Well, I think we have Wall-E covered pretty extensively. And I am sure that we will be seeing my #4 movie pick come up in your top 3 sooner rather than later, and I beat you to it once again. Again, Wall-E is a transcendent animated film, one that has universal appeal, and it is money in the bank for Best Animated Feature at the upcoming Academy Awards. We will find out in the morning if it has enough love to crash the presumed locked in 5 for Best Picture (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Dark Knight, Frost/Nixon, Milk and Slumdog Millionaire).
Enough foreplay, on to the biggest blockbuster since Titanic.
The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight. THE comic book movie to end all comic book movies. Nearly $1 billion in worldwide gross revenue. The movie event of not only the summer, but all of 2008. But we know all that already. We have story after story about The Dark Knight, and frankly, I overdosed on it. We have all seen it, and we all recognize the genius in every aspect of the film, from Christopher Nolan’s expert direction, the wonderful cinematography by Wally Pfister, the score by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard, to the no need to mention it anymore iconic performance by the late great Heath Ledger. The only thing that I take offense to in the critical reception of the film is the seemingly forgotten performance by Aaron Eckhart in the tragic role of Harvey Dent/Two Face. Good thing I get to use this as my soap box to fight for him.
I really really believe in Harvey Dent
For all intents and purposes, the main story of The Dark Knight is the rise and fall of Harvey Dent. Even the title of the film indirectly references what Harvey Dent represented to the city of Gotham, as he was supposed to be their White Knight. For everything that Batman could do for the city in secrecy and in the cover of night, Harvey Dent could do in the light of day without hiding underneath a mask. Batman realizes this, and if there is one thing that he would want, it would be to be able to put his alter ego behind him, live his life as Bruce Wayne, and support Harvey Dent to the end of his days. One even gets the impression that Bruce Wayne wishes he was Harvey Dent. The first half of the film we are brought along through his biggest legal victories, and how he has cleaned up Gotham City to the best of his ability. This however leads to the coming out of The Joker, and we see the frustration of fighting a losing fight, the breaking of a good man’s spirit with the loss of his love, the subsequent birth of Two Face, and his final shameful acts.
Cue Daddy Yankee's Gasolina
Aaron Eckhart, lost amongst all the (well deserved) acclaim for Heath Ledger, merits recognition for what he brought to The Dark Knight. In his portrayal of Harvey Dent, Eckhart is the pulse of the film. As Two Face, he creates an absolutely terrifying villain that had too short of a shelf life in Nolan’s Bat-universe. Allowing us to come along for every rise and fall of his emotonal rollercoaster during the course of the film is a true triumph of acting, and Eckhart’s performance should elevate him to the upper echelon of Hollywood. When you rewatch The Dark Knight over and over for the rest of eternity, amidst all the wonderful pieces of the film, remember Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent, Gotham’s White Knight.
The Feature Preachers 