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March 29, 2024, 01:36:34 PM

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Can Christian Bale actually act?

Started by mothman, December 17, 2018, 07:11:28 PM

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mothman

I've just seen the trailer for his new Dick Cheney biopic, Vice.

https://youtu.be/g09a9laLh0k

Now, the makeup is amazing. He's unrecognisable as the this-century Cheney. Until he opens his mouth. Then, the way he talks, his facial expressions, especially in the scene with Dubya - it's blatantly Bale doing his default American accent and acting like he does in, well, everything else.

I've often wondered whether he's trying to style his career trajectory on De Niro. You've got the excessive means to portray a role (Machinist), the buried under makeup roles (this, American Hustle). But it all falls down very quickly -especially when De Niro himself appears in the latter film (a casting I wasn't aware of) and, even though his star has dimmed in recent years thanks to crap like the Fokkers films and Dirty Grandpa, still acts him off the screen. But then Bale always felt like the weak link in the film anyway.

As for Batman, well, really, is there anything to his role beyond growling all his dialogue? I never felt like there was much about his depiction that brought out the character's torment and damage... And his legendary Terminator rant just feels like the emperor's new clothes, him to to appear to be all method and bury himself in the part. Perhaps he, like Hoffman before him, needs an Olivier to ask him, why doesn't he just try acting?

Shit Good Nose


neveragain

Well, I liked him most as Patrick Bateman (haven't been arsed by many of his other films) and while there's a lot of criticism of him being wooden but it suiting the shallow superficial nature of the character I don't buy that. His performance was note-perfect and it can't just be a happy accident.

Lord Mandrake

He's good in The Big Short but I just love that movie.

Mister Six

#4
I've long suspected people mistake him alternately eating lots of pies and eating no pies at all for stellar acting, but I can't be arsed to rewatch any of his films to decide.

I'll tell you this, though: he's fucking shit as Batman. An absolute charisma void, even putting aside the daft voice. Especially painful when he's up against such overwhelmingly magnetic casts in Neeson, Wilkinson, Ledger, Oldman, Freeman, Hardy, Gylenhall, Gordon-Levitt and Cotillard.

chveik


Replies From View

I can't remember for sure but didn't he do the Bat-growl all the way through Terminator Salvation?

No, he can't act.

Sin Agog

I'm waiting for his career to completely bottom out so he can make a movie in which he merges his two most famous roles: Patrick Batman.  He plays a vigilante on the hunt for himself.

Replies From View

Quote from: Sin Agog on December 17, 2018, 08:20:06 PM
I'm waiting for his career to completely bottom out so he can make a movie in which he merges his two most famous roles: Patrick Batman.  He plays a vigilante on the hunt for himself.

Patrick Batman should be shortened to Pac-Man.

"Turns out he was hunting ghosts this whole time..."

rasta-spouse


He seems to be doing good acting in Herzog's Rescue Dawn, and his off-beat vibe is really noticeable in The Big Short.

But I don't know, don't most big name guys like Clooney or Pitt essentially just play themselves, and still get commended for their performances?

Sin Agog

That's probably because they have better selves than Christian Bale.

Kelvin

Gnerally, no, but he has been great in a small number of roles, most notably, the brilliant American Psycho. Scary, manic, depressive, deranged, and very, very funny.

The scene below is particularly great, in that it's both quite unsettling and yet interspersed with very morbid lines that are funny precisely because of how he delivers them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OARf8dNLBc

It's not easy, or simple luck, that he was that entertaining. He should probably do more black comedy. 

garnish

I reckon he can, he just does the same accent everytime he's an American.

Amy Adams is the same I think.

Twit 2

Quote from: Kelvin on December 17, 2018, 09:46:49 PMScary, manic, depressive, deranged surprisingly down to earth and very, very funny.

FTFY

QuoteThe scene below is particularly great, in that it's both quite unsettling and yet interspersed with very morbid lines that are funny precisely because of how he delivers them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OARf8dNLBc

It's not easy, or simple luck, that he was that entertaining. He should probably do more black comedy.

