Location: Pittsburgh
Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Written by Timothy J. Sexton and Bob Kane (characters)
Music by Clint Mansell
Produced by Bonnie Curtis
Main Cast
Billy Crudup as Batman/Bruce Wayne
Ralph Fiennes as Two-Face/Harvey Dent
Benicio Del Toro as Black Mask/Roman Sionis
Ian McKellen as Alfred Pennywood
William H. Macy as Commissioner Jim Gordon
Laurence Fishburne as Lucious Fox
David Strathairn as Sal Maroni
Luke Goss as Tattoo
Eva Green as Circe Sionis
Tagline: "Behind every scar is the answer to ones actions"
Synopsis: The sunset turned the smog that hung over Gotham city a fiery red, and from a plane it looked like the city was on fire. On this plane was a very brash, wealthy, and confident Bruce Wayne. Coming back from a trip, Wayne was scheduled to meet with District Attorney Harvey Dent. However, Harveys war on crime came to end when Dent was prosecuting crime boss Sal Maroni, and unexpectedly Maroni would toss sulphuric acid onto the left side of Dents face and left hand. Dent, a charming, clean cut man was now a disfigured savage, and had gone missing for days.
Meanwhile, Roman Sionis, owner of Janus Cosmetics, the company in which he inherited from his parents who died in a tragic, yet suspicious fire in the family mansion, was onto new things. With his newly earned fortune, Roman wanted to create the make-up of the century. Without proper testing, Roman rushed the product which turned into a revolting toxin which would disfigure his workers and himself. The company was as sure as dead until Roman gave all control to Bruce Wayne who brought in his own workers for the company. Circe, Romans adored wife, decided to leave him in front of his staff. Humiliated and broke, Roman believed all his work went for nothing, and would soon get his revenge on Gotham.
With two disfigured names of power missing, the Bat knew the streets were about to get dangerous. With his servant for 30 years, Alfred Pennywood, and reliable Commissioner Gordon, Batman was prepared for the worst, but it wasn't what he expected. Roman Sionis took on a different identity where he carved the tombstone of his deceased mother and made a mask of it, calling himself Black Mask. Mask had a great eye for crime, and had the biggest known gang on Gotham, the False Face Society. His fantasies of torture and pain would come to reality when he'd torture his victims, physical and psychological. With his sidekick Tattoo, Black Mask was front page material. He made his biggest impression after capturing CEO of Wayne Enterprises Lucious Fox, torturing him to a near death until a late save from the Bat.
A panting Black Mask found himself a dark alley way where the sound of a flipping coin echoed throughout. The quirky, psychotic Two-Face came from the shadows. He proposed to Mask that with his extensive knowledge of law enforcement and Masks street power they would be unstoppable. Meanwhile, Bruce is dealing with scars of his own. For a moment his thoughts flashed back to that fateful night. He hadn’t shed a tear for his parents in years, and with Two-Face and Black Mask on the verge of running Gotham, Bruce must stay strong and remember why he chose the life he has.
Two-Face now had control. He'd flip his coin to choose a good or evil deed, the good side indicated that Mask would let his victim go or to their doom. Their focus now was on Bruce Wayne. After returning from the office, Wayne noticed his butler not around. The duo awaited for Bruce to return as a gagged, tied up, and severely bruised Alfred laid between the evilness that was Two-Face and Black Mask. "Is it his turn to die?" Black Mask says, as the coin goes in the air. How can Batman overcome the odds? Is Bruce about to relive his scars with another close loss from a deadly fiend?
What the Press would say:
Batman is a persona that was created to inspire fear into the hearts of criminals. A creature of the night that hunts from the shadows, strikes without warning, and vanishes into the darkness like a nightmare. The character is never meant to be seen by the general public, he is merely meant to exist in their whispers, an urban myth that is talked about in hushed tones throughout Gotham City. Remember that? Jean-Pierre Jeunet does. The brilliant director of The City of Lost Children, Delicatessen, and Amelie brings you the latest of the Batman series, "Scars of Tomorrow", and how fitting. Scars of Tomorrow is well written, well-shot and combines amazing special effects, set design and acting to form a perfect final package, it's untouchable. Billy Crudup has redefined the character known as Batman. Without a doubt has the most charming smile of all of the rest, the perfect Bruce Wayne look and attitude, but when it comes to put on the suit, Crudup is convincing as the all-action hero. The thing that stands out from all the other Bat films are the villains, starting with Ralph Fiennes. To put it quite simply, Feinnes portrayal of Two-Face makes the Red Dragon look like Ghandi. It's terrific, and honestly frightening. His transition to the multiple personality, deranged man affected by the young child abuse and his hideous disfiguration is outstanding. Speaking of outstanding, Benicio is dead on once again as a great supporting actor. Perhaps the best supporting actor of the last few decades. Like Fiennes, Del Toro had to take on a distraught character, but when the camera is on him, the scene glows. The evil in his eyes are very evident. Both men had superior chemistry, both scarred and demented, and it's up to one man to stop them.
Typically the Oscars pass up on the "super hero" genre, but SOT is something not for the Academy to look over. It's unlike any hero movie we've ever seen, every scene with a deep and hard emotion attached to it, we get a feel for all the characters and what they're going through, good or evil. With a great cast, great director, and the piece of gold known as film itself is just yelling out to be noticed by the Academy. Perhaps not the one to take the young ones too, but for the much more mature Batman fans out there, a tribute to the old comics of the vigilante and the evil he must face.
FYC:
Best Picture - Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Timothy J. Sexton and Bonnie Curtis
Best Director - Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Best Actor - Billy Crudup
Best Supporting Actor - Ralph Fiennes
Best Supporting Actor - Benicio Del Toro
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Cinematography
Best Make-up
Best Sound
Best Editing
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