# Christian Bale? - I don't get it. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 28, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-bale-i-dont-get-it/310233 "2005-06-28T17:39:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![johnnyboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbe5ce/32.png) [@johnnyboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnnyboy)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-bale-i-dont-get-it/310233/1 "2005-06-28T17:39:37Z")
I see a lot of love going out for Bale, and I don’t see why. He is horrible and ruins every movie he is in. Let me go down the list here. American Psyco - 3/10 - A great plot, a horrible lead. Christian bale was stiff through the entire thing, on top of that he always look like he has to take an enormous shit. Equilibrium - 0/10 - I got through about 20 minutes of this movie. Maybe it’s the whole plot that sucks, but still GOOD actors should be able to make a shitty script good. The Machinist - 4/10 - he lost a lot of weight for the movie, so much weight it was considered dangerous. I’ll give him that, but losing weight and gaining it for movies does NOT make you a good actor. This story could have been great, even better then fight club. But Bale had to go and ruin it. Way too many facial expressions for one sit down. Batman Begins - 4/10 - To think i was actually giving Bale the benifit of the doubt, and held high hopes for BB. With JoBlo giving it a decent review, and other critics giving it GREAT reviews i thought this one was in the bag. But nooooo! Bale Bale Bale, the guy just can’t act. He was by far the worst batman to ever grace the screen. And again, the story was great, the orgin of batman would be awesome if it wasn’t centered around Bale. God this guy sucks ass. That’s all i’ve seen with bale in it, and it’s all i will see. So what is it, that makes everyone think he’s such a good actor? ---
**Author:** ![Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cornelius_Tuggerson)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-bale-i-dont-get-it/310233/2 "2005-06-28T17:53:35Z")
> [@johnnyboy](#): > > Equilibrium - 0/10 Run for the hills **johnnyboy** , run for the hills… Bale is a really good actor with an uncanny ability to pick good pictures to star in. The fact that you don’t like any of them is more of a statement about your taste in movies than it is about his acting ability. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-bale-i-dont-get-it/310233/3 "2005-06-28T18:37:56Z")
Why don’t you say who you think would be a better choice in the roles that you have mentioned? I know, for example, that Leonardo DiCaprio was originally considered for the role of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, and I think he would have been a far worse choice than Bale, who really made that movie great. If he looked “stiff,” it was because he was supposed to be a psychotic man hiding behind a facade of business and propriety. That was the whole point… ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-bale-i-dont-get-it/310233/4 "2005-06-28T18:49:20Z")
I think Christian Bale has been excellent in everything I’ve seen him in. I did not watch “American Psycho,” since I found the book to be wretched and upsetting. Trying to explain why one enjoys an actor’s performances is a bit like trying to explain why one likes a certain food. There’s no accounting for taste. You like it or you don’t. In the case of Christian Bale, to me he’s a banquet. ---
**Author:** ![Audrey\_Levins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Audrey\_Levins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Audrey_Levins)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-bale-i-dont-get-it/310233/5 "2005-06-28T18:56:25Z")
He won me over years ago in _Empire of the Sun,_ when he was just a kid and managed to break my heart. I have always enjoyed him since then. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-bale-i-dont-get-it/310233/6 "2005-06-28T19:59:20Z")
> [@Argent Towers](#): > > If he looked “stiff,” it was because he was supposed to be a psychotic man hiding behind a facade of business and propriety. That was the whole point… And the role in Equilibrium required a similar performance, and I suspect that Batman does too. He’s a guy you go to when you need “dignified, but reserved”. He seems to pull that off very well. Whether he has a lot of range, I don’t know. But what I’ve seen him in, I thought he was good. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-bale-i-dont-get-it/310233/7 "2005-06-28T20:35:32Z")
He _was_ Laurie in Gillian Armstrong’s **Little Women.** And yeah I’ve enjoyed the guy ever since **Empire of the Sun.** And **Laurel Canyon,** **Metroland,** **Velvet Goldmine,** etc etc. He’s not an open book, but there’s a lot going on in those pages. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-bale-i-dont-get-it/310233/8 "2005-06-28T20:59:03Z")
> [@Audrey Levins](#): > > He won me over years ago in _Empire of the Sun,_ when he was just a kid and managed to break my heart. > > I have always enjoyed him since then. Hear, hear. That movie blew me away. I also thought he was quite good in a very small role in _Henry V_. ---
**Author:** ![lizardling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f4b2a3/32.png) [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-bale-i-dont-get-it/310233/9 "2005-06-28T22:53:47Z")
> [@Audrey Levins](#): > > He won me over years ago in _Empire of the Sun,_ when he was just a kid and managed to break my heart. > > I have always enjoyed him since then. Yep. I saw it when I was… _thinks back_ Probably about the same age. It’s haunted me ever since, and I’m well on my way into my thirties. ---