I also really like the delivery near the end of the film when his voice cracks on the payphone saying he won't be coming in to work today. It's funny because phoning in sick is a situation we've all been in, but the context makes it quite absurd. There's no question he's great in that film.

Like a lot of actors/creative artists he did good work early on when he was hungry for it and needed to prove himself, then got lazy, with the occasional performance where a maverick director (eg Herzog) forces them to act properly again.

Replies From View

He should play more roles that require him to look smug.

greenman

Bale always struck me as modelling himself on someone like Oldman more than De Niro with the transformations. When not playing some extreme character I'd agree he can end up rather dull although the only time I'v thought he was actively bad was in Terminator Salvation.

Lisa Jesusandmarychain

Quote from: garnish on December 17, 2018, 10:38:39 PM
I reckon he can, he just does the same accent everytime he's an American.

Amy Adams is the same I think.

She *is* an American though, so I'm inclined to let her off on that front (She's fit as fuck, as well, so that helps ).


Obel

It's hard to consider Bale's acting style when he's sitting opposite Sam Rockwell. Rockwell is brilliant. Even though I see now it's clearly him I was sitting there ready to believe they got a Bush impressionist, thinking "fuck me is that Sam Rockwell!?"

Shit Good Nose

Quote from: Obel on December 18, 2018, 10:36:05 AM
thinking "fuck me is that Sam Rockwell!?"

I thought EXACTLY the same.


Is Adam McKay reinventing himself as a "proper"/serious writer and director?  Going from doing nothing but (rolls eyes) Will Ferrell "comedies", to The Big Short and now this.

Or is it more likely that this sort of stuff is what he's really wanted to do and just used low-brow comedy as a stepping stone?

bgmnts

Quote from: Obel on December 18, 2018, 10:36:05 AM
It's hard to consider Bale's acting style when he's sitting opposite Sam Rockwell. Rockwell is brilliant.

Basically this.

The most talented actor to not be A list?

Shit Good Nose

Quote from: bgmnts on December 18, 2018, 01:25:40 PM
The most talented actor to not be A list?

I suspect he's considered by the industry to be more of a character actor rather than mainstream A-list lead material.

Having said that, I think I'm right in saying he tends to choose most of the films he appears in, and it's not often he does mainstream gak, so he's probably a large part of the reason he isn't A-list.

Mister Six

While we're singing Rockwell's praises, here's a blind item from (IIRC) last year's Oscars about Rockwell and TV actress Leslie Bibb helping out a stranger who had some bad luck...

QuoteA kindness item here. I was exiting the Beverly Hilton/Waldorf Astoria area after another of the after parties and this actor (A list mostly movie actor who is a shoo in for an Oscar nomination) and I were walking outside. His lady, who is a dear sweet friend of mine whom I've known forever, was stuck inside talking to some friends. I asked him where he was heading, and he pointed over to the little park fountain square across the street.

He said one of his management team told him that a girl was having a bad night. She had been at the awards as a guest because she was an aspiring costume designer. Just another young lady with dreams, and this was her first event she'd ever attended. She'd hand made her own black dress for the awards show then someone had stepped on the hem of her gown and ripped it about halfway up. She'd been hoping people would see her dress and use it as a way to maybe get new work. Now, she was so embarrassed she'd literally run away from everyone, almost like Cinderella at the ball. Apparently her date (who had gotten her into the awards) was a tool who didn't notice or didn't care she'd disappeared. She was by herself crying and hiding across the street until her date finished partying.

