Heath Ledger

I have to say I am truly shocked at the news of Heath Ledger's death. I first saw him in The Patriot but it was Monter's Ball where I really took notice. It was a pretty small role but an integral part of the plot and I thought he was totally convincing in the role. Although I wasn't big fan of Lords of Dogtown or even Brokeback Mountain, it was clear Ledger was much more than a pretty face. He had a way of making a character his own by creating a distinct look, demeanor and voice for each one. In Lords of Dogtown I remember thinking his portrayal of Skip was kind of like watching Heath Ledger playing Val Kilmer but when my brother suggested I watch Dogtown and Z-Boys again I realized how close his performance was to the real Skip Engblom. I probably can't name more than five actors under thirty who I really look forward to seeing in a film but Ledger was one of them because even if the film was bad (and he did some awful ones) he always seemed to bring his all to the project.

I was always a bit disappointed in the Tim Burton Joker played by Jack Nicholson, partly because we've seen Nicholson play that same basic character several times but also because I didn't think it captured the essence of the Joker in the Batman comics. There were rumors before Nicholson was cast that Ray Liotta was being considered. Now Ray Liotta has the laugh of the Joker. Whenever I see him being interviewed and he laughs, it gives me the chills.

Even before the Dark Knight series, the Joker was supposed to be a homicidal maniac. He was the face of madness. He wasn't motivated primarily by power or money; he was crazy and took pleasure in causing pain and destruction for its own sake. There was a bootleg trailer floating around the internet awhile ago, which has now been released on the official website, that makes it look like Chris Nolan's The Dark Knight captures the true madness of the Joker. "Nothing in his pockets but knives and lint". I'm a big Christian Bale fan and having Ledger cast had me doubly sold. It looks like a great performance by Ledger and it's sad to think he won't be around to appreciate the accolades. The saddest part for me (besides the impact this will have on his young daughter) is the fact that I don't believe we have seen anything close to Ledger's best work. And I don't think he will be remember as the great actor he truly was.