Christian Bale

Newsies:

Storyline:
Homeless New York City newsboy, Jack Kelly, leads the rest of the newsboys to go on strike to get better working conditions.

Honestly, I really don't know what I was expecting going into this, yet it was not this. This is genuinely one of the worst films I have ever seen, and it pains me to say that Christian Bale was not even worth talking about.

For a musical, there is always a balance of the plot, singing and dancing, and the flow of it all, except for this. Breaking out into song at the most awkward times, no performance ever resonated with the audience. Likewise, for each time a song was finished, the longing pauses and cheering after acknowledged that they were in a musical, yet acted like they were living a regular life. This never achieved any sort of groundings as far as what the characters within the film were admitting what was real or not.

On top of the basis and idea of the film just simply being bad from the beginning, this had terrible performances. As mentioned, I truly have never seen Bale perform as terribly as he did in this. Though he, along with everyone else, had poor dialogue to work with, it's unfortunately disappointing to see, as I only watched this for him.

2/10

The BAM! rating is a newly integrated rating scale in addition to the critic rating each film gets. BAM! is simply the entertainment value that is solely based on whether or not a film is worth watching. A film can have a high BAM! rating and a low critic rating or vice versa.

2/10

Shaft:

Storyline:
John Shaft is a detective working on proving a case. He deals with crooked cops, a murdering rich kid and small-town drug lords, but nothing will get in his way.

Just realistically speaking, judging by the cover and synopsis, this doesn't have much going for it. While I always say don't judge a film by its cover, it's safe to say that going in with low expectations on this film will still leave you disappointed.

Beginning the film in a place where it feels like a storyline is already ongoing, it never picks up on a point of practicality or informative details regarding this. The one flashback this consisted of added more confusion in the time frame as well, rather than anything helpful.

The performances from everyone were subpar and truthfully upsetting as the viewer. Specifically, Samuel L. Jackson, he brought his usual confidence with no substance. Acting upon his swagger and his thought of being a well-created character, he was nothing more than the below-average plot and added to the lousy feeling that comes after this film is over. Christian Bale, without a doubt, was the most authentic part of this, but was filled with poor dialogue and was written to be a character worse than what he created it to be. Therefore, it left a bad after taste of his position in the film.

The climax of this film was incredibly predictable and not suspenseful like this was going for. It was incredibly abrupt and killed the small chance there was for any character development. This is not worth the watch even from an entertainment standpoint.

4/10

5/10

The New World:

Storyline:
This follows the story of the English exploration of America in the 1600s and the life of Pocahontas.

On a whole, this had a terrible progression and organization of detail. While I will admit that I had watched the shortened, theatrical cut that is significantly shorter and features over 90 cuts from its original, that still doesn't hide the facts; this film tries to act like a hotshot romance drama that thinks it's better than what it is.

My biggest issue with this was that the information was not presented in a manner where anything seemed to be of any importance. Everything that was being shown lead to the ineffective emotions of the characters to the viewer. This lacked the personal connection it was hoping for which results in non-relatable or sympathetic feelings.

In addition to these negative aspects, there were distinct sections of the plot that didn’t fit with each other. Again, this might be an issue from the theatrical cut I had seen, nevertheless, if it was released to the public this way, it should have had all its ducks in a row.

As for the final 20 minutes, it hit an all-time low and went from 0 to 100 real quick. Truly, one of the most abrupt and most anti-climactic finales ever, this sealed the deal as far as producing an across the board lousy film.

3/10

Empire of the Sun:

Storyline:
A young privileged boy living in Shanghai gets forced into a prison camp when the Japanese arrive and separate his family.

This features a convincing performance from a young Christian Bale who was pure and raw. He acted entirely upon himself and didn’t rely on anything else to extend his performance. The supporting roles were strong as well and added light-hearted snippets to this slow storyline.

The story was stretched out longer than need be. Though war might have been its topic, it wasn't its genre. Focusing on a prolonged development and boring, lifeless scenes, it tried to have the feel of a war film and do something completely different, which didn't pay off.

