Category Archives: Christian Bale

2019 Films, Action, Biography, Caitríona Balfe, Christian Bale, Drama, James Mangold, Jon Bernthal, Josh Lucas, Matt Damon, Noah Jupe, Sports, Tracy Letts

Ford v Ferrari-2019

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Ford v Ferrari-2019

Director James Mangold

Starring Matt Damon, Christian Bale

Scott’s Review #1,041

Reviewed July 18, 2020

Grade: B-

Ford v Ferrari (2019) is a film based on a real-life situation in the world of race car driving featuring two of Hollywood’s most recognizable leading men, Matt Damon and Christian Bale.

Co-leads share equal screen time and independent storylines that merge nicely. Bale gives the best performance and is the best part of an otherwise mediocre film.

The rest is quite formulaic and traditional in plot and filmmaking sensibilities.

Receiving several Academy Award nominations, I expected more from the experience. Granted, car racing isn’t the subject I’m most intrigued by.

Carroll Shelby (Damon) is an American car designer and entrepreneur, who the Ford Motor Company hires to build a car that will beat the Italian-owned Ferrari after a feud erupts between the two owners.

Shelby is tasked with building the car to debut at the upcoming 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans car race in France.

The rebellious race car driver, Ken Miles (Bale), who has no fear, is chosen to drive the new car. He and his wife have money troubles and need the payday.

Director James Mangold certainly adds his share of pomp and circumstance, making this a testosterone-fueled guy’s film. Traditional styles ensue as the climactic race fills the last act of the way-too-long production.

There is a story of loyalty and brotherhood between Carroll and Ken that feels forced and dated.

Ford v Ferrari is formulaic to a tee, with a clear modus operandi of providing entertainment and action.

The pieces are all in play. The Ford corporation is pissed at being tricked into a deal by a foreign country (Italy). They vow revenge with a big, American car that can defeat the foreign vehicle. There is a climactic finish, with the American car emerging as the clear victor.

However, first, there are hurdles to overcome to increase the tension and drama. Ken’s driver door malfunctions, causing him to have to gain laps to catch up to Ferrari.

Ford is written as the underdog, which is a tough sell.

Since the real-life events took place during the Cold War, Mangold spins a definitive Americana, good old boys’ creation that feels too patriotic to be genuine.

Many other films share a similar vibe, such as Apollo 13 (1995), The Martian (2015), and especially Rush (2013), which is similarly themed.

The Ford guys, though cagey and gruff, are meant to be the characters the audience roots for, and the Italian characters are not.

And is there a need to still show the cliched scene of a dedicated wife obediently watching television at home and cheering on her husband as he races?

The gripes are not to say the film is a bad experience- it’s not. It’s just that it’s on par with good Mexican takeout from your favorite restaurant.

You know precisely what you are going to get, and there is some comfort and satisfaction in that. Ford v Ferrari is an easy watch, and one can sink into their sofa and enjoy the revving engines, squealing tires, and smoking mufflers.

The film is machismo at its finest. Think of a better version of The Fast and the Furious (2001-present) franchise.

Let’s talk Oscar nominations.

There is no way Ford v Ferrari should have received a Best Picture nomination. Either Us (2019), Hustlers (2019), or A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) could have deservedly taken its spot.

Warranted are nominations for Film Editing, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing, for which it won the first two. More realistic is for Christian Bale to have been awarded a Best Supporting Actor nomination, which he did not receive.

Sometimes the Academy gets it right, sometimes they don’t.

Being a non-race car enthusiast might have hindered my enjoyment of the film compared to a more passionate viewer.

For those seeking a standard, rev ’em up, male-driven race car film, kick up your heels and enjoy the ride —you’ll love it. Ford v Ferrari (2019) will only marginally please those seeking a deeper meaning in film or film as an art form.

