Do you like Christian Bale?
He’s been a recognizable face ever since the seminal 1992 musical "Newsies." But when "Batman Begins" came out in 2003, that’s when he really came into his own as both an action hero and an actor.
“The Dark Knight” is the most moving Hollywood blockbuster of all-time. Great, great film. It was such a pulse-pounding thrill ride that I almost missed its deep, intellectual rumination about chaos and order, authenticity versus artifice, identity and a lack of selfhood. It’s a sequel that deepens and enhances the thematic significance of the first film. And it is beautifully stated in Bale's performance.
Bale has a way of reinventing himself that is almost Bowie-esque. The man dropped 75 pounds for The Machinst before putting the weight back on for Batman. His ability to switch from genre to genre is unparalleled.
Yes, he infamously screamed at a crew member on the set of "Terminator: Salvation." But only did so because the D.P. lacked the consummate professionalism expected of high art.
Although financed by a studio, The Fighter" had a faux-independent quality about it. So Bale was being more artistic, yet in a more commercial way. For that role, Bale was rewarded with the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. And I stress the word "actor" instead of "supporting."
Apart from the Dark Knight trilogy, he is probably best known for "American Psycho," a film so stylized and quotable that most people don’t actually understand the message. But they should, because it’s more than just a look at a bipolar, self-loathing yet narcissistic 1980’s. It’s also about the dangers of an unhealthy obsession with pop culture.
He’s been a recognizable face ever since the seminal 1992 musical "Newsies." But when "Batman Begins" came out in 2003, that’s when he really came into his own as both an action hero and an actor.
“The Dark Knight” is the most moving Hollywood blockbuster of all-time. Great, great film. It was such a pulse-pounding thrill ride that I almost missed its deep, intellectual rumination about chaos and order, authenticity versus artifice, identity and a lack of selfhood. It’s a sequel that deepens and enhances the thematic significance of the first film. And it is beautifully stated in Bale's performance.
Bale has a way of reinventing himself that is almost Bowie-esque. The man dropped 75 pounds for The Machinst before putting the weight back on for Batman. His ability to switch from genre to genre is unparalleled.
Yes, he infamously screamed at a crew member on the set of "Terminator: Salvation." But only did so because the D.P. lacked the consummate professionalism expected of high art.
Although financed by a studio, The Fighter" had a faux-independent quality about it. So Bale was being more artistic, yet in a more commercial way. For that role, Bale was rewarded with the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. And I stress the word "actor" instead of "supporting."
Apart from the Dark Knight trilogy, he is probably best known for "American Psycho," a film so stylized and quotable that most people don’t actually understand the message. But they should, because it’s more than just a look at a bipolar, self-loathing yet narcissistic 1980’s. It’s also about the dangers of an unhealthy obsession with pop culture.
HEY PAUL!
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