The Dark Knight has everything: fabulous performances, gorgeous visuals, well-paced plot movement, even for a film that is over two and a half hours long.  And, while the story is great, it’s also ultimately unimportant.  The film is a character study and the real plot points are not about who did what or how it happened, but about order versus anarchy and pragmatism versus chaos.  It’s Good against Evil, with Batman in the middle trying to usher Gotham from the darkness to the light.

The performances range from good to spectacular.  Christian Bale is back as Batman.  His performance is very good, but it’s not distinct from his performance in the first film.  He was very good then and he plays the same role in just about the same way this time.  Similarly, Gary Oldman is back as Jim Gordon and he does a great job, again, just like the first film.  Maggie Gyllenhaal and Aaron Eckhart give capable, well-acted performances as Rachel Dawes and Harvey Dent, respectively.  Gyllenhaal is cast in the same role that Katie Holmes played in Batman Begins, but she quickly makes you forget that fact.  Eckhart is stuck in the role of a wide-eyed do-gooder.  He does fine with it, but the role was probably miscast.  The sardonic wit that made Eckhart so compelling in Thank You for Smoking has no place in this role as a heroic District Attorney.  He does well enough as the white knight (for a while, anyway) in this film, but the role just does not play to his strengths.

Heath Ledger is, without any doubt, the star of this film.  His performance as the Joker is creepy, scary, and absolutely insane.  This is not Jack Nicholson’s Joker who had equal parts homicidal and clownish tendencies.  This joker does not have a squirting flower full of acid or a silly gun with a six-foot barrel.  Ledger’s Joker is a demented soul who lives outside the law.  He hates both the police and the gangsters because they are all part of a society he rejects.  This Joker is a court jester, exposing absurdity and hypocrisy.  But, more than anything else, Ledger’s Joker is just nuts.  Just pure crazy.  And it’s a spectacular performance.

The situation gets a little more complicated when you start to think about the context of Ledger’s performance.  It is strange and unsettling to see Ledger play such a reprehensible character.  Before the film starts, you expect to have a somewhat sympathetic reaction to his character, but the Joker is just too crazy… too homicidal… for any sympathy at all.  But you eventually realize that that’s how it should be.  It’s a great compliment to Ledger that his Joker is so well acted that you see the Joker and not Heath Ledger on the screen.  Ultimately, it should be about the performance and not the performer and the Joker is simply the best character I have seen in a film this year.  Ledger should at least get an Oscar nomination for this role and I would be pretty surprised if he does not get a posthumous Oscar.

The film is not entirely without flaws.  There are some moments when Christopher Nolan gives in to the allure of a too-elaborate explosion and there are sections that might have been better off on the cutting room floor.  152 minutes was too long for a film that does not even claim to be an epic.  Also… don’t expect anything happy.  At all.  There are two or three moments when you chuckle and one good laugh.  The rest is very, very dark.

Overall, the problems were small and the performances were spectacular.  It’s a wonderful film and you should see it sooner than later.

Juice’s Grade: A

We have a big week planned for Culturegeist: a couple of new running features, a Movie Madness for Hellboy II, and lots of links to interesting, fun, and funny goodness.  Yes, you heard me right… actual content this week!  With words!  But first, here’s some links to start the week off right and avoid that case of the Mondays:

• USADA caught of a couple of track and field athletes doping… at the Paralympics.  Luckily, I am slow of wit and unable to get myself in trouble making fun of this story. [International Herald Tribune]
• The New Yorker has an interesting piece on how Chicago influenced Obama.  Unfortunately, the editors thought it would be a great idea to put a cartoon of the Obamas as machine gun toting, flag burning Muslims on the cover of the issue… so there’s that too. [New Yoker article here, the cover here via the NYT Politics Blog, and The Carpetbagger Report on the campagins' reactions here]
• Good news, bad news in D.C.  Another gunman in Adam’s Morgan this weekend: bad news.  Witnesses ran him down and the police caught him: good news, such as it is. [NBC4]
• Apparently product placement is bothering the FCC so much that it is considering regulating the practice.  One idea includes disclaimers… which, by my count, will draw attention to the product placement and only make it more effective.  Right? [Gawker]
• Advice for Elton Brand from Allen Iverson and Charles Barkley, a couple of players who know what it’s like to deal with Philly fans. [The 700 Level]

I just recently watched Manhattan and it reminded me of one of my favorite YouTube mashups.  And you know how I love to share:

Hello folks…

The AMT and I are scrambling to do some actual work… really… I know, it’s hard to believe… before the July 4th holiday and a busy weekend.

But because we are born entertainers, or something like that, we can’t just leave our loyal readers (all twelve of you) without entertainment. So, I present to you two spectacular videos. One only a few seconds, the other a few minutes. One funny on purpose, the other maybe not. It ain’t much, but it’ll have to be enough until after the weekend.

Have some beer, watch some fireworks, and get all ‘merican this weekend. We sure will be.