The film will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most mainstream and Hollywood-produced films possible.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins- Best Picture, Best Sound Editing (won), Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing (won)

2018 Films, Adam McKay, Alfred Molina, Alison Pill, Amy Adams, Bill Camp, Biography, Brad Pitt, Cailee Spaeny, Christian Bale, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Drama, Jesse Plemons, Lily Rabe, Naomi Watts, Political Drama, Sam Rockwell, Satire, Steve Carell, Tyler Perry, Will Ferrell

Vice-2018

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Vice-2018

Director Adam McKay

Starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell

Scott’s Review #849

Reviewed December 31, 2018

Grade: A

Following 2015’s The Big Short, Adam McKay once again creates an intelligently written, thought-provoking political film based on facts and historical accounts.

With Vice (2018) he focuses on former Vice President Dick Cheney and his rise through the political ranks to second in command.

Brilliant and wise in every way, the film is fair-minded in its approach. Predictably, in this era of “fake news,” it will be embraced by liberals but shunned by conservatives.

In the first seconds of Vice, a disclaimer appears stating that Cheney was a private man with secrets, but the filmmakers did their best to relay accurate information. The salty language in this clip will likely elicit chuckles, but McKay stays the course with his statement.

Immediately, the film flashes to the September 11 attacks with Cheney sitting in crisis mode, about to make an important decision.

Vice then retreats to 1963 Wyoming as a drunken college-aged Dick Cheney (Christian Bale) is pulled over for erratic driving after a barroom brawl. He is nearly dumped by his girlfriend and future wife Lynne Cheney (Amy Adams), who threatens to find another man if Dick does not straighten out.

He manages an internship and an admiration for Donald Rumsfeld (Steve Carell), a staunch Republican and White House Chief of Staff, and begins his political climb.

In clever form, the film is narrated by a character named Kurt (Jesse Plemons), who we do not know is connected to Cheney until the end of the film. This adds an added measure of intrigue to the overall film, as we know a secret will be revealed.

Vice is also unique in direction, with constant back-and-forth timeline scenes and quirky humor throughout. Are the Cheneys portrayed as ridiculous? No, but sardonic humor is directed at them as their ambitions and power-hungry motivations are completely exposed.

The film does a great job of taking the viewer through the political state of Cheney’s administration, roughly the early 1970s until 2008, when Obama took office. The Clinton years are completely skipped, but that is more to do with Cheney being in the private sector rather than an intentional slight.

The Nixon years and the George W. Bush years are given hefty screen time and the latter is portrayed as nearly a buffoon as Rockwell portrays him as a boozy, dumb frat boy.

Bale is startlingly good as Cheney and deservedly steals the show. In addition to the forty-pound weight gain, the actor endured the facial and hair treatments (props to the makeup department!) and became the man.

His body movements, smile, and speech patterns are daringly good. With a sneer and a calculating grin, we see the wheels spinning in Cheney’s head numerous times, and Bale is incredible at portraying these thoughts to the audience.

The film contains many well-known actors in vital supporting roles worth noting. The depictions of the following are examples of excellent casting with spot-on representations: Tyler Perry as Colin Powell, LisaGay Hamilton as Condoleezza Rice, Sam Rockwell as George W. Bush, Alison Pill as Mary Cheney, and Lily Rabe as Liz Cheney.

All portrayals are excellent to watch, especially for viewers who remember the real-life people involved.

Some will undoubtedly complain that the film has a “liberal slant” and portrays Cheney as power-hungry and self-serving. While this is a valid point, and McKay makes left-leaning choices, the director bravely carves the film into an experience that goes both ways.

More than a few scenes (including the final scene) justify Cheney’s actions, in his mind anyway. Claiming to do what is suitable for the people and be a true American, his actions and yearning for power can be understood to some degree, or perhaps by some people.

Vice (2018) is controversial and undoubtedly divisive, which is unsurprising given the current state of American politics. It tells an inspiring and rich story of an elusive politician’s life and policies, daring to be forgotten, that still resonate across the United States.