Select instances regarding the war/prison camp aspects did not feel realistic. As everyone knows, war is harsh, yet things felt too easily placed into the protagonist's hands, which was constructed by fake moments. This truly wouldn't have been a huge deal if it didn't call as much attention to itself by overdramatizing things.

The ending was a little too sappy for me to wrap my head around. While it was a wholesome way to finish on a happier note, it just seems too good to be true. This film was too Hollywood for war and too unsuitable for a drama; it's really not worth the watch.

6/10

Ford v Ferrari:

Storyline:
Car designer, Carroll Shelby, and driver, Ken Miles team together to build a car with Ford to beat Ferrari at the Le Mans in France of 1966.

Though I am not the biggest fan of Matt Damon, he does play his role well. He just feels too strung out in Hollywood by playing the same role again and again which makes me question every part he plays, but he changed that from this performance. However, Christian Bale could possibly be the best part of this production. He played his role to the fullest, creating a personable individual that not only set the story but was honest and real with his performance and character depth.

The element of sound was one of the only things that wasn't done as well as everything else, in my opinion. Music is something that can make or break a film, as I have said before. Whether it was upbeat or slow, the music regarding the scene came before it was ready a few times.

A couple of select characters that were meant to have a strong impact on the story only became distracting from improper execution. Focusing too hard on the wrong aspects for individual characters was not working. Going down a different route altogether regarding these characters could have made these performances more powerful or impactful, though it was only a minor setback.

Never losing intensity and keeping me on the edge of my seat, there was never a dull moment. Including stellar editing, outstanding performances, and a truly mesmerizing story, there was room to focus on multiple underlying messages, which sealed the story and left something for everyone to take away.

8.5/10

Out of the Furnace:

Storyline:
Russell Baze is a steelworker who relies on his family. When his brother returns home from Iraq with multiple debts, then mysteriously goes missing, he takes the matter into his own hands.

Consisting of a sophisticated vibe throughout the entire film, it created an eerie and suspenseful tone. It definitely took its sweet old time getting to its destination, yet having this unsettling overtone, it set the story which allowed the plot to take over.

The film felt like two broken, flawed parts split in half. However, they both offer aspects that are equally important to the storyline; though the two are not as coherent as I would have hoped, it added to the imperfectness this story embraces. It took a bumpy road to get going and didn't do everything right, but taking the time to develop characters and backstories, it not only turns into the climax of a quite enjoyable revenge sequence, but adds to the raw connection to the audience.

This truly offered some contenders for career-best performances, as there was not one person who played their role unsatisfactorily. Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, and Casey Affleck revamped the script to what it is. Each of them made a show-stealing performance in cooperation with each other.

In films I really enjoy, there is always a fault I find, such as the editing/directing in this. Including many personable angles and shots that were so creative and effective, yet there were scenes that faded to black or kept hold of an image too long, feeling random and inconsistent.

Rating: 8/10

8/10

Little Women:

Storyline:
The March sisters in the mid-19th-century deal with hardships, financial struggles, and equality while growing up.

Personally, for me seeing the newest adaptation before this, it almost ruined it for me in a sense. Though this film might have come first, I enjoyed the most recent film more than this and was having a hard time with these different versions that were very similar.

The lack of representing something authentic was the downfall of this film. On a whole, no characters/struggles were relatable, let alone believable. The dialogue was stiff, the relationship-building felt scripted and the emotional scenes were everything but that. There was an unspoken notion that it was make-believe from the start; it never grasped my interest and continued down an unexciting path.

The sequence of the story was choppy. Poorly placing scenes that were once useful resulted in the incorporation of not so smooth production.

I don’t know if it was as big of a deal to others, but Amy’s actress swap was not seamless. Indicating a time change, a completely different actress was not necessary. Halting the progression of the film, having her be the one change in the entire story, it only heightens the unrelatable feeling from the story.

This film only made me enjoy the newest version more and recognize the work that was put into it. Honestly, I don't know why it has received the appreciation it has, as it's truly not deserving of it.

Rating: 3/10

3/10

Harsh Times:

Storyline:
After serving in the military, Jim is dedicated to protecting his country. Getting rejected by the LAPD, he finds a position at the Department of Homeland Security.

