Review: Batman's limelight tussle

By Lizo Mzimba
Entertainment correspondent, BBC News

First things first. There has been a lot of talk about whether the late Heath Ledger's turn as the Joker in The Dark Knight deserves an Oscar.

Heath Ledger as the Joker in The Dark Knight
Ledger's exuberant performance is of the kind loved by the Academy

Well, there is an outstanding performance in the film, but it actually comes not from Ledger, but from Christian Bale.

That is not to say Ledger is not impressive. He is.

But his is a one-note performance - a pretty good note, it must be said - but one note nonetheless.

Bale's Bruce Wayne/Batman has layers of subtlety to it, and his portrayal of the superhero is so grounded in reality that you almost take it for granted, especially if you are being distracted by the sinister pyrotechnics of his nemesis.

That said, Ledger will still probably win, and Bale will not even be nominated.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7519246.stm