" The truth will set you free "

Dead Man Walking

Sister Helen Prejean (Susan Sarandon) is a well liked nun and teacher who supports the less advantaged in her community. One day she receives a letter from a man on Death Row who has been committed for the rape and murder of two young teenagers. The man in question, Matthew Poncelet (Sean Penn) seeks out the sister as his final chance for a retrial. It soon becomes clear that Matthew's execution will be carried out and Sister Helen remains as a spiritual councilor trying to get Matthew to admit his crimes and achieve a degree of redemption for his sins. Sister Helen becomes Matthews last form of comfort and guidance as he struggles to admit his crimes and accept his fate.

Director Tim Robbins handles the sensitive topic with the utmost care, showcasing immense skill for only his second directorial effort. When dealing with powerful themes in cinema often a film will fail to reach the necessary emotional heights or try too hard, creating a film that is over dramatic and theatrical. Luckily Robbins gets it right and is able to do justice to the true story of Sister Helen.

The film focuses predominantly on the two characters and Robbins gets straight to the point in setting the scene. Sister Helen is a compassionate woman who has devoted herself to religion and the goodwill of others, whereas Poncelet is a convicted criminal of the most heinous crimes. As Sister Helen becomes drawn into the life of Poncelet, everyone around her feels confused as to why she continues to guide and support such an awful man. The nature of the facility and the steadily approaching date of his execution overwhelms her, yet she maintains her position as his councellor believing she can help him. This in turn becomes a beautiful friendship as she successfully begins to reach out to Poncelet. Never in the film are we made to see Poncelet as a good man, a man who deserves to be released or for this to be the perceived desire of Sister Helen. This is a film that explores the complex and controversial issue that is corporal punishment.

There is no doubt that this is one of those films that takes your breathe away, it is a tragic, painful and haunting film to watch influenced greatly by the interwoven flashbacks to the night of the murders. However at the same this is a film of undisputed beauty, whether its depicted in the kindness from Sister Helen, the intelligent filmmaking or the heartbreaking score. Perhaps the most effective aspect is that the film doesn't resort to preaching, instead you are left to make up your mind. As a result you are left evaluating the issue long after the film has ended, contemplating whether or not lethal injection is an acceptable means to die, whether or not it is ethical to kill someone convicted of a capital crime or whether or not it is our right as a society to kill a man at all. As is said in an accurate depiction of reality "It's easy to kill a monster. It's hard to kill a human being".

This is a film that could be used as a masterclass of acting. Susan Sarandon at the time was the wife of Robbins and she proves she was not simply cast due to her relationship with the director. She delivers a heartbreaking and captivating performance, portraying powerful emotions in virtually every scene. She was a worthy winner of her Oscar, except she should have been sharing it with her husband and fellow cast member Sean Penn. Penn is one of those rare actors that can deliver a memorable performance despite the genre. He has proven time and time again his skill as an actor and coming into this film you expect him to deliver a performance full of emotion and passion that is worthy of an Oscar and he certainly delivers.

This is an exhausting and emotionally draining film, however don't be put off as it is a film that deserves to be watched. Dead Man Walking showcases beautiful acting performances and exceptional directing talent while all the while dealing with one of the most contentious topics in modern society. The literal title acts as a constant reminder to the inevitable end to the film but Robbins ensures that the journey on Death Row is portrayed respectfully, with the final scenes being the most moving and memorable.

" Sometimes, a man rises from the darkness. "

The Dark Knight Rises

Eight years have passed since Harvey Dent's death and Gotham City is experiencing a time of peace where levels of crime and corruption are low.  Batman is still held responsible for the death of Dent and hasn't been seen since that night. Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) now lives as a crippled recluse, unable to move on from the tragic events that cost him the love of his life. Wayne realises that Gotham City may once again need Batman when a determined terrorist leader known as Bane (Tom Hardy) threatens to destroy the city.

