Obviously Heath Ledger was the standout performer, but the casting for the Dark Knight (and Batman Begins) was genius. Maggie Gyllenhaal is more believable than Katie Holmes (big surprise, eh?), and even Nestor Carbonell as the mayor was a good choice. Gary Oldman's true accent comes out when he raises his voice and gets angry, and some of the editing was choppy, but the performances were all believable. Who'd have thought Aaron Eckhart would make a good Harvey Dent? Great movie, especially given that it's a Batman action thriller - and yes, that's meant to insult any Batman previous to Batman Begins!