The Anne Hathaway Effect

Anne Hathaway is a work in progress.

Not that she isn't "there" already, but her ascent is so magnificent and wholesome, she has quickly become the new All-American Girl Next Door/America's Sweetheart. 

Heavy on watching her step, career wise, she has proven her A-List status after her tete-a-tete with the grand dame of acting, Meryl Streep and now, finally being cast in Christopher Nolan's bleak vision of DC Comics' Dark Knight and joining his eclectic troop of dependables such as Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Christian Bale and Tom Hardy (all were directed by Nolan in 'Inception' and 'The Dark Knight Rises').

Anne Hathaway has become the latest incarnation of Catwoman, joining Julie Newmar, Lee Merriwether, Eartha Kitt, Michelle Pfieffer and Halle Berry as another diva to don the curve hugging catsuit. And after The Dark Knight Rises, yes, Anne Hathaway is a diva.

What Hathaway's portrayal gives viewers is a more well rounded character, even though she's rough around some edges.

Saving most of this for my forthcoming review, one scene in particular lets the audience know exactly how cunning and fierce this deadly beauty is. Upon being double crossed by a businessman, she unleashes hell upon the thugs in a blur of flying kicks and acrobatic pounces, living up to the character's name, Catwoman.

As the police cars screech to a halt and officers storm the shootout, Hathway's character, crouches down and gives what can only be called, White Woman in Distress, feigning hysterics and screaming for her life. And like 99.9% of all men, the officers help the poor victimized con artist out of harms way, assisting in one of her many escapes.

It was brilliant and is now known as The Anne Hathaway.