Because your chance to see these movies in the theatre is either quickly fleeting or already past, I’ll make these reviews relatively short. Otherwise, you’ll be sitting here reading reviews when you should be rushing out to the theatre.
Batman Begins (B+)
Like the rest of sensibly-minded America, you probably abandoned the Batman series when Alicia Silverstone and The Governator got involved. You were right to do so. Now, however, it is time to go back.
The first Batman movie (directed by Tim Burton) was a great cinematic representation of the stylized gothic darkness of the comic book. “Batman Begins” is more like an action movie that happens to be about a comic book character, and that approach works from beginning to end. We watch Bruce Wayne invent the legend and work out the specifics of Batman, taking us back to the days when the bat cave was, well, just a cave. There are prototype issues and strategic errors, which make the previously distant dark knight seem much more human. Wayne isn’t just some billionaire who decided one night to fight crime; his motivations are deep and his skills hard earned, as the movie shows us.
Christian Bale makes a great young Bruce Wayne, and the supporting cast is excellent. Michael Caine gives us a more cockney take on Alfred, Morgan Freeman is great as usual, Gary Oldman does a nice turn as the future Commissioner Gordon (just a lowly lieutenant at this point), and Liam Neeson is very solid as well.
Beyond the back story and the setup, there is an excellent payoff, complete with diabolical bad guys, stellar action scenes, and all of the gritty darkness we’ve come to expect from the Dark Knight movies. “Batman Begins” doesn’t have a dull moment, the stretches of physics and logic are acceptable for an action movie, and the plot contains all of the right twists and turns. Go check it out, or catch it on DVD in four to sixteen months.
Arthur (Michael Caine) and Bruce (Christian Bale) scope out the future Batcave.
Crash (A-)
Every character in “Crash” is in some way motivated or affected by racism, but the political concepts of race relations in America are not the center of the movie. Instead, what could have been a very simplistic and preachy film focuses on the deeply personal stories of each of its characters. What results is a movie that is about people first and social and political issues second, and the result is intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging.
The plot is too complex to attempt to summarize in such a short review, but the generally speaking, we watch an intertwining of the lives of people from a great variety of economic and ethnic backgrounds and perspectives. What is most fascinating is that every character is fully rendered; there are no simplistic stereotypes here. Sergeant Ryan (Matt Dillon) is racist white L.A. cop, but he also cares for his sick father with an admirable tenderness and dedication. Graham Waters (Don Cheadle) is a smart and skillful black police detective, but he has no interest in the details of his Latina girlfriend’s heritage.
The complexity of the characters combined with the intertwining of their lives (driven by coincidences that we must forgive as being necessary to such a story) makes for a rich and moving story from beginning to end. “Crash” is moving in the same combination of the emotional and intellectual that “Grand Canyon” was, reminding us that life is hard, people are amazingly complicated, and that only on the personal, human level that change truly is possible.
Detective Waters (Don Cheadle) on the scene with his partner/girlfriend Ria (Jennifer Esposito).
Millions (A-)
If “Batman Begins” is pure fun and “Crash” is pure substance, “Millions” is a spectacular combination of the two. This movie has the same infusion of joy and truth that “Billy Elliot” and “Waking Ned Devine” had. The British, apparently, are good at that.
Damian is the younger brother in a two-child family who has recently lost their mother. He has an unusually developed appreciation for the Catholic saints, although his family doesn’t appear to be religious. His appreciation translates into imagined visitations from and conversations with various saints, all of whom Damian immediately and happily recognizes: “Saint Clare of Assisi! 1194 to 1253!” Yes, this is a little strange, but kids have a wonderful imagination and seeing it visualized is always enjoyable. It’s also very endearing, as he is constantly asking the saints if they have seen his mother.
The movie is called “Millions” because Damian and his older brother stumble across a duffle bag filled with millions of pounds, only a few weeks before the British pound is scheduled to be replaced by the Euro. Being kids, they don’t tell their father, but instead each spends the money in his own way. Damian donates his portion to people he thinks are in need, and his older brother buys satellite phones and hires bodyguards.
Everything goes wonderfully, with saints weighing in on Damian’s choices and both boys deftly ducking their father’s inquiries, until somebody comes looking for the missing cash. Where other movies might have simply devolved into a standard kids-running-from-pursuer thriller, “Millions” maintains the level of child-like joy while still creating realistic tension. I spent most of this movie (and several hours afterwards) with a huge smile on my face, enjoying the wonderful way that kids see the world, which is at once immature and much wiser than grownups.
Damian (Alex Etel) and Anthony (Lewis McGibbon) make a quick trick cash stack.
