guest post: alfred, best assistant a (bat)man could ask for

I am one of the seven people in America who didn’t go to see “The Dark Knight” this weekend. Luckily, the always-reliable John Brooks went to a midnight screening and reports back about Alfred (Michael Caine), the loyal assistant who helps Bruce Wayne and his alter ego, Batman.

Early estimates (source: my head) put box office receipts for The Dark Knight’s opening day somewhere in the 400 bajillion dollar range. That’s good news for the fake world’s most beloved fictional PA: Alfred Pennyworth. Since I found myself with nothing else to do at 12:01 AM on Thursday night/Friday morning, I casually decided, purely on a whim, to see this largely overlooked little movie from the guy who made Memento.

Part surrogate father, part loyal servant to the great, bi-polar, largely insane avenger for justice, Bruce Wayne (known by night by his stage name “Batman”), Alfred finally gets the praise, screen time, and the chance to utter all the best aw-shucks words of comfort to Mr. Childhood Trauma he so richly deserves.

It doesn’t hurt that he’s embodied by none other than the considerable presence that is the great Michael Caine, but we thank writer/director Christopher Nolan for making it clear that, without his PA, Bruce Wayne would pretty much just be a rich guy who would never have any handy moral anecdotes by which to measure his self-imposed good v evil struggle, would never have time to get to the crime scene in time to save the day, and even if he did, sure as heck wouldn’t get to come home to tea, cookies, and a clean manor/penthouse apartment.

Batman might be Gotham City’s number one hero, but as underappreciated assistants, we’ll take Alfred as ours.