So, this story from OhNoTheyDidn’t came our way this morning from AL. Reactions to the idea that Shia LaBeouf might be dating Ginny Weasley from the Harry Potter movies were… as you might imagine… hilarious. The conversation after the jump immediately followed the news:

The AMT: So, my reaction when AL sent me the Shia Lebeuff thing was (and i’m quoting directly from the email)
The AMT: “GINNY WEASLEY AND MUTT WILLIAMS ARE GOING TO MAKE BADASS LITTLE WIZARD ARCHAEOLOGIST BABIES!!!”
Juice: hahaha
The AMT: just wanted to share that
Juice: you should share it with the world in Lost In the Tubes this afternoon
Juice: and by “world,” I mean “our 10 dedicated readers”
The AMT: also: because she’s 17, i don’t think this now, but once she turns 18, Bonnie Wright is going to be fiiiiiiiine
Juice: of course… at the moment, she is but an unassuming child
The AMT: of course.
Juice: and not at all fiiiiiiiiiiiiine
The AMT: no
The AMT: now she’s an adorable little redheaded british child
The AMT: who will soon be a hot little british redhead
Juice: soon
The AMT: soon
The AMT: yes. not yet.
Juice: Feb. 17, 1991, my friend
Juice: that person was born in the 90’s
The AMT: you stop that
The AMT: you stop that right now
Juice: in fairness, it is a vintage about which I am unaware
Juice: it might be a good year
The AMT: ha.
Juice: I suppose we’d be pedophiles if we just posted this whole conversation
Juice: like a liveblog of pedophilia
The AMT: …yeah…
The AMT: actually, i don’t know that it would be that bad
The AMT: still…potentially pretty bad
Juice: well, i don’t think we’ve broken any laws… and i’m already single, so, you know, no one’s walking out on me
The AMT: haha
The AMT: she’s the one who sent me the link
Juice: she sent you the link…
The AMT: and she knows i like british chicks….and redheads….and short chicks… i mean, if she didn’t realize it, she should have
Juice: she wasn’t expecting a “no, yes” on the pictures
The AMT: i don’t think she Spins, so probably not
Juice: Culturegeist! Popular with sports owners, movie producers, pedophiles and now… the FBI!
The AMT: ( est. 2008 )

Please, tell us how terrible we are in the comments. We can’t wait to hear it all.

We have a link to a very good review of Wanted in The Internet Is Your Playground this morning, but there are a few notable things about the film that are not discussed in the review (or that are only discussed briefly.)

Wanted does a spectacular job of presenting a set of rules for the film and sticking to those rules. The rules themselves are absurd, but that’s fine, as long as it’s consistent. There is nothing that drives me up the wall faster than a film that does not understand its own rules. I am willing to suspend my disbelief in any way that a filmmaker asks, as long as he is consistent in his storytelling. Talking animals? Alien robots that turn into cars and planes? Time travel? Sold, sold, and sold… as long as the rules do not change in the middle of the film. Examples after the jump!

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: a film that never explained the role of the crystal skull in protecting the people who had it. At times, it seemed like the people with the skull were nearly invincible (remember the ants?), but the skull did not always provide protection. It was a fair-weather crystal skull and unimpressive by my count.

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End: a film (and really a trilogy) that does a horrendous job of setting out the ground rules for who can do what. Jack Sparrow is crafty, full of personality, and funny… but does he have some sort of powers? And, if he does not, if he is just a regular guy, can he really paraglide from one ship to another in the middle of a whirlpool with a piece of a torn sail? Really? If they just told me this guy could fly, I would have believed it… but to tell me that he does not have powers but he can paraglide in the middle of a natural disaster? Absurd.

Wanted avoids this trap despite every opportunity to fall into it. The film establishes that these assassins have super-human powers at the very beginning, explains the basics of the source of the power, and does not deviate from the characters powers and limitations. Every absurd thing that happens in the film still feels like something that could happen if people with these powers actually existed, with the possible exception of the train derailment scene. That probably should have been enough to kill everyone involved, powers or otherwise.

Second, I’m not sure how the otherwise excellent UGO review missed this, but this film was The Matrix. The plot was nearly identical. Luckily, Wanted has two things working for it: the film is not particularly plot driven anyway and, if you are going to imitate a film, the first installment of The Matrix trilogy was a pretty damn good film.

The other similarity to The Matrix was in the fabulous effects and violence. Wanted has a chance to be what The Matrix has been for the last ten years and what John Woo films were before that: the type of film that everyone else is trying to emulate. And, frankly, I couldn’t be happier about it.

Third, and this deserves its own post, so I will only briefly mention it here, but Wanted did a wonderful job of being R-rated. My second biggest problem with films in the last decade or so (after the refusal to follow their own rules, see above) is the insistence upon avoiding an R-rating for an R-rated topic. No one will ever convince me that Walk the Line was anything but a terrible film. Why? Because it was a PG-13 interpretation of Johnny Cash’s very, very R-rated (if not NC-17) life. More on this another time. I could write about it for days.

