That word, I do not think it means what you think it means

[offbalance]

The weather made today Not a Beach Day. So J and I finished watching Season 1 of Veronica Mars, had some brunch, then headed off our separate ways - he had some stuff to do, and so did I.

Things I did:
Bought groceries
Tidied kitchen
Installed new versions of virus protection software and Itunes
Caught up on this week's Project Runway

Things I wanted to do but did NOT do:
Scrub the kitchen floor
Catch up on this week's Swingtown
Write.

*sigh*

Last night was dinner with J, blergeatkitty & kip3f and then The Dark Knight. I will basically join in the ZOMG Chorus on this one - that was some fine cinema right there. And, J and I got to see the trailer for The Watchmen and just about lost our minds over that one. It looks awesome, and I'm pleased it was done by someone who, you know, read the comic and everything. I guess I'll post more about Dark Knight after I've had more time to process it, there was a whole lot of movie there. Suffice it to say, the following people seriously rocked my socks (listed in alphabetical order):

Bale, Christian
Eckhart, Aaron
Oldman, Gary.

I don't know - maybe it was all the hype, but I didn't get what all the big was about Heath Ledger. Mind you, he was good, but not so amazing that I was totally blown away. *shrug* He played a convincing crazy-ass psycho. Well done, please to send your royalties to Malcolm McDowell when you get a moment, thx.

Anyway, tonight is the Mad Men premiere (SQUEE) and more time with J (double squee!)

I am thisclose to giving up on seeing all of the movies that are out right now in the theater. There is NO WAY I will be able to get to them all in time. ::waves flag:: This summer has had a glut of amazing films - it's almost impossible to keep up with them all.

Comments

[basepair.livejournal.com]

I loved Aaron Eckhart! I thought he really impassioned Harvey Dent.

[offbalance.livejournal.com]

I was extremely pleased when they cast him, and I felt positively vindicated when he really hit this one out of the proverbial park. Seriously well done.

[teany.livejournal.com]

Good call on the Malcolm McDowell comparison. I could have sworn I read or heard somewhere that he took inspiration from A Clockwork Orange. I can't for the life of me remember where, though.

And this reminds me, we need to arrange a double date, stat!

[offbalance.livejournal.com]

I'd read that too, and I saw it immediately. I kept seeing Ledger take pieces of other great villainous performers and mash them together (McDowell, old-school Nicholson, a dash of Peter Lorre, hell, even some Robert Mitchum from Cape Fear). I found him kind of over-the-top, honestly. It worked for the character, and it was totally a brave performance, but I don't know if I'd call it Oscar-worthy. They certainly wouldn't be talking this way were he still alive.

Yes, we do!

Heath Ledger

[theatre-pixie.livejournal.com]

For me the stunning part about his performance was that it was him performing. I only know Heath from movies like 10 Things I Hate About You, A Knight's Tale, The Brothers Grimm, and Monsters Ball. While he may have been kick-ass in Brokeback Mountain, I simply have not seen it, so I wouldn't know.
So for me to see Heath Ledger go from what I would consider to be... amusing, but basically fluff roles (for the most part) to the Joker who was much darker and so VERY far removed from anything I'd seen him do before... yeah. I can see where all of the hype is coming from.
Is it an Oscar-worthy performance? Not my call. And I wouldn't compare it to Hopkins' Hannibal, though I think I read an article that did so (can't remember now for certain). What I will say is that I was kinda sad when I first heard that he had died. After seeing the film, I am VERY sad that he is dead. Because I don't know that the questions I have about the Joker will be answered in the next film. And if they're still planning to move forward with it, who will be able to bring the same nuances to it that Ledger did?

I am in complete agreement with you as to the performances of Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, and Aaron Eckhart. I am of the opinion that Christian Bale is the best Batman EVER (feel free to disagree, I don't care), and he did not disappoint in his second run with the role. In some ways, I think he was better (at least he showed that Bruce Wayne is human--I loved him sleeping during the big meeting at Wayne Enterprises. I know, I know, not his choice, the writers' but still a good one). If I had any doubts about Gary Oldman in the first film they have since been banished. He's a fantastic Gordon who does justice to cops in general if not the comic book character (I don't like it when "lesser" characters are played as bumbling idiots as happened in Batman and Robin).
Aaron Eckhart. WOW. I loved him in Thank You For Smoking and No Reservations and Erin Brockovitch, but he really dialed up the intensity for this one. His portrayal of Dent was everything you would want in a "golden boy". He was handsome, charming, well-spoken, charismatic, courageous... which made the Two Face crack so incredible. He was absolutely wonderful.