The Batman

 2022, d. Matt Reeves - in theatre

As I write this I am watching The Batman, again.  It's just dropped on Crave.  I put it on as background, and already I find it familiar and comforting, having only just watched it for the first time three days ago in theatre.

While it's maybe not the best Batman movie (it is seriously overlong, at three hours, it seems more like a three-part mini-series and feeling that weight especially in the third hour), but quickly it's become my favourite, as this hews the closest to how I like my Batman outside of The Animated Series.  I was sold from the opening moments, the big bold red fond, the sweepingly operatic Ave Maria kicking in before the visuals, the POV shot through a mask (complete with heavy breathing) that just lingers, uncomfortably, for too long.  And it only continued to prove itself more and more worthy with each passing scene.

Narration, so often a tricky element to sell on film, is sold perfectly here.  Pattinson operating somewhere between a whisper and a rasp (certainly not Bale's gravel-gargle), puts us inside the character's head, letting us know that he can't be everywhere at once, and that he has to choose which crimes are worth his attention.  Graffitti, or a petty stick-up are one thing, a gang of clown-faced hooligans targeting an innocent is completely another.

All this reminds me of the great late-80's through '90's run on Batman, Detective Comics and Batman: Shadow of the Bat by Alan Grant and Norm Breyfogle. The duo worked together on the character for a long time, and while there's not a single storyline that sticks out as their defining work, pretty much every issue (until they started getting embroiled in massive line-wide arcs) could stand on their own a note perfect Batman.  Reeves, to me, seems clearly inspired by those, even if the talking point has been more the Loeb-Sale The Long Halloween.  Visually, this film feels like 90% Breyfogle gothic Gotham come to life even if the specifics in character design maybe don't hew as closely (the Batman costume owes much to the Victorian-set Elseworlds Batman in Gotham By Gaslight from Mike Mignola).

Beginning its story in Batman's year 2, it doesn't need to do any setup.  The players, by and large, are familiar at this point, so all we need is the shorthand we get.  Everything feels so established in this world, especially the Batman, even his existence it's still an uneasy reality within Gotham. The film abandons the traditional duality narrative that live-action Batman films tread in almost exclusively. This frees it up to do more with its story and characters. It never really lets the sullen rich white kid off the hook for his privilege, and really exposes the character as one with some serious issues. He's not really doing what he could for his city, given his position, but I love watching what he does instead.

I think everyone is universally great. Pattinson and Wright and Kravitz and Ferrell and Dano and Turturro are all quite superb, each possibly the best yet in their respective roles. If Serkis comes up short as Alfred its only because of the lack of focus on Bruce Wayne, so the role isn't quite so meaty, and the relationship not quite as defined. It almost could stand to have less Bruce Wayne and Alfred, frankly, just leave them on the periphery.

What this Batman really delivers is that despite the determination, skill, intelligence and resources that make him a vigilante, he's still just a man, and so much is out of his control.

Visually Reeves' film is striking, with expert use of night and shadows throughout. This is not a film that will play well watching on a phone in the daytime. While there is some great action and fighting, Reeves seems exclusively focused on storytelling. There's no time to wax romantic about costumes or gadgets or vehicles...there are no glamour shots, no leering, as such the film is largely propulsive through its three hours.

Michael Giacchino's score is great as well with an ominous, pounding refrain that seems like an evolution of Buton, Walker and Zimmer, but finds its own unique voice that matches, if not exceeds what came before.

It's not a funny movie, but I was giggling in delight throughout. And that rewatch, in the background, well, I think I'm going to keep watching. It just feels like Batman to me. Not a Batman, but The Batman.