The plot was all over the place. Going from one idea to the next with no integration of the past information, there were distinct, separate sections of the story that created an incohesive flow. Starting poorly, trying to make up for the lost time in the second act, but completely blowing it in the final act, there was not one logical standpoint that this provided.

While I'm willingly admitting my bias toward Christian Bale, he was truly the only constant part of this film. He provided an independent and confrontational individual for the story to fall back on. Despite his maximum effort, though, it wasn't enough to save the other problematic and noticeable supporting roles.

The flashbacks and multiple panic attacks were edited awkwardly. Being placed at weird times to begin with, they had altering color overtones that were ineffective. This correlates with the abrupt introduction and end of the sound, none of these elements were effective; in fact, they only provided more plot holes and inconsistencies to the story.

4/10

Equilibrium:

Storyline:
In a futuristic world, people are forbidden to feel emotions and are ordered to take a drug to restrict them. John Preston, a government agent, is the only one who can stop the people behind it.

This film was a wannabe Matrix, incorporating characters that were poorly developed and talked in higher regard than what they are truly worth.

The script, choreography, concept, you name it, was incredibly overdramatic at all times. Taking the most minor inconveniences and subtle action setups to an unrelatable extent that was exaggerated. Though this is one of the characteristics that added to the enjoyment of this film, as it was so serious, it became funny.

There were numerous useless characters and moments included in this story. Venturing from one thought to another, the organization of the plot needed more focus than what it received. Becoming confusing at times and not tying all ends, the substantial ending would have been true to the word if it had been handled with consideration.

The progression was slow and got away from inspection during production. Developing information heavily in the beginning, turned the ending to become rushed. However, while there definitely could have been more done with this storyline, this wasn't set out to be a stellar film and created an amusing watch.

4/10

6/10

Vice:

Storyline:
Following the life of Dick Cheney before and after he was the Vice President.

This film went wrong by going overboard with trying to turn tasteless moments into something artsy. This coincides with the abundance of meaningless scenes. Though all the information was given, structurally, there felt like more could have been done with what was provided.

The narration and lack of development regarding that character was not appealing. Only having this aspect becomes a distraction, it makes you question the importance when he truly did not matter. This only added to the constructional issues, taking a course of development that gets the viewer less intrigued as time goes on.

On the contrary, I enjoyed the quite sarcastic script portraying public figures in certain ways without clearly stating a position on it. Especially in politics, depending on how deep and opinionated the producers get, it can ruin a story. Rather this focused on a ruthless individual with his own agenda, which was one of the things that was done effectively. Along with adding subtle comedic aspects, it took minor breaks from the heavy political topics.

7/10

American Hustle:

Storyline:
Irving Rosenfeld and his counterpart, Sydney Prosser are conning people of money. When they get caught by an FBI agent, they have to work undercover in order to be free.

Incredibly unique and unlike anything else out there, this provided a breath of fresh air in the film world. The storytelling captures the essence of what every heist film wishes they could. Featuring a development in which provided the audience with substance without taking away the suspense. Going from scene to scene, each provided relevance to create a steady pace.

While this is filled with a star-studded cast, no one was trying to outdo anyone, as everyone took the script for what it was, no matter how big or small their characters were. Having quirky and personable individuals to set the story, it created an effortless and unobtainable feel. Multiple small characteristics are sprinkled subtly throughout only adding to the stellar performances. Involving these aspects, it only individualizes the characters, creating an overwhelmingly raw form of everything.

Though the build had a steady increase throughout the film, I thought there would be an even crazier climax. While it was not uneventful, due to the anticipation it was slightly disappointing. Despite that, this is well worth your time.

8/10

The Prestige:

Storyline:
Following the lives of two rivaling magicians that are in competition of one another. When one performs the ultimate trick, the other desperately tries to do the same.

Beginning with a slow start, especially when it comes to grasping my interest, the turnaround is uncanny. Being one of the most enjoyable films I have seen recently, it leaves you thinking once it's finished and questioning everything you just saw.