The more I ponder this film’s importance, the greater it becomes, but stay past the credits for arguably the best moment in the movie and of monumental importance in 2018.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Director- Adam McKay, Best Actor- Christian Bale, Best Supporting Actor- Sam Rockwell, Best Supporting Actress- Amy Adams, Best Original Screenplay, Best Makeup and Hairstyling (won), Best Film Editing

2010 Films, Amy Adams, Biography, Christian Bale, Darren Aronofsky, David O. Russell, Drama, Mark Wahlberg, Melissa Leo, Sports, Sugar Ray Leonard

The Fighter-2010

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The Fighter-2010

Director David O. Russell

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Christian Bale

Scott’s Review #546

Reviewed December 11, 2016

Grade: A-

The Fighter (2010) is an excellent film. Being a sports film there are the inevitable cliches, which make the entire sports film genre rather predictable.

But this film is a very well-done story and based on real-life figures (the Ward brothers).

Tremendous acting by Wahlberg, Bale, and Melissa Leo, in the role of Mama Ward- a role of a lifetime.

The telling is a true story of Mickey Ward, a boxer from Massachusetts, and his battle to stardom, dealings with family members, and his love life.

The characters may be ever slightly overdone in the rugged, rough, Bostonian way, almost appearing New Jersey-Soprano-ish instead of New England, but the message is clear- they are in the boxing world and are tough guys (and gals).

This film is much more character-driven than many similar sports movies, thank goodness and the casting is spot-on. There are the inevitable final boxing match and the standard reaction shots, but again sports films are riddled with cliches.

The real win is with the character’s layered, complexities as they love and hate each other.

Bale and Leo deserved their Oscars for their respective roles in The Fighter (2010), specifically Bale for the shocking weight loss and spot-on character imitation.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Picture, Best Director-David O. Russell, Best Supporting Actor-Christian Bale (won), Best Supporting Actress-Melissa Leo (won), Amy Adams, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing

2012 Films, Action, Aidan Gillen, Alon Abutbul, Anne Hathaway, Ben Mendelsohn, Christian Bale, Christopher Nolan, Cillian Murphy, Emma Thomas, Gary Oldman, Glen Powell, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Juno Temple, Liam Neeson, Marion Cotillard, Matthew Modine, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Super Hero, Tom Hardy, William Devane

The Dark Knight Rises-2012

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The Dark Knight Rises-2012

Director Christopher Nolan

Starring Christian Bale, Tom Hardy

Scott’s Review #431

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Reviewed June 23, 2016

Grade: C+

The Dark Knight Rises (2012) is a sequel to the exceptional The Dark Knight from 2008 and, unfortunately,  is a complete letdown, especially compared to that film.

Perhaps my expectations were too lofty- it is a sequel after all, and sequels, typically disappoint.

To be fair, the film looks great and has a fast-paced, modern feel- slick and action-packed. A summer popcorn film.

The story, though, is uninteresting- the villains are not compelling, which is a major miss in a film like this where the villains are crucial.

Tom Hardy as Bane is miscast. Anne Hathaway’s Catwoman is underdeveloped and one-dimensional. We never really know much about what makes these characters tick.

I did enjoy the twist at the end involving Marion Cotillard, which impressed me and I did not see coming throughout the story.

I might have rated The Dark Knight Rises even lower than a C+ had it not been for the group of top-notch actors appearing in the film.

Having loved the most recent Batman film, I expected more and received less.

2015 Films, Adam McKay, Anthony Bourdain, Billy Magnussen, Biography, Brad Pitt, Christian Bale, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Finn Wittrock, Jeremy Strong, John Magaro, Margot Robbie, Marisa Tomei, Max Greenfield, Melissa Leo, Ryan Gosling, Selena Gomez, Steve Carell, Tracy Letts

The Big Short-2015

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The Big Short-2015

Director Adam McKay

Starring Christian Bale, Steve Carell

Scott’s Review #369

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Reviewed January 10, 2016

Grade: A-

The Big Short (2015) is a confusing film and is its intention and also its genius.

Throughout some of the film, I was uncertain how much I liked it (or got it) and found many of the characters unlikeable, but at the conclusion, I realized that is exactly what the filmmakers intended is a clever tactic and makes The Big Short a success.

On the surface, the film has some humor but a very dark story at its core and left me a bit depressed and terrified at the conclusion.