Finally, references to Morgan Freeman saying, “Shoot that motherfucker!” will be the new “I have had it with these motherfucking snakes on this motherfucking plane!” People will refer to it all the time and, although the language itself is generic, everyone will know the reference. We’ve become accustomed to Morgan Freeman as God, as Miss Daisy’s driver, and, amazingly, it even seems natural enough for Morgan Freeman to be the head of a secret society of assassins… but Morgan Freeman as the guy who says, “Shoot that motherfucker!” is a moment of pure, wonderful insanity.

Wanted freestyled when called upon. It was an excellent film.

Juice’s Grade: A-

Wasn’t that fun?  Another busy weekend for me and AL.  Not only did we manage everything on the Weekending, we also managed to get royally sunburned (or at least I did).  At any rate, this weekend saw…

• the D.C. and L.A. premieres of a truly wonderful documentary about the 2006 Homeless World Cup, Kicking It.  Seriously, if you live in the District, get down to E Street and watch, even if you don’t like soccer.  Or Homeless People.
• the OuterNational Music Tour’s stop at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in scenic Columbia, Md.  And rain.  Lots of rain.  Right in the middle of TV on the Radio’s set.  Good times, nonetheless.  I’ve never really listened to Thievery Corporation or Ladytron, but they weren’t bad – definitely better suited to a club setting than the big, open, outdoor vista.  Though I think that there was plenty of chemical indulgence going on regardless of the venue.
• and the highlight of the weekend, D.C. United’s utter dismantling of David and the Beckhams.  4-1.  The Black-and-Red head into their “international break” with an even .500 record at 7-7-1, and sit 8 points shy of the top of the table, even after their completely abysmal start to the campaign.  They have one league match scheduled for the month of July, and it’s a makeup game against Houston that was deluged out originally.  United will be occupying their time playing in the SuperLiga, a cash cow joint venture between MLS and the Mexican Premiera Division.

Look forward to this week after the jump.

This week looks to be a little slower (at least for me), but there’s still plenty going on.  For instance, a Harry and the Potters show at the Black Cat tonight (no kiddin’ – look for AL and me to be there), and a little holiday on Friday that will (combined with inebriation) prevent us from posting during the long weekend.

Movies coming out this week:  Hancock, in which Will Smith plays a lazy superhero – you may have seen the banners on every building in every city in the country; Gonzo:  The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, like Fear and Loathing, but truer; and finally, Wackness, about a kid growing up in 1994 New York City, will either be incredibly good or incredibly bad (nowhere in between).

• A review of the Dave Matthews Band show I attended at Nissan Pavilion on Saturday. The review is pretty fair, but I might have some thoughts of my own to share later in the day. [InRich]
• How the hell do you get a stress fracture in your sternum?!? Everyone is saying the right things at the moment, but this could be bad for Team USA, considering the limited number of bigs on the roster. But, really, more than that… how do you get a stress fracture in your sternum?? [ESPN]
• The South will rise again! And by “rise,” I mean “vote for Obama?” Being from the Deep South, I am pretty cynical about any plan he has to win states down there, but Virginia, North Carolina, and even Georgia might really be in play. [NYT via Wonkette]
• I love stories about Amy Winehouse. She is absolutely my favorite walking train wreck right now. So… did you see her take a swing at a fan? Really. While you watch, take note of how bad the performance is. It’s really beyond words. [TMZ and TMZ Video]
• Saturday was the second birthday of Kissing Suzy Kolber. One day, we hope Culturegeist sees a second birthday, but right now we’re still hoping for a one month anniversary. [KSK]
• Here’s a really solid review of Wanted. Take a look at it, because we’re posting a long piece on the film in an hour or two. [UGO]
• Have you seen the trailer for Pineapple Express? I don’t want to sound too ridiculous, but when I watched this, I thought it had a chance to be Lebowski-esque. [IMDB]

Finally, just because I’m in a good mood, here’s one of the great Family Guy adaptations. It should totally help you avoid a case of the Mondays.

I meant to work on this more, but I promised you a Weekending, so here it is…

• Movies!  Documentary about the Homeless World Cup that you may have heard something about somewhere, plus the cutest little robot since R2D2.  Kicking It, exclusive to E Street Cinema and WALL-E, playing most everywhere.
• Concert of the weekend:  Thievery Corporation, Ladytron, TV on the Radio, and more!  The OuternationalMusic Tour; Saturday, 5:30 doors, Merriweather Post Pavilion.
• This guy David Beckham is in town for some kind of a game where they don’t use their hands.  There may be tickets still available even, though 32,000+ have been sold.  D.C. United vs. Los Angeles Galaxy; Sunday, Noon, RFK Stadium (ABC).

There you go, kids.  Now get out there and enjoy the summer weather before the rains come!

Just a reminder that Kicking It, the documentary about the Homeless World Cup debuts in LA and DC today.  Tickets are already selling out (I couldn’t even get into the 7:10 show tonight…)  DC kids get your tickets right here.  Earlier post on the movie here.

Coincidentally, WALL-E also comes out today.  May as well make it a double-feature, right?

Look for a proper Weekending post sometime this afternoon.