YOU WON'T BE ALONE

 Sara Klimoska     Anamaria Marinca     Alice Englert     Noomie Rapace

            This is a movie for hard-core horror fans and those who savor Terence Malick films.  It takes place in 19^th Century Macedonia, where witches were well known by the village populace as living for centuries and feeding on infants and animals to maintain their life-blood.  We meet the witch “Old Maid Maria” (sometimes called the “Wolf-Eateress” who was burned at the stake, but still roams around in a dessicated body) in the home of a mother of a newborn who is crying plaintively.  The mother recognizes the witch as one who has haunted her village for 200 years, panics, and begins bargaining with the witch not to take her child, named Nevena.  They finally hit upon a deal whereby the mother can keep the child for 16 years, at which time the witch will reclaim her.  The witch marks the baby by scratching out its tongue, thus rendering the child mute.

            The mother hides the child in a cave and sure enough after 16 years the witch reappears to claim the Nevena (Klimoska).  Now, of course, the witch is not much of a mother as she herself acknowledges, so she treats Nevena poorly.  Nevena tries to get back at her once by throwing a stone at her back, but then is severely punished by the witch’s almost drowning her.  Part of the beauty of this film is to see the natural curiosity that Nevena shows as she becomes aware that there is a world of humans “out there”, and she would like to learn as much about them as possible.

            The old witch has taught her how to shape-shift by means of “witching spit” in which she zaps the being she wants to enter and imbibes its organs, shoving them into her chest, and sucking on the wounds of the victim.  (I had to turn my head away at this part.)

After Nevena accidently kills a young peasant girl, she enters her body, and being curious, she wants to see what human life is like.  In the story she takes on various shapes:  the body of an abused wife, Boslka (Rapace, who also plays Navena #2), a male attacker, a village hunk who introduces her to the joy of sex, and others.  What she sees is that the world in her language is “a burning hurting thing…a burning breaking thing.”  

You Won’t be Alone is dramatically interesting, but the combination of a very dark screen and a complex script without much explanation means the viewer must work hard to understand the plot.  The very end provides some explanation, particularly about Old Maid Maria and how she came to be.

A dark and chilling tale about an old witch in 19^th Century Macedonia claiming a child when she becomes 16 and turning her into a shape-shifting witch.

 

Grade:  B                              By Donna R. Copeland

MORBIUS

 Jared Leto     Adria Arjona     Matt Smith

Jared Harris     Tyrese Gibson     Al Madrigal

            This production is interesting, which is likely an assessment below what the filmmakers were hoping for.  The CGI is good, especially in transforming the faces or Dr. Morbius and Milo, but at times when it becomes just a riot of color on the screen, it’s a bit much and dilutes any meaning filmmakers hope to convey. Jared Leto is at his usual level of excellence, always adapting to whatever character he is playing.  It was fun to see the British actor Sam Smith playing a good/bad guy, dropping his usual polite British demeanor.  Jared Harris is likewise at his usual best as the kind and humble physician.  Adria Arjona’s character as Martine spices up the screen with her good looks and noble character.

            The movie begins with Michael Morbius as a young boy meeting Lucien (whom he names ‘Milo’ right away) in the hospital for blood disorders.  They have rare diseases for which there is no known cure, which binds them together as life-long friends.  Michael becomes a Boy Wonder who already is showing a kind of promise that impresses his doctor (Harris), who arranges for him to be in a gifted and talented program in the U.S.  Fulfilling the doctor’s hope, Michael is brilliant and studious, quickly earning his doctorate at age 19.  Currently as a young adult, he is making a name for himself by creating artificial blood that can be used on the battlefield, but his hope is to create a cure for his disease.

            With the help of his colleague/fiancé Dr. Martine Bancroft (Arjona), Michael (Leto)  begins conducting research on animals, then moves on to human research.  Of course, he can’t resist trying it on himself, the consequences of which are like the boy in the childhood poem, “when he is good, he is very, very good; when he is bad he is horrid.”  The positive is that his body recovers so well, he becomes superhuman, able to fly and have phenomenal strength.  The bad part is that he requires human blood to sustain his improvement, making him vulnerable to destructiveness.  Since Michael is an ethical, thoughtful man, he must wrestle with himself when he has certain urges.  But things get complicated when Milo (Smith)—who has become his friend and benefactor and who doesn’t have the ethical grounding Michael has—thinks he is entitled to the serum.  

