Movies!

Tonight I went to see “Batman Begins.” Not a bad movie. I have a feeling it would have been a lot more enjoyable if I had a clue about the Batman from DC comics. But I enjoyed it nonetheless. The fight scenes were filmed in a way reminiscent of comic books. There were blurs, then a stop-action shot and a sound effect much like the "Zap!" "Boom!" "Zowie!" that we've come to expect in comic books. The sets were amazing, especially the "batcave" which was mysterious, undefined and magnificent all at the same time. Gotham was also a powerful image, both sinister and slightly familiar. A triple-decker monorail that formed the veins of Gotham, feeding people in and out of the caverns, was very effective.

The metaphor of false images was carried throughout and on multiple levels. This is the first movie I've seen with Katie Holmes and what a disappointment she proved to be. Yes, it was important that the heroine appear pure and young in a virginal way. But she was inappropriately young and foolish. I can think of a dozen actresses who would have been more suited. Natlie Portman would have kicked ass.