The number of times I praise Christian Bale I hope will never stop. He never fails to amaze with his impressive ways to transform a story to himself. But, that doesn't come without his counterpart, Hugh Jackman, who shined the same. Though his part had his ups and downs that seemed both relevant and not, the pair’s anti-companionship is captivating and unpredictable.

Basing off a film of magicians, you would hope there'd be classy editing, and there was. Featuring crisp cuts to make the audience have a chance to experience the tricks, but also understand them. This, of course, goes hand in hand with the stellar directing which gives a clear purpose.

Getting so invested in the story without knowing, is something you don't realize until it's done. Almost feeling cheated by the film because the plot represents the story all along is the beauty of this- it isn't perfect, it doesn't completely make sense and most of all, it lingers.

8.5/10

Batman Begins:

Storyline:
Following tragic events, Bruce Wayne is trained by the League of Shadows. Unknowing of their plans to destroy his hometown of Gotham, he returns without them to help rebuild his city.

Being one of the most thorough, in depth makings of a hero, it provides the necessary platform for the upcoming trilogy. Setting the story perfectly, everything falls into place with an investing plot, anticipating action and superb performances, rooting from a drama driven plot.

Having a stellar performance from Christian Bale, he creates his own version of the character by being captivating within his performance. Turning his dialogue into action, he never falls short of providing something great. Though he shines during this film, he didn't take away from the supporting characters, who were convincing and vital to the story.

Going into flashbacks long enough for the audience to understand such struggles the protagonist had without jumbling the order of details was spot on. Always fitting the feeling of the audience by transitioning smoothly, it was edited promptly and effectively.

Providing an amazing film from the beginning, the character development and storyline evolves tremendously throughout not only this film, but the trilogy as well. Being authentic and realistic, it is clear this was made with quality.

8.5/10

The Dark Knight:

Storyline:
With the help of a few non corrupt law enforcement, Batman starts to clear the city of Gotham, until a new criminal calling himself the Joker starts to cause disruption.

The amount of sequels that are better than the original is slim to none, especially following such a remarkable film. Regardless, not only is this the best out of the three films, it is an outstanding production standing on its own.

While Christian Bale still provides a solid, powerful performance who acts as a guide to the story, Heath Ledger takes it to a different level. Shaping a villain into the Joker, not only does the audience feel his insanity, they become a victim from his personal mannerisms. Ledger makes the film with his compelling and inventive breathtaking performance.

Introducing a mix of new and recurring characters, there wasn’t anyone who didn’t fit their part. Whether it was small or large, everyone provided a purpose that weighted importance at some point in the film. Everything that was shown to the audience had relevance, which created a picture that was astounding.

The first act began with a slow and easy start, setting the story, which soon developed into something incredibly anticipating and investing. Following with the same anticipation, it quickly transitioned into a complete roller coaster of emotions, revolving into character developments no one expects, and a mind wrenching story with an antsy, anxious feeling by the third act.

9/10

The Dark Knight Rises:

Storyline:
After eight years since Batman vanished, a new terrorist is threatening to destroy Gotham, forcing Batman to return.

Being the third and final film to this outstanding trilogy, it’s not that it was bad, rather it didn’t stand up to the ones before it. Consisting of a stereotypical corrupt antagonist, not as clever characters and the storyline relying on the already established protagonist to carry it along. With all things considered, this still was made very well and better than most.

As always, something that stays consistent is the high anticipation from the action sequences. Especially the opening scene, kicking off with a bang and being one of the coolest scenes from Christopher Nolan. Never missing the corresponding feeling of the audience, the action blended well with the storyline.

The antagonist was predictable in some aspects and not in others. Though he was interesting enough for the audience to want to know more information, it’s hard not to compare him to the previous villain of The Dark Knight, as the Joker is unforgettable. That aside, Tom Hardy created both a fearful and engaging character, there just wasn’t enough time or evidence for him to evolve.

While this was slightly a tasteless way to end such an epic trilogy, it completes the brilliant protagonist character arc we all were waiting for over time. Answering questions and departing from the trilogy, it is a series that will always be worth watching.

8/10

8.5/10

The Fighter:

Storyline:
Micky Ward is a promising boxer who has been losing every fight recently. Separating himself from his family management, he becomes a contender for the world title.