            Direction by Daniel Espinosa reflects his interest in mixing Marvel type of action with horror.  He successfully does it here, merging a basically honorable personality with one affected by blood thirst, and illustrating the contrast between someone like that and someone who is mostly in for a good time to compensate for the years he has lost because of his illness.  This kind of dilemma and soul-searching is uncommon for Marvel-based films but reminds me of the recent Warner Bros. produced The Batman, in which he questions himself and tries to listen to his conscience.

            Marvel fans may regard this production as the “same ol’, same ol’”, but I suggest looking at the deeper issue Espinosa is trying to put forth—that of a superpower in the hands of ethical vs. unethical characters.  I think the writers Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless achieved that goal, although it may not be obvious to many.

 

Dr. Morbius finds himself in an ethical dilemma when as a basically honorable man he develops a serum that cures blood diseases but creates superpowers as a side effect.

 

Grade:  B                              By Donna R. Copeland

TOPSIDE

Zhaila Farmer     Celine Held     Jared Abrahamson     Fatlip 

            Topside is what a five year-old girl named Little (Farmer) living in the tunnels beneath New York City is told is above her.  Her mother Nicki (Held) mysteriously disappears during the day and is with her at night and in the morning when she wakes up.  But Little is quite alone during the day except for a friendly man “next door.”  He doesn’t approve of her mother’s arrangements, but can’t seem to talk her out of it.  He chats with the girl from time to time and finds that she has a great imagination but is clearly missing out on normal school learning.

            When it becomes known that the city is clearing out the underground residents, Nicki attempts to solve her problems, but is clearly a child herself, without many resources.  She doesn’t even seem to know about (or perhaps trust) city services, and when she is separated from Little during a harrowing trip “topside”, she has no idea what to do, and becomes hysterical.

            This is a sad story where the viewer may be constantly, although silently, calling out with advice, as there are any number of avenues Nicki could pursue to get help.  Which makes me wonder about the filmmakers’ (writer/directors Logan George and Celine Held) intent in making the film.  Perhaps it’s to show the increasing importance of homeliness in cities and the limited resources available to those in such straits, sometimes because of mistrust of city services.  The filmmakers do a good job in showing part of why the mother is in the straits she’s in (even though still holding on to basic values) and the adaptability of children to adjust to all kinds of circumstances.  

            But it’s hard to watch, especially during the long separation of two human beings so close to one another, and the power of addiction on a user.

            Little (pun intended), played by Zhala Farmer, is precious and ever so appealing in the role of the child who has clearly benefitted from the love and playful attention bestowed upon her by her mother—who actually seems more like an older sister.  The child actor has already learned the power of an expressive face.  Held as the mother also plays her character as someone appealing who has lost her way and has no idea what to do to find a way out.  I especially enjoyed the performance of Fatlip, whose incredulity of the mother’s decisions was heartwarming.  Likewise—in a different way--Abrahamson’s performance of someone who only knows exploitation in relationships is right on target.

            This movie is likely to appeal only to those who are interested in and have an investment in social issues within our society.

 

Take a subway ride—one different from any you have ever imagined.

 

Grade:  C+                            By Donna R. Copeland

INFINITE STORM

 Naomi Watts     Billie Howle     Denis O’Hare

            You will get chilled and exhausted as you watch this 127 Hours (Danny Boyle) type of thriller about a rescue in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  Pam Bales (Watts) heads out for a day of hiking carefree.  Her friend notes that a storm is coming, and shouldn’t she stay home?  No, she treasures her time in the mountain wilderness for the healing she experiences after the heartbreaking losses in her life.  It’s a time when she can feel free.

            Pam notices when it starts thundering and snowing, but she keeps going undeterred until she realizes a blizzard is mounting, and she heads back down.  She has to pause from time to time, and experiences real terror when she falls into a deep hole.  Now and then she thinks she hears voices and even blows her whistle but gets no response. Then, she spots sneaker prints in the snow and soon comes upon a figure sitting on the edge of a mountain.  He is mostly unresponsive, so she says she will call him ‘John’ and assures him she is from Search and Rescue.  It’s clear from watching her that she knows what she is doing, and fortunately she had packed extra supplies in her backpack.  How the man is dressed is puzzling; he is wearing sneakers and casual clothes.