Nolan's long awaited conclusion to the trilogy certainly lives up to its overwhelming expectations. The lesser known Batman villain, Bane asserts himself as a worthy villain as he proves he is as intelligent as he is powerful. Bane is introduced in spectacular fashion in the films opening sequence ensuring the audience is immediately intrigued by him. Although Hardy has his face covered up for the entirety of the film he is still able to deliver a very haunting performance. Bane is a menacing and intimidating presence on screen as well as an efficient leader who has a hoard of loyal followers that are prepared to die for him at whatever cost. I think the look of the character is perfect in terms of his mask and mannerisms but the voice unfortunately just doesn't fit. First audiences had to deal with Batman's gruff mumbling voice and now they are confronted with Bane, whose voice at times is very hard to understand and unfortunately causes some of his great dialogue to be lost.

The other new inclusions to the cast include: Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Marion Cotillard as Miranda a halfhearted attempt at a love interest for Wayne and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake a committed and honourable young cop. Hathaway is a real stand out as the cunning Catwoman who proves she has the smarts and skills to match it with the brute force and power of Bane and Batman. Gordon-Levitt has quite a large role in the film and his character Blake seems to understand the pain Wayne is going through better than most. Although Gordon-Levitt provides a strong performance he is unfortunately given the bulk of the corny lines and cliche scenes. The faithful trio, Alfred, Gordon and Fox also return, with Caine in particular giving his most moving performance of Alfred as he tries to secure the safety of Wayne by having him realise this is a battle he might not be able to win.

This is a dark film with very haunting characters and serious themes. The film in essence shows what would happen if a terrorist organisation was successful in gaining control over a city. The film has such a realistic feel to it as impressive shots of New York City are used for Gotham and familiar events are featured such as a football match. This results in Bane's terrorist attack evoking emotions that are all too real in present society. At the end of the day this is a film and should be viewed only as a source of fiction, but just maybe Nolan has made the film too realistic in it's themes of glorified violence and destruction.

One of the most gratifying ideas from the film is that there is always hope even when faced with overwhelming depression or tragedy.  The first act could be judged as too slow as there is very little action due to Wayne's depleted nature both physically and mentally. Similarly to Batman Begins there is very little evidence of a superhero as Batman hardly makes an appearance in the first half. However the film continues to build in anticipation so that Batman's inevitable rise in the final act is all the more impressive. Bale has delivered solid performances in both predecessors but he is challenged here to play a fallen hero who has to transform into the ultimate symbol of hope. Bale succeeds in every manner portraying such deep emotions of loss and undeniable determination convincingly.

The film may not be as good as The Dark Knight but if that's all this film is remembered for than audiences are not appreciating what Nolan has tried to achieve. Everything about this film screams conclusion and it's for that reason that the film is so successful. Nolan knew when going into the filming that he was making a finale not simply another sequel and as a result he isn't afraid to go out with a bang. The final hour would satisfy any fan of the series as Nolan delivers an unforgettable display of action and emotion all accompanied by the thunderous score of Hans Zimmer. 

In The Dark Knight Rises Nolan goes back to the origins of his trilogy to ensure every loose end is tied up whilst still ensuring there are several Nolanesque twists along the way. There are moments of corny dialogue and the pace of the film starts very slowly but by the time the film ends you realise you have just watched a truly epic masterpiece of such quality that is a rarity of modern cinema.

" Some men just want to watch the world burn "

The Dark Knight

The highly anticipated sequel to Nolan's impressive Batman Begins shows a Gotham City that is in control of crime and corruption thanks to the efforts of Batman, Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and the ambitious new District Attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). However things don't stay peaceful for long as the criminal mastermind known as The Joker (Heath Ledger) unleashes his own brand of chaos installing a sense of fear into the hearts of criminals and civilians alike.