Being a conventional boxing film, it still offers positive attributes such as strong lead performances and an engaging watch.

As always, Christian Bale finds a way to steal the show when it comes to how dedicated and appreciable his performance is. Playing someone completely different and dislikable, it clearly shows how substantial he is to this story. In addition to him, this is one of the few performances of Mark Wahlberg's that I can tolerate. While he still had some aspects that could have been better, he provided a solid place within the plot.

Having a few pointless characters, they were there for relevance and time fillers, so I understand why they were there. That being said, some were weighed with heavy importance and then never gone through, which is where it became annoying.

Consisting of a predictable plot from the beginning, it didn't change how it entertaining it was. Though the beginning was developed so thoroughly it became a tad rushed in the end, the feeling of the audience always correlated in the story.

7.5/10

American Psycho:

Storyline:
Patrick Bateman is a normal, young businessman with a fiancé living in New York City, but he is secretly a serial killer at night.

Christian Bale took what naturally is a dry script/dialogue and turned it into a compelling and remarkable performance. He became his part which clearly shows how prepared and dedicated he is within the act and truly carried the film.

Like I mentioned before, the dialogue wasn't anything special as far as being clever or always on cue, but the way Bale executed it made it all worthwhile. The supporting characters were cast in good order and were thrown in specific times to help the progression.

The narrating was a bit choppy at times. While it was thrown in to make the audience feel empathetic to the protagonist and in the moment, more times than not it felt awkwardly placed.

The twists and climax of the plot was something I never saw coming. Though at times it felt a little heavy and slow, the ending really caught my attention. Ending it the way they did, by leaving more questions than none, it makes you think about not only the film individually but real-world situations.

7/10

8/10

3:10 to Yuma:

Storyline:
The biggest outlaw in the 1800s is being escorted to the train that's bringing him to justice.

Films in this genre are generally slow, as was this, but it didn't feel long in doing so. While it leisurely got to its destination, it symbolizes the bond between the main characters, having a rough start that developed into something meaningful.

Nothing in this film had many variations in depth to sustain it, so it focuses on the story instead, and tried, but didn't succeed to make the best it could with that. My only exception to this is the final scene, where it took a turn for the better and ended the story on a note I wasn't expecting. Bringing in the action and anticipation I was wanting all into the last moments of the story.

Not having enough substance to provide this idea leads to the majority of the film being unintentionally dry. Having no change from scene to scene, it left the actors little to work with. With this dry script, the performances from Russell Crowe and Christian Bale were surprisingly deep. Rooting from their imperfect and rugged bond, the two clicked and frankly carried the film, even with a limited story.

Though this is quite an abrupt ending, I like how we saw a change in character and brought an interesting arc with certain decisions that were made.

7/10

Public Enemies:

Storyline:
John Dillinger was a bank robber in the Depression era, who is the most wanted criminal by the FBI, and their top agent who is tasked with bringing him in.

This film was entertaining, especially since it is inspired by a true story. While it seems promising from the outside, there was nothing special coming from this story and it had some issues.

The pacing was a major downfall. While it was entertaining on a whole, there were plenty of instances where a bunch of information was crammed into one scene, which started to become messy. Then, other scenes had absolutely nothing going on, causing me to check the time more than once and get fidgety with the film on a whole.

The performances were just average. I have seen much better work from both Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. So although they were decent and on the surface convincing, they are held with high expectations and didn't live up to their outstanding potential.

The storyline, as bland as it was, had some depth. It went off the base of something dry, but threw in relevant supporting characters, with little twists and turns in the plot to create something intriguing.

This isn't anything extraordinary and isn't really worth the time to go out of your way to see, I could take it or leave it.

6/10

YOUR CART

Newsies:

Shaft:

The New World:

Empire of the Sun:

Ford v Ferrari:

Out of the Furnace:

Little Women:

Harsh Times:

Equilibrium:

Vice:

American Hustle:

The Prestige:

Batman Begins:

The Dark Knight:

The Dark Knight Rises:

The Fighter:

American Psycho:

3:10 to Yuma:

Public Enemies:

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