The Dark Knight Rises

Despite my love for all comic books, and their onscreen adaptations, the Holy Grail, for my generation at least, is the Batman series by Christopher Nolan. I was too young to have caught the Tim Burton's seminal Batman Returns, and the following adaptations, well, sucked. (Sorry, Clooney.)

My opinion, for what it's worth is that Christopher Nolan's Batman has changed the way comic book movies are made. Their impact will be felt for decades to come, and I feel nothing but pity for the person who has to eventually 'reboot' the series at the behest of a money-hungry studio. (Given that Spiderman is being 'rebooted' a mere 4 years after Spiderman-3 as The Amazing Spiderman, we may not have to wait that long for some idiot to try) The Dark Knight is THE Batman movie, no question. 

That long prologue was a lead up to my thoughts on the trailer of the next and supposedly final instalment of the trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, which was released yesterday. If rumours and conjecture are to be believed, then this movie is said to be loosely based on Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. Lending credence to this theory are the bits of the trailer that suggest that this movie is set several years after The Dark Knight (a cursory internet search tells me that Nolan has said 8 years later) and Commissioner Gordon is about to retire. In the graphic novel, Batman has vanished (and presumably gone into retirement). I believe it's likely that this is true in the movie as well, that after the events at the end of The Dark Knight, a despondent Batman hung up his cape and cowl. Hence the title of the third movie. (or is the correct term threequel?)

The trailer, while not as mind-blowing as the first looks of the previous movie, have me excited all over again. I'm never as happy as when I'm looking forward to a summer blockbuster, especially when that blockbuster happens to involve a certain caped crusader. The appearance of Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle and Marion Cotillard as Talia Al Ghul (although the latter appears very briefly in the new trailer) should be enough to keep all the fanboys excited. Other high points include Michael Caine's emotional entreaty to Bruce at the beginning, the already impressive action sequences, and the reference to Commissioner Gordon as a 'war hero in peace time'.

While The Joker is the most vital of all of Batman's enemies, Heath Ledger's definitive performance and his subsequent death mean that this particular role will not be revived, at least in Nolan's Batworld.And this is the aspect that concerns me the most. The footage of Bane, played by Tom Hardy, that I have seen so far, has not managed to convince me otherwise. Whether it is unintelligible mumblings in the 6-minute prologue (that I, admittedly, saw online, even though it was meant for the IMAX) or his appearance in the trailer, so far, I'm not entirely sure how Bane will stack up against other cinematic Batman villains, most importantly, The Joker played by Ledger. 

So here's the thing, I'm super excited, but my excitement is tempered with doubt. Therefore, to get myself through the next 5-6 months, I am going to trust the genius of Christopher Nolan and his team, who have, for the most part, been on point through the course of this series.

Oh, and I CAN'T WAIT!

Number 11

59.

The Wall

I feel that I have not spoken about my love of cricket adequately on this platform. It has been lost amongst the myriad depressing posts about all the great (insert eye-roll) sorrows in life. However, i feel it is important for you, my reader, to know that I unreservedly love the game, and I have since I was a teenager. 

Perhaps another time, I will discuss why I love this game, and exactly how I love it. Today, I want to bring attention to one of the great champions of the game, Rahul Dravid, who also happens to be my all time favourite cricketer. Normally, most people reserve that special spot for Sachin Tendulkar, and rightfully so. Tendulkar's genius is the kind that is seen once in a century, perhaps just once ever. However Dravid is the consummate cricketer in my opinion. He is thoughtful, classy, seasoned, and above all, he is a gentleman. On the field and off, he has shown his complete dedication to the team. All of these great qualities were on display in Australia on 14th December 2011, when he delivered the Don Bradman Oration. 

If you have time and are so inclined, please do go through the full text of the speech here. What struck me most, and what I would like to emphasize here is his belief that the core values of the game need to be retained going forward, and that it was vital that Test cricket not relegated to the sidelines in the coming years. While I enjoy the spectacle of the T-20 format, and actually actively love the ODI form of the game, my heart belongs to Test cricket, as I suspect the exemplary Rahul Dravid's does. It is the purest form of the game, where strategy is as important as technique. The long form of the game, Dravid claims, is the 'gold standard'. I agree.

Ripped Open

I did something today. I blurted out something deeply private in a public forum, where I was surrounded by people I see, more or less, very regularly. I did it out of anger, while responding to someone's truly insufferable comments. Still, that seems like a poor excuse. Truthfully, I'm not a deeply private person, at all. At all. Many people know a lot of things about me that most would consider private. However, this felt a bit different. As soon as I opened my mouth, I regretted it deeply. I could see momentary shock, and then pity, and then discomfort in the eyes of those around me. The shock and discomfort, I'm okay with; those I have dealt with my whole life. It's the pity I can't stand. It's the pity that kills me, destroys me, finishes me. 

No point regretting a momentary lapse in judgement, I suppose. It's just that I feel deeply vulnerable now, like my flesh has been ripped open.