So many reviews of the new Batman movie keep pinging their surprise that Anne Hathaway can act by mentioning she’s pretty. Because Christian Bale and Tom Hardy are fucking eyesores. Oh, wait, no, they’re just guys so their ability to act isn’t hurt by “being so gosh durn purdy.” It’s a wee bit sickening. So I wrote up a few reviews that go the other way.

Blade Runner
While watching Blade Runner this evening I was truly hit by the strong, engaging performances of Sean Young and newcomer Daryl Hannah. They worked tightly in the movie’s atmosphere and drove the plot along, each f them showing us surprising depth of character for what could have been a simple SF movie. Harrison Ford’s chiseled jaw and shining eyes brought a sparkle to the proceedings as well, and he managed to also nail his role much better than might have been thought from movie stills. Rutger Hauer’s haunting presence also brought life to the set, with his broad shoulders and easy smirk.

Batman Begins
Katie Holmes’ determined D.A. Rachel Dawes sets a lot of emotional moves in place in this new, darker, Batman flick. Reflecting and encompassing the role of Batman, while still being a “normal” character in this world, Holmes crafts a role that rides the line between super-hero and normal person being a hero in their daily choices. Christian Bales eyes shown under the Bat-mask, which, let’s be honest, covered too much of his face for much of the film. Luckily, the work-out scenes were shirt free. Also, he managed to be a fine Batman, despite being so in shape we wonder when he had time to act.

Fun fact that should make you wince – It’s real hard to think of films with female roles and male roles you can play this game with without totally cheating, and while I can think of more – two should do to show what I’m saying.

Next time you want to ask me why I write a lot of female leads in my stories? You know why. We all know why. And we should all be sad it’s noticeable at all that it happens.