tough guy in some of the fight scene he's in. He's not Han Solo or Indiana Jones but a man that has a lot of problems. Ford makes sure that Deckard is one that an audience can sympathize with while we root for him in his quest to stop the bad guys.

Blade Runner is a visually-exotic yet haunting film from Ridley Scott that features a marvelous performance from Harrison Ford. Along with amazing technical work as well as superb ensemble cast that includes Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Daryl Hannah, M. Emmet Walsh, and Edward James Olmos. It is truly one of the great sci-fi films ever created due to its visual effects as well as an entrancing story. In the end, Blade Runner is a magnificent sci-fi noir film from Ridley Scott.

Related: Blade Runner 2049

Ridley Scott Films: (The Duellists) - (Alien) - (Legend) - (Someone to Watch Over Me) - (Black Rain) - (Thelma & Louise) - (1492: Conquest of Paradise) - (White Squall) - (G.I. Jane) - (Gladiator) - (Hannibal) - (Black Hawk Down) - (Matchstick Men) - (Kingdom of Heaven) - (A Good Year) - (American Gangster) - (Body of Lies) - (Robin Hood (2010 film)) - Prometheus - (The Counselor) - (Exodus) - The Martian - (Alien: Covenant) - All the Money in the World

© thevoid99 2012

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

Based on biographical novel, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is the story of the crazed life of famed TV game show host/producer Chuck Barris who led a double-life as the host of The Gong Show and claims that he was an agent for the CIA. Directed and starring George Clooney and screenplay by Charlie Kaufman, the film explores Barris’ life as well as the possibility that he was an assassin for the CIA as Sam Rockwell plays the controversial figure. Also starring Julia Roberts, Drew Barrymore, and Rutger Hauer. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind for all of its ambition and style is a mess of a film from George Clooney.

Alone in a hotel room and feeling paranoid, Chuck Barris starts to write about his life as a kid (Michael Cera) before becoming an adult where he took on various odd jobs to score chicks and briefly get married. Despite losing at bar brawls, Chuck’s break came when he worked as a watchdog for Dick Clark’s American Bandstand where he wrote the song Palisades Park for Freddy “Boom-Boom” Cannon as it scores a hit. While sleeping with a stagehand named Debbie (Maggie Gyllenhaal), Chuck meets Debbie’s roommate Penny (Drew Barrymore) as the two begin a relationship. While Chuck tries to pitch various TV shows for ABC, he is rejected until a bar fight catches the attention of CIA agent Jim Byrd (George Clooney) who takes Chuck in as an assassin.

After learning that The Dating Game gets the green light from ABC, Chuck’s show is a major hit as he and Penny live a great life until Chuck is asked to go on a mission with another assassin named Patricia Watson (Julia Roberts). He and Patricia have an affair while he is still having a relationship with Penny as another of his shows in The Newlywed Game becomes a hit. With his work as TV producer going well while doing assassin jobs on the side, Chuck scores his biggest hit in the mid-1970s with The Gong Show that he hosts. Despite being a big star, he is criticized for the decline of quality television while he meets another agent named Keeler (Rutger Hauer) who believes there’s a mole in the CIA.

Things for Chuck become complicated as his relationship with Penny suffers while he becomes paranoid over who the mole is as he asks Byrd who reveals why he recruited him. Living in fear and paranoia, Chuck tries to finish his book and find out who the mole is.

While it’s a bio-pic that is largely stylized with no clear indication whether it’s true or not. It is still an interesting story about the guy who hosted The Gong Show while he was supposedly a killer for the CIA. While Chuck Barris may be lying about these claims that he worked for the CIA, the idea itself does make it far more interesting while possibly indicating why he was so fucked up when he hosted The Gong Show.

Charlie Kaufman’s screenplay is probably the most straightforward and conventional script that he’s done as he does portray Barris as a well-meaning guy who is also a fuck-up. Kaufman does his best to balance the comedy, romance, drama, and suspense that is presented in the film but there isn’t enough to make all of those things to be very interesting or engaging. Particularly as Kaufman wasn’t able to do enough to make it more out there and play with the narrative due to what George Clooney wanted to do as the film’s director.