            Pam is able to rouse him and warm up his body; but there is something besides his clothing that is strange to behold.  He is very uncooperative, and on their descent when times get tough, he tells her, “I can’t do it!”  This is perhaps the most surprising aspect of the movie—someone who does not want to be rescued and consequently puts both him and his rescuer in danger.

            At times, the viewer will get disgusted when he behaves so childishly as a grown man.  Come to think of it, most children would put him to shame.  You wonder at her persistence in continually goading him when he clearly wants to sit and die.  He can’t inch his way on a log over a stream without falling in the water below.

            Naomi Watts is at her best in going about her business with determination.  (Kudos to her and the filmmakers for realistically showing the aging, stresses and strains in her face when she is normally seen as a beauty.)  We learn at the end of the film what is behind her determination, and where it might not have made sense before, it does now.  Watts is a treasured actor (King Kong, Mulholland Drive, 21 Grams, Birdmen) generally admired for her skills, and she shows “true grit” in this particular role where she must act as a therapist out in the brutal elements.  Billie Howle does a commendable job, albeit in an unadmirable role.

            Lorne Balfe’s music provides needed relief during the numerous tense moments of Infinite Storm, and Javier Aguirresarobe’s cinematography captures the brilliant snowy mountain landscape in a way that enhances the emotionality.  Polish female director, Malgorzata Szumowska (Never Gonna Snow Again), has won numerous awards in Europe, but is relatively new to the U.S. scene.  Screenwriter Joshua Rollins based the plot on the real-life experience of Pam Bales, a nurse whose story was recounted in a Reader’s Digestarticle by Ty Gagne.  

 

Dramatization of a heroic rescue in the White Mountains of New Hampshire by a mother/nurse/mountain guide.

 

Grade:  B+                            By Donna R. Copeland

X

 Mia Goth     Jenna Ortega     Brittany Snow     

Kid Cudi     Martin Henderson     Owen Campbell

            X is quite the horror show, but a lot like the usual porn movie too.  An ambitious Texan from Houston, Wayne (Henderson) has big dreams of becoming a major filmmaker.  He recruits a committed independent film cinematographer named RJ (Campbell) to shoot and direct a movie they’ll call “The Farmer’s Daughters.”  Wayne has in mind to revolutionize the porn industry and get everyone to be more comfortable with sex.   The two head out in a van with RJ’s girlfriend Lorraine (Ortega), Wayne’s fiancé Maxine (Goth), and two of Wayne’s porn stars, Bobby-Lynne (Snow) and Jackson (Cudi).  One gets the impression that his “business” (and he emphasizes that “it is a business”) is a brothel.

            As the plot thickens, it becomes clear that members of the group (except for RJ and Lorraine) have very liberal views about sex, and when Lorraine voices some religious concerns, the group tries to open her up to thinking a different way.  The trouble comes when Lorraine starts softening to the idea, which startles RJ. He’s not ready for that.  His sole aim is to make an indie film; not a porn flick.  What follows is what happens in slasher movies like Chainsaw Massacre when the farmer and his wife’s spying informs the two of them about what the group is up to.

            Although as I said, the film is very much like your usual porn fare (set-ups, script), it does have some interesting and thoughtful characteristics.  For instance, it’s good at foreshadowing; a woman staring out or into a window, an evangelist on television preaching about sexual morality, dead bloody cows in the road run over by traffic, and a close-up of a chicken as the group pulls up to the farm/ranch house (this brought up chuckles in the audience), where Wayne hopes to film his movie.  He wants to use a small house on the property as a set as well as a place for the group to stay.

            Beyond the foreshadowing, I’m not sure about the editing; in particular, the technique of starting a scene with one set of characters but concluding it with another set of characters. Is this artistry or simply a cheap magician trick?  It bothered me several times while watching this film.

            Another interesting observation I had—and I don’t know whether the filmmakers were conscious of it when they included it—was that the horror the audience seemed to experience at seeing an old woman’s desiccated body and her using it for seduction was as great or greater than all the blood and gore in the rest of the story.  I found this very amusing.

            Mia Goth is known for her roles in previous horror/sci-fi/adventure films, and she is good here as an ambitious “nobody”, aspiring to stardom.  She and Henderson pair together well as a couple.  As a sexy blonde, Brittany Snow provides much of the light and glamourous sides of the story.  Kid Cudi—a producer as well as an actor—serves as believable stud in the cast.  Jenna Ortega is able to pull off a naïve but smart character who is open to change, and Owen Campbell’s acting skills are shown in his championing indie films and his surprise and huffiness when his girlfriend, in his mind, betrays him.