I am happy that the film is receiving accolades and is the “thinking man’s” hit movie of the season.

To attempt to summarize the film, the film begins in 2005, approximately two years before the financial crisis of 2007-2008.

Eccentric hedge fund manager Michael Burry (Christian Bale), realizes the U.S. housing market is unstable and predicts a crash.

He attempts to profit by betting against the market, a move laughable to all around him, especially the banks who anticipate a windfall at Michael’s expense. Trader and fellow market managers, Jared Vennett and Mark Baum (played by Ryan Gosling and Steve Carrell) catch wind of Michael’s theory and try to get in on the action.

There is a sub-plot involving two younger investors also attempting to profit through the guidance of a retired banker (played by Brad Pitt).

The financial collapse is a tender subject and certainly no laughing matter, especially since it is so recent and affects many people.

The Big Short is touted as a comedy, which is strange. I found the audience didn’t know exactly what to laugh at or when. The film’s “laughs” were cynical, witty, and sometimes wicked. Many people do not get this type of humor.

In real life, people were kicked out of their homes and lost their jobs, pensions, etc. and it was all the result of greed, which The Big Short hammers home.

Several scenes include frat-boy investor/trader types getting rich by enabling almost anyone to afford a new house. Little did these people realize that there was a catch.

The film paints a jaded picture of Wall Street. The rich get richer at the expense of the middle class and the poor. It is an age-old sad tale.

Performance-wise, Carrell and Bale are the standouts. They both play characters who are damaged. Bale’s Michael is socially awkward, and has a false eye, but is also a genius. Carrell’s Mark is angry, grizzled, and is in therapy as a result of his brother’s suicide.

Both actors are great and have developed into worthy, credible acting talents. Worth mentioning, are small, but meaningful roles by Melissa Leo and Marisa Tomei.

The Big Short is shot interestingly, and highly unusual. From time to time, the action will stop and a famed celebrity (Selena Gomez, a world-renowned chef, or a model in a bubble bath) will explain the events, thus far, or give some review.

Also, more than once the actors will turn to the camera and speak directly to the audience. A personal touch that I found effective.

In the end, not much in life has changed, which is the message, and a frightening one. As one character brilliantly puts it “people will go back to blaming the poor and the immigrants”, which is a sad message.

After millions lost everything, not much has changed in the world and The Big Short makes that very clear. The people responsible have gotten away with crime, the banks bailed out, and a new scheme is undoubtedly in place.

It’s a sad world.

The Big Short (2015) is a gritty, harsh look at reality and a terrific film.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Director-Adam McKay, Best Supporting Actor-Christian Bale, Best Adapted Screenplay (won), Best Film Editing

2013 Films, Alessandro Nivola, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Christian Bale, Colleen Camp, Comedy, Crime Drama, Dark Comedy, David O. Russell, Drama, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner, Louis C.K., Michael Pena, Robert De Niro

American Hustle-2013

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American Hustle-2013

Director David O. Russell

Starring Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence

Scott’s Review #39

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Reviewed June 18, 2014

Grade: A

Having seen American Hustle (2013) a month ago and finally getting around to reviewing it, it’s a perfect time as a slew of Oscar nominations has been reaped upon it, thus, undoubtedly more people will be seeing it in the weeks ahead.

I loved this film.

Some were underwhelmed, but I found it quite authentic and stylish.

I loved the 1970’s period and felt the hairstyles, clothes, and props were spot on.

I also felt the film had great acting and, though I’m not a fan, Jennifer Lawrence enraptured me. The same with Cooper, Bale, and Adams, who all deserve their Oscar nods.

I found it similar in style to Boogie Nights, a 1997 masterpiece directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

The 1970s musical rock score was perfect. The subject matter of political corruption and cat-and-mouse intrigue was effective and resounding.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director-David O. Russell, Best Actor-Christian Bale, Best Actress-Amy Adams, Best Supporting Actor-Bradley Cooper, Best Supporting Actress-Jennifer Lawrence, Best Original Screenplay, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing