THE DARK KNIGHT

Batman returns to the big screen in a tremendous way in The Dark Knight. In a summer with a large number of quality superhero movies -- Iron Man, Hellboy 2, The Incredible Hulk -- The Dark Knight stands out with all-around quality, from the edge-of-your-seat action to an impressive script backed by equally impressive acting.

At the start of this movie, things are going well for Gotham City. Batman (played by Christian Bale) is both popular with the people and has the mob on the ropes by attacking their money sources. Lieutenant James Gordon (Gary Oldman) is officially denying involvement with the Batman while shining the Batsignal and working with him. And the city's "white knight" is Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), the district attorney who's fearless in taking on the mob. Dent is such a popular, courageous, and overall good warrior that Batman is considering retiring his superhero ways and finally being with Rachel (Maggie Gyllenhaal, taking over from the role from Katie Holmes in Batman Begins) -- even though Rachel is happily dating Dent. Meanwhile, Batman still gets moral support from Alfred (Michael Caine) and hardware support from Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman).

Absolute chaos hits Gotham City with the Joker (Heath Ledger), a scarred psychopath in makeup. From the heist on a mob-owned bank to destroying buildings and killing people, the Joker is a perfect portrait of madness and homidice. While there were fears that the sensation surrounding the actor's death would create hype that his performance could not meet, Ledger creates the perfect Joker.

His performance is one of many great ones in The Dark Knight. It's somewhat ironic that while Batman is the protagonist and star of the movie, Christian Bale has some of the least challenges as an actor here; it's not that his performance is weak, but he speaks gruff as Batman and doesn't offer much tension as Bruce Wayne considers hanging up the cape and cowl. As I mentioned earlier, Eckhart is amazing as Harvey Dent, the unmasked face of justice for Gotham City. He isn't flawless, and his intense focus hints at his ultimate fate. Gary Oldman shines again as James Gordon, an honest cop thrilled to be working with men like Dent and Batman -- and struggling to keep things together as the Joker's madness and destruction wears away the hope of Gotham City. Caine and Freeman are fine in their supporting roles, and Gyllenhaal provides Rachel with some backbone as she both fights the good fight and reminds Bruce Wayne not to pin his hopes for a normal life on her.

Did I mention how exciting The Dark Knight was? The movie opens with an intense bank robbery and keeps on delivering. There are amazing fist-fights, nail-biting vehicle chases (including a game of chicken between the Batcycle and a huge truck), and much more. Unlike Batman Begins where most battles were a series of dizzyng quick camera cuts, The Dark Knight shows the Batman as a skilled warrior.

My only complaint with the movie is its length -- over two and a half hours -- and reducing some of the time spent on the romantic triangle could have cut this down a little. That's a very small complaint from an amazing movie. The script is smart, the action and acting is truly impressive, and this could be the best movie of the summer -- as well as an example of everything a summer blockbuster can and should be. The Dark Knight is not just a great "comic book movie" but an epic adventure by any standard.

Overall Grade: A+

Reviewed by James Lynch

SECRETARY

The term "romantic comedy" feels very inadequate to describe the movie Secretary, even though this is a very funny movie with plenty of comedy. It's a typical "girl meets boy" story, with several atypical twists.

Lee Holloway (Maggie Gyllenhaal) has problems. Her nervous habit of cutting herself led to her being institutionalized, and when released she lives and home and deals with her sister's picture-perfect marriage and her father's drinking. She has a pretty average boyfriend in Peter (Jeremy Davies) but she wants more. So Lee goes to secretarial school, which leads to a most original job.

From the moment Lee applies to a lawyer's ad for a secretary, it's clear several things are amiss: The office is in shambles and the secretary in there leaves in tears. Then Lee meets Mr. Grey (James Spader), a blend of intensity, quirkiness, and shyness. He explains that the position is simple -- typing and answering phones -- and, after a few somewhat personal questions, Lee is hired.

However, Mr. Grey is not an ordinary man, or an ordinary boss. His demands soon have Lee getting close to overwhelmed, and soon he takes a more... hands-on approach to disciplining Lee for typos or other errors. In the real world, this would lead to a massive lawsuit. In Secretary, this taps into something in Lee that she can't resist. But Mr. Lee also feels self-loathing and disgust in the very acts that Lee finds captivating, so soon she's pursuing him in this unusual office relationship: When he says "Look, we can't do this 24 hours a day, seven days a week" she answers back simply, "Why not?"

Movies often treat sexually unusual material either for cheap laughs, exploitation, or condemnation. Secretary rises above numerous such opportunities, instead making the office s&m relationship into an integral part of the lives of these two people. There's plenty of humor here, but never at the expense of the main characters. And while there is both sexual activity and substantial nudity, neither are ever gratituous or salacious.

Gyllenhaal and Spader are the keys to making this movie work. As a damaged person discovering herself, Gyllenhaal demonstrates vulnerability, quirkiness, and finally self-strength and determination. Spader's Mr. Gray is a mass of neuroses, needing to be in charge but also unsure of how to deal with his impulses. These two are superior to just about all the other leads in the seemingly endless string of mainstream romantic comedies.

If you haven't guessed by now, Secretary is not for the easily offended. If that's not you, I very highly recommend this very funny, very smart, very exciting (I have to use the phrase after all) romantic comedy.

Overall grade: A

Reviewed by James Lynch