            Writer/director Ti West has made a name for himself in the horror/thriller genre (The Innkeepers, The Sacrament) and uses any of the standard tropes here, e.g., a person going down into a dark cellar, near misses for a character almost getting destroyed, characters looking for someone in a mystical forest, and hovering figures that become ominous.  By mixing together horror and something akin to advocating for porn, West may be testing the limits of the genre, although it is not unique in that respect.  X might be considered an “erotic-horror film” a la James Hancock’s conceptualization in his article https://wrongreel.com/top-10-erotic-horror-films/ or perhaps “a horror movie…that is basically porn” (https://thecinemaholic.com/horror-movies-that-are-basically-porn/).  The title itself does suggest it will be racy.

 

Fans of horror movies are likely to find this movie appealing, although its advocacy for porn is rather bold and may be offensive to some.  

 

Grade:  C                              By Donna R. Copeland

COMPARTMENT NO. 6

Seidi Haarla     Yurty Borisov     Dinarva Drukarova

            Laura (Haarla) is an introverted young Finnish woman who has aspirations of being an anthropologist.  Currently, she is in Moscow to learn the Russian language and staying with generous Irena (Drukarova), a professor of literature at a university, where she feels a bit out of place with the intellectuals at a party.  Laura and Irina had planned to go to Murmansk in northern Russia together to look at its famous petroglyphs (prehistoric rock paintings), but at the last minute Irina is unable to go, so Laura heads out on her own. 

            The long trip is the substance of the story, which has her in the same compartment as Ljoha (Borisov), a hard-drinking boorish Russian whom she avoids as much as possible, even getting off the train at one point, considering aborting her journey.  But she gets back on before the train leaves, and she makes some effort to be civil to Ljoha, who is full of questions about her.  They strike what appears to be an amicable place where she seems to be letting him in.

            What will happen in their time together?  We will see, but, unfortunately, it won’t be very understandable.  The biggest fault in this movie is the lack of backstory for any of the characters to make their actions make sense.  Laura’s and Ljoha’s relationship is off and on, but the reasons for their shifts (first one, then the other) are unknown, partly because the script offers no explanation, but also because we don’t have any information about their backgrounds.  They’re all a little like the paper dolls that young girls used to play with; they might have a complete wardrobe, but the child must provide the drama.  

            None of the characters are admirable (or even likeable), and the train ride soon makes the viewer claustrophobic.  It looks like Laura never bathes (at one point on the train she tries to brush her teeth, but there is no water from the tap) or washes her hair.  She resists others, then goes along, often passively; we are given no idea of what she really cares about.  Irena, her apparent lover in Moscow, suddenly becomes distant on the phone the day after Laura leaves and apparently hasn’t followed through in making trip plans, which Laura thinks she had made.  Ljoha is especially vague and contradictory, seeming to have no sense of boundaries initially, yet in the end is impenetrable.  He appears to be a dimwit at first, but suddenly he seems to be able to make anything happen.

            This seems to me like a non-story devoid of characterization or much of a plot.  And if you think you might get a glimpse of the Murmansk Petroglyphs, sorry.

 

Imagine a long journey into the arctic north with a roommate from hell in your compartment and no way to turn around and go back to where you came from.

 

Grade:  D                              By Donna R. Copeland 

THE OUTFIT

Mark Rylance     Zoey Deutch     Dylan O’Brien     Johnny Flynn     Simon Russell Beale

            A lowly tailor plays a bait and switch game when he is involved in complicated situations with some of his customers, most of whom are criminals.  He can weave a convincing story on the spot, which saves his life numerous times and provides us with great entertainment.  Director Graham Moore (who wrote the script for The Imitation Game) and co-writer Johnathan McClain’s script is a wonder in itself with its constant situational changes suffused with threat and requiring immediate action—all while being intelligently calculated.  Background stories of all the main characters are dribbled out deliberately and explain why the person we see is who he/she is.  “Ah ha!” moments will occur throughout the viewing time for this movie, which is also part of its enjoyment.

