Dir: Mark Steven Johnson. Starring: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Colin Farrell, Michael Clarke Duncan.
Despite the latest trend in putting superheroes on the big screen, Daredevil seems a bizarre choice. Never popular in the Marvel canon, Daredevil was a relentlessly depressing read. Rife with catholic imagery and guilt, the titular hero’s costume was more a cruel joke than a release for the sensitive soul underneath. Seriously, this guy made Batman seem happy-go-lucky.
So how does Mark Steven Johnson, best known for writing Grumpy Old Men handle this unprofitable character? The answer is not too badly. Indeed, and this is definitely not high praise, but I think Daredevil is probably the best superhero movie since Tim Burton’s Batmans.
But who is Daredevil? During the day, he’s Matt Murdoch, a blind lawyer with a penchant for social justice. At night, he’s a vengeful red suited nightmare; stalking criminals and imposing the death sentence with a rigour that makes Texans seem liberal. But this can’t go on, especially not when the Kingpin of crime is moving into Hell’s Kitchen, and a foxy heiress named Elektra is making eyes at Matt. So the scene is set for a rumble, and Daredevil basically delivers, though in the kind of frustrating way we’ve come to expect from comic book movies.
The problem, I think, lies in the heroes themselves. Characters with such tremendously strong motivations practically write themselves for the screen. Their internal raging makes great cinema, but it begets lazy screenwriters. Daredevil has plenty of turmoil, but plot, characterisation, and metaphor seem to have been taken hostage.
In some respects, Johnson – and there are a lot of similarities with spider man here – needs to turn away from his hero once in a while. Who cares how brave Daredevil is, when no one in the city is worth saving? Good, fun actors like Michael Clarke Duncan, Joe Pantoliano and Jon Favreau slip in and out with glorified cameos. Who are these people? What kind of emotional make-up do they have? We never know, and unfortunately the same applies to the pathetic romance between Matt and Elektra. I’ve seen more erotic tension on the Golden Girls.
Nonetheless, Daredevil works in a lot of areas where I didn’t think Spiderman did. The action, to be fair, is exciting, Colin Farrell’s performance as the cheerfully sociopathic Bullseye is inspired, and the film at least tries to grapple with psychological issues, even if it doesn’t succeed.
We’re getting closer, but when will directors realise that these films can be intelligent? They can be demanding, intellectual, and well-painted interior landscapes. Because, after all, superheroes are just like us, but everything’s stronger. Make it stronger.
I give Daredevil a B+, I think most people will be entertained.
Patrick Garson.
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