Stealing the Show

I saw The Dark Knight with my friend Cassandra last night. This was my first ever Batman movie-- or now that I think about it--any of the comic book inspired movies. They really aren't my thing. I went to see this one solely to see the much-hyped performance of Heath Ledger.

I was a really big fan of Heath Ledger, and I was so saddened by his untimely death earlier this year. Seeing this movie really made that feeling hit home, as it became all the more apparent what a huge talent we have lost.

All of the talk about an oscar nod for him didn't surprise me, but I had to wonder if a lot of it wasn't more about the loss than the performance. But let me tell you, this performance is deserving of every award it receives. Heath's Joker is terrifying, but also has you laughing-it catches you off guard-and you completely forget it is him in there. It is an absolutely stellar performance--outshining everyone else in the movie-- he actually makes the movie. The fact that you laugh in the midst of his sickness and killing is a nod to him also--isn't that truly what would embody a character called the Joker? I was blown away that I could be so taken in by a "comic book" character in a movie. What a loss-- I can only imagine what other work he had in store for us.

If you haven't seen it yet, go. It is worth it to see Heath's last work on screen-his final bow.