Movie genius
Showmax is maxing out the action with megamovies from directing master Christopher Nolan.
Moviemaker Christopher Nolan is a master at his craft. He takes actors who’re seemingly out of place and gives them the tools and space to develop a character and tell a story that enthrals and captivates, draws in and entertains – and he keeps you on the edge of your seat all along the way thanks to his knack for non-linear storytelling. There are a handful of brilliant Chris Nolan films that you can stream on Showmax right now…
BATMAN BEGINS (2005)
Batman movies have never followed this character’s creation and evolution, which is exactly what Chris envisioned when he cast Christian Bale in the lead role as troubled Bruce Wayne. It’s a tale of a young man fuelled by revenge, but there’s more as young Bruce goes from spoilt-brat orphan to crime-fighting caped crusader and saviour of Gotham.
Having fled his city in search of his true self, Bruce falls in with the League Of Shadows, vigilantes who hide their truth from him while training him in their centuries-old ways. When Bruce is ready, he returns to Gotham to reunite with his trusty butler Alfred
Pennyworth (Michael Caine), his childhood best friendturned-city lawyer Rachel
Dawes (Katie Holmes), future police commissioner Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and Wayne Enterprises genius Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) as he transforms into Batman.
First up for Batman is to save Gotham from criminal genius Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy) and the teacher from the League Of Shadows Ra’s Al Ghul (Liam Neeson). There’s action, there’s gadgets, there’s plot and screenplay that tell a masterful story. As a Batman movie, it sets the tone for not only the trilogy but all future Batmans, regardless of the incarnation. • Chris refused to have a second film unit, he oversaw every single scene during the 129-day filming schedule.
THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)
The second movie in the trilogy is arguably the most famous because it not only pits Batman against his arch nemesis The Joker, it’s also the most iconic Joker portrayal thanks to the late
Heath Ledger. Instead of a comical buffoon running around with cheap clown tricks, Heath’s version of the Clown Prince Of Darkness is vicious, calculating, brutal and psychopathic. He revels in carnage, thrives on disorder and craves pushing Batman’s limits.
The Joker make-up was created by Heath himself and Christopher calls it a privilege to let the actor create Batman’s adversary: “We watched him develop the wardrobe and make-up, and I got to be a part of that creative process, which was great fun, but on set, there were always moments like that clapping scene or things he would do with his voice. You never knew what that guy was going to do, and that’s what was terrifying about him.”
It’s not just The Joker that Batman must deal with – Gotham District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) goes from upstanding politician to crazed villain Two Face when his girlfriend Rachel (now played by Maggie Gyllenhaal) is killed by The Joker in a mindgame with Batman. The twist comes at the end, when Batman is forced to accept his changing position in Gotham and the true sacrifice he is forced to make.
• Michael Caine had lines for when The Joker gatecrashes the dinner party but he was so terrified by Heath’s Joker that he forgot his dialogue.
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2012)
The final movie is set eight years down the line and Batman has disappeared as Gotham no longer needs him. But a vicious new enemy arrives – the masked man known as Bane (Tom Hardy), a ruthless and physically powerful criminal who was exiled from the League Of Shadows because he was too extreme. It’s not just Bane who lures Bruce Wayne out of hiding in his cowl, but also the woman driving Bane’s attack on Gotham – Talia Al Ghul (Marion Cotillard), the daughter of Ra’s Al Ghul, who now wants revenge. • Tom agreed to play Bane without reading a script because he’s been a Batman fan since he was four.