The Dark Night

The other night Dan and I finally get a moment to ourselves. And as we are deciding on a movie, I uncharacteristically feel like going to "The Dark Night." Let me tell 'ya . . . it was goooooo-ooooooood! It had every element of a good movie. Action with realistic special effects. Great actors - plenty of them. Non-mushy romance. Intricate storyline without needing a map. Great hero - with imperfections. Disturbing villian - on the fence whether you pity him or hate him. Pain. Humor. Unpredictability - to an extent. Predictability - to an extent. Undertone of moral lessons. It's all there.

There are few movies I would put in the truly fabulous category. The ones on my list are those that make me feel the same emotions I felt while watching - just by thinking about it. I have had to remind myself at night before bed (for a few nights in a row now) that I don't need nightmares. That I don't have to think about the joker's disturbing face and voice. By just thinking about the movie - it brings back the intense feelings I had when I watched it. He's just so dark. I usually don't like dark - but for some reason this was a train wreck I couldn't look away from . . . and still see in my head!

Other movies that do that to me . . . 

Dead Poet's Society - gets me every time I even think about it - when Todd gets up on his desk and says, "Oh Captain, my Captain" -the emotions overflow

Swing Kids - (another Christian Bale movie - total coincidence, I think! Oh and Robert Sean Leonard's in this as well as Dead Poet's) When Peter gets up in the truck . . . and his brother's screaming for him . . . 

Empire of the Sun - (another Christian Bale movie - again, coincidence) You just feel every emotion the kid goes through - and when he's finally at the end - looking for his parents . . . gosh - you know what defeat mixed with relief mixed with disbelief feels like!

Sense & Sensibility - I can just feel Eleanor's reaction to Edward's return. It makes me laugh and cry all at the same time.

Emma - it brings back humor, pomp, agony, relief, adoration - all of it, every time.

Princess Bride - I could laugh through just reciting this thing . . .