Hearing this from the manager, and seeing the manager busy with another client, this actor I'm with wanted to check to see if she's okay. After hearing the story, I agreed to go too. I walked over with him (playing Frogger darting across traffic), and she was there by the fountain looking like a girl left alone at the prom. The actor then asked if she'd mind if we shared her fountain? She was shocked, and looked up at us. "Uhh...oh my...uhhh". Yeah, she was starstruck. First she said "Oh gosh please ignore my dress - it's been a bad night". She then began laughing and wiping her eyes. Within a few minutes, the actor's lady and two of her female friends had arrived as well, with a bottle of champagne. They passed it around and shared with the girl, as the actress examined the dress and told the girl she loved it. As I was leaving them, the young lady was still saying "this is the best thing that's ever happened to me".

About an hour later I saw the young lady again, and she was with the actor, the actress, and they were introducing the girl to their friends, managers, publicists and she looked happier than any human alive. Later on, I got a message from the actress that he and the actress had said they'd love her to do the actresses dress for her next awards event they attend. Yes, there are indeed still some good people left in Hollywood who will use their position to help another...without forcing them to do anything evil in return.

Shit Good Nose

Quote from: Mister Six on December 18, 2018, 01:39:27 PM
While we're singing Rockwell's praises, here's a blind item from (IIRC) last year's Oscars about Rockwell and TV actress Leslie Bibb helping out a stranger who had some bad luck...

That's a heart warming and life affirming story, but as I quickly glanced before reading I thought it said "Les Bubb".  At which point I naturally imagined yer man gurning with 500 elastic bands on his face whilst trying to push a heavy balloon.

Noodle Lizard

I think his Patrick Bateman was an incredible performance, and he's impressed me in some more understated roles like The Machinist and Velvet Goldmine.  I think Batman/superstardom has rendered him a bit lazy, but can he act?  Yeah.

monolith

Bateman was amazing, one of my favourite performances from anyone this century.

St_Eddie

#26
I can't believe that Bale is doing his gruff Batman voice AGAIN, despite the real Dick Chaney sounding more like Homer from early-era The Simpsons.

The man's coasting on an inordinate amount of luck.

Quote from: Mister Six on December 17, 2018, 07:50:58 PM
I'll tell you this, though: he's fucking shit as Batman. An absolute charisma void, even putting aside the daft voice. Especially painful when he's up against such overwhelmingly magnetic casts in Neeson, Wilkinson, Ledger, Oldman, Freeman, Hardy, Gylenhall, Gordon-Levitt and Cotillard.

Definitely.  Batman was the worst character throughout all of those movies, thanks to Bale's risible performance.  When your titular super hero protagonist so utterly fails to engage the viewer at any level, other than as an unintentional comedy, you know you've got a problem.

The most egregious moments, in terms of Bale's performance as Batman, were the scenes where he continues to do his growling 'please be intimidated by me.  Pretty please' voice when talking to Morgan Freeman's character, in an otherwise completely empty and secure room.  Despite Freeman's character already knowing Batman's true identity.  Barmy.  One could blame Christopher Nolan for that, I suppose but I'd sooner blame Bale because other than American Psycho, I've never seen a performance from him, which warrants his level of fame.

Quote from: Replies From View on December 17, 2018, 08:08:36 PM
I can't remember for sure but didn't he do the Bat-growl all the way through Terminator Salvation?

Yes he did and it was ridiculous sounding and try-hard there too.

Jerzy Bondov

Quote from: Shit Good Nose on December 18, 2018, 01:20:28 PM
I thought EXACTLY the same.


Is Adam McKay reinventing himself as a "proper"/serious writer and director?  Going from doing nothing but (rolls eyes) Will Ferrell "comedies", to The Big Short and now this.

Or is it more likely that this sort of stuff is what he's really wanted to do and just used low-brow comedy as a stepping stone?
Having definitively mastered comedy with Step Brothers there was really no need for him to continue in that genre.

Lord Mandrake

I just remembered The Prestige, yes hes very good in that too.

MuteBanana

He was a child star and I wonder if he's one of those actors that were better when they were younger.

I also think he gets a share of the admiration by being lumped in with the likes of Matthew Rhys, Michael Sheen and Anthony Hopkins. Talent/credit by association.