            It seems as if the Leonard Burling character was written precisely for Mark Rylance.  As a soft-spoken British man outwardly unassuming ([tailoring] “isn’t art.  It’s a craft.”) he carries a big stick of craftmanship and wit that frequently take his listener off guard.  He knows how to charm and distract the most fearsome mobster into listening to his story as it is unfolding, and he knows how not to be seen slipping away for some contrivance that will be all-important later.  In addition to the plot, just observing him in action is fascinating.  Rylance is well known and respected internationally, most notably for his work in Bridge of Spies, Wolf Hall, and this past year in Don’t Look Up in which he plays a less than admirable character to great effect.

            It is curious that the tailor allows a drop-box at the back of his shop for his star client mobster Roy Boyle’s (Beale) gang to communicate with one another and plan operations.  Burling makes no eye contact with them as they pass through his work room, being completely engrossed in his tailoring. His receptionist Mable (Deutch) resembles her boss in her astuteness and pleasant overlay, but she too is interesting to observe as the story unfolds.  In the end, we will see how all this fits together and makes sense.

            Composer Alexandre Desplat’s music and Dick Pope’s cinematography capture and elaborate upon The Outfit’s mood and suspenseful uncertainty in a way that makes it all of a piece.  

 

It’s always a joy to see a smart, clever person with a good heart in action.

 

Grade:  A                                 By Donna R. Copeland

OFFSEASON

 Jocelin Donahue     Joe Swanberg     Richard Brake     Melora Walters     Jeremy Gardner

            This is a finely crafted horror production by writer/director Mickey Keating that thankfully avoids almost all of the “impossibles” commonly seen in the genre.  Music by Shayfer James and the sound effects (Shawn Duffy) are as much a part of the drama as the plot.  The music is interesting in that it is often dance music playing during some of the scary scenes—the opposite of what one would expect.  Other times, the background usic is clearly narrating what is happening in a scene.  A myriad of weird sounds are heard throughout, from a creaking iron gate to voices and screams, to clack clacking, to sirens.  Mac Fisken’s cinematography is appropriately dark and spooky.  The movie opens on a darkened beach scene with howling winds and turbulent seas, followed by an obviously traumatized older woman trying to work through nightmarish experiences.

         Chapter titles like “Lone Pine”, “Sandtrap”, “Life’s a Dream”, “The Damned”, and “Last Man Out” are pregnant with meaning and suggestive of what is to come.  

        Maria (Donahue) is traveling southward from New York where she lives to where her mother is buried.  She is with her boyfriend George (Swanberg) and is reading a letter from the cemetery caretaker, who informs her that her mother’s grave has been vandalized and she should come at once.  Much is made of the grave being on an island that shuts down in the offseason and the bridge connecting it to the mainland is raised (i.e., closed).  The couple doesn’t find this out until they are almost there, and they are mindful that it would be wise to get back across before they’re trapped on the island.

            High drama ensues when they encounter all kinds of problems, not the least of which are that they can’t find the caretaker and the town is filled with bizarre people who can’t/won’t give them any information. Except for one creepy guy who is overly friendly toward Maria and offers his help, but he is shut up by someone taking him away from her.  

            Jocelin Donahue has appeared in a number of independent films and commercial ads, as well as some mainstream productions.  She is talented and easily carries the picture in the lead role.  Jeremy Gardner and Richard Brake (Bridge Man) both make your toes curl as insidious characters, one trying to be helpful, and the other truly crazed.

       The ending is well done with a twist you may not have expected and is altogether satisfying.  I would think that most horror fans will be pleased to see this.

 

Dark, sinister events are encountered by a New York couple who have gone south to manage the vandalism of Maria’s mother’s grave.  A horror movie well done.

 

Grade:  B                              By Donna R. Copeland

DEAR MR. BRODY

 

Even among documentaries this film is likely to be one of the most unusual accounts of a human being.  Michael James Brody, Jr., was an heir to the Jelke “Good Luck” oleomargarine fortune.  Despite this, he started out rather unlucky in that his mother died when he was three years old, and his father was rather distant.  He was cared for by nursemaids in his early years.  Brody Sr. had set up a three-million-dollar trust fund for his children when Michael was small, so after his father died, Michael came into a small fortune when he was twenty-one.  

It turned out that Michael was a hippie at the time who felt compelled to honor the popular movement’s message of peace and love in the ‘70’s.  Pre-the digital age, he generously gives out his phone number and address after announcing that he is ready to give away his $25 million fortune to “everyone.”  He announces that it is not about money, but about love. 