**Author:** ![Dan\_Norder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@Dan\_Norder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Norder)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-bale-i-dont-get-it/310233/10 "2005-06-28T23:13:48Z")
> [@johnnyboy](#): > > So what is it, that makes everyone think he’s such a good actor? Being able to appreciate good acting? (Yes, I realize that that’s a circular argument and based solely upon subjective opinion, but the OP certainly was also.) ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-bale-i-dont-get-it/310233/11 "2005-06-28T23:52:51Z")
> [@johnnyboy](#): > > So what is it, that makes everyone think he’s such a good actor? How can you question his talent without having seen _Reign of Fire_? Now that’s the movie to make you question his talent! ---
**Author:** ![MidnightRadio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@MidnightRadio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MidnightRadio)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-bale-i-dont-get-it/310233/12 "2005-06-29T00:13:51Z")
> [@pinkfreud](#): > > I think Christian Bale has been excellent in everything I’ve seen him in. I did not watch “American Psycho,” since I found the book to be wretched and upsetting. Well, if you don’t want to watch it, you don’t want to watch it, but I thought I ought to point out that the movie isn’t _nearly_ as violent as the book. Most of the horrible things that Bateman does in the book aren’t in the movie at all. It’s no more violent or gory than a stupid slasher flick—less, even. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-bale-i-dont-get-it/310233/13 "2005-06-29T00:19:32Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > How can you question his talent without having seen _Reign of Fire_? Now that’s the movie to make you question his talent! That was Christian Bale? No kidding! Well, well, well… Aw, I admit it, it was kinda fun in a sleazy sort of way! ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-bale-i-dont-get-it/310233/14 "2005-06-29T00:52:17Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > How can you question his talent without having seen _Reign of Fire_? Now that’s the movie to make you question his talent! But he was the standout in that. It was Matthew McConaughey who was crap. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-bale-i-dont-get-it/310233/15 "2005-06-29T01:02:20Z")
I thought he gave one hell of a performance in _The Machinist_–subtle and powerful. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-bale-i-dont-get-it/310233/16 "2005-06-29T01:16:43Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > But he was the standout in that. Man, talk about damning with faint praise. “You were the best thing about _Reign of Fire_.” ---
**Author:** ![buns3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@buns3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buns3000)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-bale-i-dont-get-it/310233/17 "2005-06-29T01:27:46Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > How can you question his talent without having seen _Reign of Fire_? Now that’s the movie to make you question his talent! That was the thought I had when I read the OP, but substitute _Velvet Goldmine_ for _Reign of Fire_ (which I haven’t seen). I gather that a lot of Bale’s appeal is in his hotness, but this doesn’t help the OP (unless he’s gay). Or me. ---
**Author:** ![Tracy\_Lord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Tracy\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracy_Lord)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-bale-i-dont-get-it/310233/18 "2005-06-29T02:24:59Z")
> [@EJsGirl](#): > > I also thought he was quite good in a very small role in _Henry V_. Ooooh, YES! I loved him in that! It made me wonder if he’d ever done Gavroche in _Les Mis_ onstage, for some reason. I haven’t seen the new Batman movie, but Bale is one of those actors (like Kevin Kline, Laura Linney, Colin Firth, and Sigourney Weaver) for whom I have good, warm feelings. “Christian Bale? Oh yeah! I like him!” Maybe it’s the whole thirteen-year-old-_Newsies_-crush, or the same thing for _Little Women_, but I like that he takes interesting roles (I just IMDBed him, and I totally forgot he was in the 1999 _Midsummer Night’s Dream_ with Kline!) and seems to have, generally speaking, a good eye for projects. Whatever it is, he’s conned me into thinking he’s a very likeable actor. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-bale-i-dont-get-it/310233/19 "2005-06-29T02:34:00Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > Man, talk about damning with faint praise. “You were the best thing about _Reign of Fire_.” The dragons were the best thing about _Reign of Fire_. But Christian Bale gave a good performance, I thought. At least he had a British accent again, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2005, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-bale-i-dont-get-it/310233/20 "2005-06-29T05:59:50Z")
> [@johnnyboy](#): > > I see a lot of love going out for Bale, and I don’t see why. Because you’re wrong. He’s a good actor. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-bale-i-dont-get-it/310233.md?page=2)