Clooney’s direction is very engaging and stylish for the way he creates amazing compositions where the humor is very off-the-wall while he also creates some entrancing moments in some of the dark, suspenseful moments. The problem is that Clooney doesn’t allow Kaufman’s script to be much more out there as he tries to integrate too many ideas where it includes scenes where real-life people who knew Barris would commentate. Some of those people interviewed had something to say while some of it felt a bit distracting. Despite some amazing moments in creating great scenes of humor and suspense, Clooney ends making a very messy film that doesn’t do enough to make it more interesting than its premise suggests.

Cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel does a good job with the cinematography for much of its third act as he creates some very entrancing shots including Chuck and Byrd’s meeting about the mole. It’s the work in the film’s first half that feels overly-stylized in its look with flashy flares of lighting and tinted shots that goes a little overboard including in the flashback scenes that doesn’t work. Editor Stephen Mirrone does an excellent job with the editing to maintain a leisured pace for the film while creating some stylized montages for some of Chuck and Patricia’s assassinations with Chuck’s own work as a TV producer.

Production designer James D. Bissel does a fantastic job with the set pieces created to play up the differing period of the times from the late 1950s to the early 1980s. Notably the recreation of the game shows that Chuck Barris has produced including The Gong Show as it adds to the air of nostalgia presented in the film. Costume designer Renee April does a wonderful job with the costumes to play up the different periods that the women wear throughout the film . Visual effects supervisor Louis Morin does an excellent job in creating some of the visual effects for some of the look of the old TV footage to some of the entrancing pool meeting scene between Barris and Byrd.

Sound editors Aaron Glascock and Curt Schulkey do nice work on the sound design to create the air of violence that occurs in the film including some of the voiceover work that Barris does in the narration throughout the film. Music composer Alex Wurman creates a score that is quite playful to the humor with elements of jazz while creating a low-key piano score for some of the film’s darker moments.

The casting by Ellen Chenoweth is superb for the ensemble that is created which includes cameo appearances from Dick Clark, Jaye P. Morgan, Gene Patton aka Gene Gene the Dancing Machine, Jim Lange, and the real Chuck Barris plus two funny cameos from Clooney‘s close friends and co-stars from Ocean’s movies. Other small roles include producer Jerry Weintraub as an ABC executive, Richard Kind as a casting executive, Kristen Wilson as Chuck’s secretary Loretta, softcore film star Krista Allen as a woman Chuck meets at the Playboy mansion, Robert John Burke as a FCC investigator, Michael Cera as the young Chuck Barris, and Maggie Gyllenhaal as an American Bandstand stagehand Chuck sleeps with.

Rutger Hauer is excellent as CIA agent Keller who likes Chuck while revealing to him about the mole that is present in the CIA. George Clooney is terrific as the mysterious Jim Byrd who guides Chuck into the world of CIA while revealing why he recruited him. Julia Roberts is good as the femme fatale Patricia Watson who woos Chuck although Roberts is sort of miscast since she isn’t really the kind of person who can exude sex appeal. Drew Barrymore is wonderful as Chuck’s girlfriend Penny who tries to deal with Chuck’s success and the lifestyle that he’s living. Finally there’s Sam Rockwell in an amazing performance as Chuck Barris as Rockwell is the film’s big highlight. Rockwell gives a performance for the ages as he makes Barris into a very complex yet charismatic character who is a mess as Rockwell also exudes the paranoia and flaws of the man as it’s definitely Rockwell at his best.

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is a good though very messy film from George Clooney and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman that includes a masterful performance from Sam Rockwell. While it’s a film that has a very interesting premise about the life of Chuck Barris. It’s a film where it tries too hard to be over-the-top and play to exaggerations while it tries to be so many things. Particularly as it’s among one of the weakest projects written by Charlie Kaufman as well as the weakest film that George Clooney has directed so far. In the end, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is an interesting but uneven film from George Clooney that does include a magnificent performance from Sam Rockwell.

George Clooney Films: Good Night, and Good Luck - (Leatherheads) - The Ides of March - The Monuments Men

© thevoid99 2012

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