The Dark Knight exploded onto the screen exceeding any expectations surrounding its potential, earning critical and box office success worldwide. A major reason for the film's success is Heath Ledger. His tragic and premature death meant The Dark Knight was a finale like performance, and boy was it a performance. It is well known that Ledger's performance was nothing less than extraordinary, even earning him a posthumous Oscar for best supporting actor. So what is it that makes his performance so memorable? For starters Ledger had the most amazing script and scenes to work with written by Christopher and Jonathan Nolan as well as a great make up and costume department. But all that counts for nothing without the right actor, Ledger transformed himself into the character with such energy and excitement that his portrayal was simply compulsive to watch. Nowadays you can't go to a dress up party without seeing one or usually multiple jokers, his character has become an iconic symbol of pop culture with his actions and quotes made famous, "why so serious?".

The Dark Knight follows on with the themes of Batman Begins exploring the blurry line between good and evil, hero and villain and asks the question how can Batman remain ethically sound when faced with such a villain as The Joker. The Joker is unmistakeably a villain, he shows no sense of compassion or humility using his intelligence to execute psychotic plans. What makes him so dangerous is that he isn't after money or power he is simply bored, looking to create chaos and destruction simply because he can. Harvey Dent is a much more complicated character as his character and moral code is tested when The Joker tries to expose his inner anger and list for revenge. There is no doubt that Ledger's Joker is the star of the film but Eckhart provides a very strong performance as the white knight of Gotham City.

Perhaps my only criticism from the film is the casting change of Rachel. I don't know whether it was Katie Holmes' choice to leave the role or she was asked to, but whatever the reason it's just annoying. Especially given the fate of the character there was no need to change actresses, sure Gyllenhall gives a strong performance and is better than Holmes but it takes away from the realism of the film as you start to see the actors/actresses as just that and not characters. Returning in the film are Batman's support network consisting of Alfred (Michael Caine), Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) and Lt. Gordon (Gary Oldman) whose role is fleshed out as the always consistent presence of the police force. Christian Bale also reprises his role of Batman/Bruce Wayne, but this time the film is more focused on the villains than developing his character.

The Dark Knight has one of the best opening scenes of all time, it is so incredibly sharp and clever that you know immediately this is a film worth watching. The film ends just as strongly as it starts combining action, suspense and drama along with a moving philosophical overtone. This is a movie packed full of memorable scenes, whether its an impressive action sequence showing off Batman's new gadgets, watching the joker break out of prison or a moral choice on the harbour with consequences of life and death. It's as if Nolan is trying to better himself with every scene, in which he continually succeeds.

The Dark Knight is definitely the darkest batman film and one of the darkest superhero films ever made, but it suits the character of Batman. This isn't a film where the greatest suspense lies in whether or not the girl will find out the superheros true identity. The Dark Knight deals with violent and confronting scenes, serious moral choices and a superhero that remains a feared 'vigilante' of the night. One of the greatest aspects of the film is the suspense, the audience is constantly made to wonder what will happen next prepared for anything.For the most part you forget that you are watching a superhero film it isn't until Batman soars through the city on his cape that you are reminded what type of film you are watching and how far the genre has come.

The best way for any movie to make lots of money is for it to be good. A film can hire the biggest stars and have the most expensive advertising campaign but for a movie to be successful on the scale of The Dark knight it has to not just be a good film but a great film. Many fans will flock to the opening night or see a film with high expectations on its opening weekend but its the sign of a quality film when viewers are still swarming in on the tenth, eleventh, twelfth week.

I have great respect for Nolan for wanting to conclude the trilogy despite the enormous box office and critical success that he has achieved. there is no doubt that this is a franchise that could have made many more successful films but a quality director knows when to stop. The Dark Knight Rises is perhaps the most highly anticipated film of the year and what a task it was for Nolan to undertake. How could he possibly better the Dark Knight? The answer is he doesn't need to, all that we can hope is that Nolan provides a satisfying conclusion to his epic vision of which I am confident he will deliver.