I Recommend...

4/4 Stars: I don't know how to write movie reviews. I always have too much to say and I can't find a common thread to tie it all together. I can tell you that "The Dark Knight" needs to be watched, thought about, then talked about for a long time. This is true because of what it says, but more so for what it almost says, but is not allowed to. Dissent in this country is at its all time highest and the new Batman installment reflects this in content and tone. There has been a lot of hype around the film mostly because of Heath Ledger's turn as the Joker. Ledger's performace is nothing short of incredible, and the character written for the actor is one of the most radical and complicated to come out of mainstream-American cinema in recent memory; and the best villian/anti-hero I have ever seen on the big screen. Even though he is not given a cause to fight for, as writers probably feared this would make his nothing-to-lose approach to terrorism admirable, I'm still surprised this character made it past the indoctrinated censors that preside over Hollywood. Pay attention to everything he is allowed to say, and think about everything he is not. "The Dark Knight" is not only emblematic of the way mainstream American art voices dissent, but its invisible ideological limits as well.

This is not a review section, because again, I don't really know how to speak the languag, but once in awhile I will give films a star rating with a rationale if I feel like it. With that said, I also recommend "Be Kind, Rewind," Michel Gondry's imaginative ode to independent film, and in a clever trick in the end, silent films as well. I watched "Be Kind" alone in my basement in a less-than-average mood for watching a movie. When it was over, I was much happier in general after having laughed out-loud several times. Jack Black and Mos Def have great chemistry, and everything about the film is modest and sincere. 3 1/2 Stars. I loved both of these movies.