Of course, this brings thousands of people writing to him and appearing at his door.  He is clearly impulsive, marrying a woman named Renee two weeks after meeting her and doing things like buying all the tickets on a plane to fly home from his honeymoon in Jamaica.  That part is a familiar story of heirs who have no conception of money management.

The reason for the documentary is to make the point that as interesting and novel as Brody’s story is, it’s the thousands of letters written to him that will be/should be of interest to us.  Writer-director Keith Maitland and his collaborators cleverly draw us into Brody’s story, then highlight the people writing to him asking for some of his offered generosity.  They even interview some of the letter writers to give life to their stories.

All this—the film—happens after producer Melissa Robyn Glassman, working for film director Edward Pressman, notices a dozen boxes in his storeroom labeled “Michael Brody.”  Curious, she begins to investigate further, finding literally over 30,000 unopened letters addressed to Brody and thus the film is a documentation of what she found and experienced.

It’s a story worth hearing, although maybe somewhat predictable.  I really enjoyed it but wished the filmmakers would have identifed the speakers.  It was only after the film ended that I pieced together that Melissa Glassman—the primary storyteller—is employed by a filmmaker named Edward Pressman who has stored twelve boxes of letters sent to Brody with his own aspirations of making a film.  Figures will appear throughout the film whom we have no way of knowing until later, after their names have appeared.

That being said, I will say that the primary point of the film is to tell the stories of so many of our fellowmen and fellowwomen who are going through horrific times (The film is of people in the ‘70’s, but I’m sure it’s even worse now.), with most of us—including our leaders—ignoring their plight.

 

A strange wake-up call about a wealthy heir who will draw our attention to others in desperate circumstances needing our understanding and help.

 

Grade:  B                                By Donna R. Copeland

THE BATMAN

 Robert Pattinson     Zoe Kravitz     Paul Dano     Colin Farrell

Peter Sarsgaard     Andy Serkis     Jeffrey Wright

            An eerie story with continually changing perspectives within a complex plot.  It’s especially remarkable that the musical theme throughout this action film is “Ave Maria” (part of the humor, I think).  Thankfully, in a three-hour film there is plenty of action to make the time go by quickly, especially since there are many, many characters to sort out and puzzles delivered by the Riddler to decipher.  Another entertaining aspect of the plot are numerous plays on words, such as “thumb drive” and one of the riddles being, “What does a liar do when he’s dead?...He lies still.”

            Robert Pattinson as this Batman in his second year of fighting crime convincingly portrays the mysterious, stoic figure he is known to be, even when sorely tried by The Riddler (who is targeting Gotham City residents) and fetchingly tempted by the exotic Selina Kyle (Kravitz), who is almost as fierce a fighter as Batman.  Colin Farrell is unrecognizable as a thug called The Penguin, and these fine actors are joined by Jeffrey Wright (a detective on the police force), Paul Dano (a crazed orphan grown up), Peter Sarsgaard (as a corrupt city official), Andy Serkis (in the purely dramatic role as Alfred Pennyworth), and John Turturro (in his rare portrayal of a bad guy).  

            Likewise, the crafts are well represented by Greig Fraser’s cinematography, Michael Giancchino’s music, and their colleagues in production design, sound (ah!, the effect of Batman’s ominous footsteps), costume and makeup, and special and visual effects.  Fraser has many scenes so dark it takes some work to figure out what is going on, and with some, being seen only through windows.  But stand-outs are the impressively composed shots that could stand alone as artistic productions. 

            I can say that the usual car chase that seems to be a must in this genre is present here as well, in just as much ridiculous, impossible feats as in all the others.  Two cars racing down a crowded turnpike while going against traffic and everyone in those two cars surviving goes way beyond the pale for me.

            All of these attributes (except for the car chase) are testament to Matt Reeves’ direction and co-authorship with Peter Craig.  (Bob Kane and Bill Finger are the original creators.)  Clearly these filmmakers and their associates collaborated well as a team in creating a work of art that allows us a sense of peeking in on an unfolding drama among real people that is relatable to most of our lives today.  I especially appreciated something not usually seen in this type of film—the realistic portrayal of deep emotions and conflicts (including Batman’s self doubts—which I think make the characters seem like real people to us.  Batman’s history with his family of origin and his having to sort out truth from fiction is an example of this asset.

 

The Batman is a combination of mystery, logical deduction, family drama, and spectacle that is likely to be entertaining to most people.

 

Grade:  A                              By Donna R. Copeland