Public Enemies

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No one here has said that Bale has given a bad performance or his acting skills are declining. I still love the guy and go see every movie he's in. I'm not a "hater." We're just discussing how complacent he's gotten in the big Hollywood movies playing a certain type of role. And some of us preferred it when he wasn't. I STILL believe he was fantastic in Rescue Dawn. But that was a smaller film, one where it didn't matter how good he looked or how "bada**" he was, so he was free to just act. Hollywood keeps trying to make him a "movie star," and I just don't think that's doing him or us any favors. I don't think any of this is over-the-top, because no one's suggesting Bale has forgotten how to act. I'm just saying I prefer him when he doesn't have a big Hollywood film on his shoulders, because that requires something else that he's just not fit for (like I said previously, the ability to carry a film for broad audience and bring to life thin characters based on charm/charisma alone). For blockbusters, it's better when he just gets to be part of a great ensemble, like with the Batman movies or this one.

But yes, he was "solid" in 3:10 to Yuma and I'm Not There. I don't think Bale's ever been anything less than solid in whatever he's in. I just know he's proven capable of a lot more than "solid," and when Hollywood keeps trying to turn him into a movie star, we really don't get to see that very much anymore.
 
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I'd wish he'd get casted as a villain in a new role sometime soon. He needs a little switch up.
 
CELTICPRED said:
I'd wish he'd get casted as a villain in a new role sometime soon. He needs a little switch up.
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I wanted him to play Robin Hood in Ridley Scott's movie back when it was rumored Robin would be a terrorist chased by the good Sheriff of Nottingham.

Personally, I don't care if Bale's complacent in his acting. It's his career. If he wants to coast that's his business. It sounds like his role in PE isn't big so it won't matter anyway.
 
I love Bale too, but I'm seeing this transition in his career from indie to mainstream. I feel like he doesn't have a 'movie star vibe' but that's not a bad thing either; I enjoy the work of Cillian Murphy and Gael Bernal Garcia and they're not mainstream.. It feels like he's a talented dude who got tossed into the Hollywood lion's den, and it's a vicious den indeed.

But yeah, he's always been an actor who picks out the right movies (for the most part) but I love to see him in a small but edgy indie movie again.
 
It does annoy me when people say he needs to redeem himself. Just 2 years ago he had Rescue Dawn, one of his best performances. The only performances lately he has got S for are Terminater and TDK. I didnt see Terminator, but he does not suck as Batman. SUre the voice isnt great but that is the only thing you can complain about. The only thing. People are letting that voice ruin his whole performance. Sure maybe some of the actors in the movie are better, but he's still a great Batman.
 
but it happens to every actor out there. it doesn't mean that they're bad but they're going through a transition in their career. that's all.
 
I think that people are making way too big of a deal about the bat-voice. I think they just watched that youtube interrogation video too many times.

I've seen both Batman Begins and TDK multiple times, and honestly, the voice doesn't sound much different in TDK. If you didn't like it in either film, that's one thing... but as for people who think it got worse or something, I really don't see it. Or, if it did, then blame the tech guys for digitally altering it. That's not Bale's fault that they decided to do that.

As for people who said Bale was doing is Batman voice in Terminator... they have their heads up they're ass. He was just talking in a low, sometimes gruff voice, because 1. Connor was in the middle of a war and 2. it obviously was affecting him. T:S DID suck, but it wasn't his fault.
 
His voice is clearly worse in TDK. And since he also has more dialog, it's harder to ignore.
 
Geez, Bale is the most scrutinized actor of his generation. Every single move he makes these days is second-guessed. Can't a guy do a supporting role in a Michael Mann movie 'cuz he wants to work with Michael Mann? From the sounds of it, the experience was one of the highlights of his career. Can't he make some dough with the Terminator flick? He's going back to a punishing role in The Fighter. Let him have his fun. By the way, I though he was way more than "solid" in 3:10 to Yuma. I thought it was one if his best performances.
 
Haven't watched Yuma in a few months, I need to throw that in.
 
He has a good performance in The New World, which people don't seem to acknowledge (probably due to the fact nobody has seen it).
 
I personally thought he was pretty bland in that movie as well.
 
You know how fickle the audience is when it comes to actors. You're flavor of the month, then all of a sudden the newest acting prodigy is on the scene.
 
bunk said:
He has a good performance in The New World, which people don't seem to acknowledge (probably due to the fact nobody has seen it).
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I loved him The New World. He was the soul of kindness in that movie and had a sweet chemistry with Q'Orianka Kilcher. He played his character perfectly who was a very restrained, proper English gentleman farmer. I don't think he was bland at all.
 
I loved that movie !!! And I loved both Bale´s and Farrell´s (I think is one of his bests) performances, my favorite part was the split second when Pocahontas is dying and they show John Rolfe´s face and you can barely tell he´s crying; I love Bale´s expression in that split second, so much love, so much pain....it was just perfect.


Polux
 
I thought Bale was just fine in The New World (and I loved that movie, btw). But it wasn't a hugely difficult role to play. The hardest part was probably just trying not to seem creepy acting romantic toward a 14-year-old girl. But I did think he pulled it off beautifully. And yes, his understated sadness at the end of the movie was very moving.
 
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flickchick85 said:
I thought Bale was just fine in The New World (and I loved that movie, btw). But it wasn't a hugely difficult role to play. The hardest part was probably just trying not to seem creepy acting romantic toward a 14-year-old girl. But I did think he pulled it off beautifully. And yes, his understated sadness at the end of the movie was very moving.
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I totally agree with this.

James Horner's score for this movie is very good too, for anyone who care's about film music. Only some of it comes through in the movie though.
 
bunk said:
I totally agree with this.

James Horner's score for this movie is very good too, for anyone who care's about film music. Only some of it comes through in the movie though.
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Yeah, I'm not a James Horner fan, but I did love his work in that film.

Thanks for posting the soundtrack samples, liesse00! I was expecting something a little more ambient or colder-sounding, if that makes any sense, so I'm pleasantly surprised by what I'm hearing of Goldenthal's score so far. :up:

So I was looking at pics of yesterday's LA premiere, and there's yet again a frustrating lack of Depp/Bale pics. In fact, all the pictures I've seen of Depp so far have been by himself or with fans/interviewers. There were a few pics of Marion, Christian, and Michael Mann together at the after party, though:

christianmarionmann05.jpg


marionchristianmann03.jpg


christianmarion01.jpg


christianmarion10.jpg




And more reviews: Variety liked it, with some reservations (for one, they found Johnny's performance to be the disappointing one) and The Hollywood Reporter did not. I'm getting the impression this one's gonna be very divisive with critics.
 
Thanks for the pictures, flickchick! The first two pictures of Marion and Christian are amusing - they're taking turns looking at each other. I want them to do a picture together where they're opposite each other. It can be the next Batman movie or just another movie. I think she's so lovely. I would love to see them act together.
 
If this is Bale going through a bad patch, then I think every actor wished to go through a bad patch like this every day.
 
Bale is on my short list of favorite/awesome actors, right along with Daniel Day-Lewis, Clint Eastwood, and Johnny D.
 
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