MATT REEVES’S NEW MOVIE ‘THE BATMAN’ STARRING ROBERT PATTINSON IS BY FAR ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED MOVIES OF 2022. AND WHY SHOULDN’T IT BE?
Since the time it was revealed that Robert Pattinson was cast to play the character of Bruce Wayne, there was vast speculation about how well he will be able to portray one of the most important and loved superheroes of the DC Universe. Fans were torn, with one half being optimistic and the other doubting Pattinson’s acting skills. The majority of this negative speculation came from his earlier career choices, including portraying Edward Cullen in the Twilight franchise. A lesser-known fact is that between the Twilight era and now, Pattinson has utilised his talent to play some of the most complex and unconventional characters, for which he received commendations from various movie critics. Some of the notable roles were Rev. Preston in The Devil All The Time, and he wowed me with his brilliant performance as Ephraim Winslow in The Lighthouse. Two movies that deserve a space in your to-watch list!
The reboot of the new Batman ventures into the syndicates of the fictional Gotham City. It’s been two years since Bruce put on the cowl and twenty years since the murder of his parents. The city had yet to find out what to think of a mysterious caped man. His symbol, however, managed to place fear in the hearts of its criminals. They feared that a man in a mask was out for vengeance. But so did the ordinary people of Gotham. Who was this caped crusader? As far as they knew, he had no rules, no boundaries, and no limitations. They were yet to discover whether Batman was truly on their side. Meanwhile, violence just seemed to increase in the metropolis.
A LESSER-KNOWN FACT IS THAT BETWEEN THE TWILIGHT ERA AND NOW, PATTINSON HAS UTILISED HIS TALENT TO PLAY SOME OF THE MOST COMPLEX AND UNCONVENTIONAL CHARACTERS, FOR WHICH HE RECEIVED COMMENDATIONS FROM VARIOUS MOVIE CRITICS.
What is so refreshing about the movie from the rest is that we get to see a new story of Batman with some very compelling twists. Bruce Wayne (played by Robert Pattinson) is confused about whether his presence as a vigilante seeking vengeance is helping the city or giving the offenders a chance to run away from another figure of justice. Amidst this confusion and the path of self-discovery, he is intertwined in a case with Lt. James Gordon. A sadistic killer is on the loose who is leaving behind trails of cryptic clues after each kill. And each time, he leaves behind a message addressing Batman as well. Determined to solve the case and find the killer, Bruce is engulfed in digging out the corruption that has long plagued the city when he accidentally stumbles on his own secrets from the past.
Amidst this, we are introduced to a prominent character like the Penguin, and if you have already seen the trailer, you would know without any major spoiler given that the batmobile chase is something to anticipate. The red and black gothic cinematography with Michael Giacchino’s background score surely gave me goosebumps.
Reeve’s version of Batman is dark. He is cold and lost, and Pattinson shined through to portray a lost soul in a myriad of people. Selina, played by Zoë Kravitz, compliments this Batman. Despite having a scattered life, unlike Bruce, she is not lost within.
Matt Reeves has taken inspiration from several comic storylines, mixed and matched them to create the perfect tapestry, and brought the iconic characters like Oswald Cobblepot (Penguin), and Cue Seline Kyle (Catwoman), and Carmine Falcon to life. And although the main plot may seem to revolve around the quest to uncover the identity of the riddler, the end of the movie foreshadows a thought-provoking message to a society riddled with corruption and abuse of power. The lines between right and wrong are blurred.
With a 2-hour 56 minutes runtime, this Batman movie can seem to stretch a little too long. But we found the brilliance in Reeve’s direction with the time he took to build up the story. The pace is slow, but we feel that it was intentionally done. The movie was less about the action sequence or the main antagonist, the riddler to our surprise. It was more about Wayne’s internal conflicts and him trying to figure out what his presence really meant to him, Albert, and the city of Gotham. As a fan of Batman, we have longed to see his character play out in his earlier years. We have been curious about how a rich orphaned loner transitioned his way to become a symbol of hope for a doomed city. Reeve delivered that in black and red aesthetics. And as the beginning of a new franchise, we feel this movie had all the elements needed to create that build-up for the next one.