Dark Knight (Batman)

I went and saw the Dark Knight on Saturday (yes, I was just a small part of the $155 million record breaking weekend). The newest Batman installment begins soon after Batman Begins, ties up some loose ends, and quickly introduces the absolute pinnacle of acting: Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker. Not to take anything away from Jack's performance, but Heath turns in a disturbingly real image of an intelligent, compulsive man with goals undeterred by monetary greed or any influence. The challenge drives him, but still you get the sense that the layers of this character are too complex to ever fully understand. And, that's the beauty of Ledger's work to me.

Heath Ledger layered the Joker into a complex web from the inside out, not the other way around. I believe that many actors would find strength and character from the costume, yet Ledger conformed his outward appearance to his internal conflicts. Building upon his drive and mental state, his makeup reflected a masked character cracking at the edges and yet still never quite revealing what lay tumultously underneath, seathing and boiling over into sudden design of movement. But what amazed me the most watching this masterpiece unfold wasn't the incessant lip licking, the laugh, the way he touched his scars, or how he played with knives. It was the character in his eyes that captured me. Seeing thoughts spill onto thoughts, the intelligence, the pure calculation covered up with mystery. That made Heath Ledger's performance truly great. He built a character from the ground up and ensured that it was true all the way to the core. There was never a crack - never any doubt that Heath was The Joker. He completely owned the screen every single second in which he had screen time. What an amazing legacy from an actor who I've come to appreciate more and more only to now have his future gone in the unexpected blink of an eye.

Go see this movie. Enjoy "Batman" as it is, but also enjoy this amazing acting performance rarely seen in today's bloated Hollywood.

BTW, my Coke Icee was four bucks.