For those of you who are new to this post, it’s a little complicated so let me break it down for you. Basically, what I do is, I pick an actor. After choosing said actor, I review their resume on IMDB. From that list, I use my extensive knowledge of films to surmise what I believe to be the chosen actors Top 5 Films. If you’ve got all that, please read on. If not, you may want to start back at the top to avoid any confusion going forward.
I typically choose actors that aren’t necessarily A-list celebrities. However, I’d also like to start incorporating your suggestions for the Top 5 Movies posts. This week’s subject was suggested by a dear old friend of mine: Megan Maletic-Hill. You too can make suggestions for future lists on our Facebook page which can be found by clicking here!!! I will choose at random.
With all that said, let’s get started.
EXCLUSIONS: BATMAN BEGINS, THE DARK KNIGHT.
Look, I’m a Fanboy. So, naturally, Christopher Nolan’s Batman films would probably top my list. However, constantly having them at the top of my list could get a bit tedious. So, for this list, let’s judge Bale on his work outside the confines of Gotham City. Here they are (in order):
5. EQUILIBRIUM.
The 5 spot may be the only controversial pick on the list. Not a lot of people have seen it but those who have tend to love it. At it’s core, it tries to be a smart film about a Fascist future where feelings are deemed illegal and controlled by substances. Until one man (Bale), who enforces this anti-feeling law, turns against the system and attempts to overthrow it. Ultimately though, it’s just a good, old fashioned, fun action film. The only problem? Taye Diggs… Taye Diggs!
4. REIGN OF FIRE.
What’s that you say? A film about a world overtaken by dragons and a group of survivors who conspire to take it back? Um… yes, please! Honestly, there is no such thing as an “okay” dragon movie. They’re typically either really good or really bad. This one is the former. Even Matthew McConaughey brings his beefed up “A” game to this fun flick.
3. EMPIRE OF THE SUN.
I was only about nine years old when I first saw and fell in love with this film. Way back when I had no idea who Christian Bale was and had no idea it was a Spielberg film. Spielberg really doesn’t make bad films anyway but I think this might be the most underrated film in his resume. It also features a great performance by John Malkovich (Malkovich! Malkovich!). Now, Bale has a handful of good films he did in his teen years but this one remains my favorite.
2. AMERICAN PSYCHO.
I saw American Psycho shortly before film became “my thing” and sort of dismissed it. Truthfully, I didn’t really get it. It felt like an unnecessary violent and confusing film. It was my wife of all people, an early Christian Bale fan, who got me to sit down and re-watch this film. Thank God she did because it really is kind of brilliant and features the performance that put Bale on Hollywood’s radar. I like the fact that someone in Hollywood had the balls to green-light a film like this and that the filmmakers were able to make such a great adaptation of a pretty complicated Bret Easton Ellis novel.
1. THE PRESTIGE.
GOD, I LOVE THIS MOVIE! It’s one of those films that I always forget to mention when people ask me what my favorite films are but it’s pretty high on my list. I think it’s kind of forgotten sometimes for two reasons. One, Nolan has made some pretty good films and it kind of gets swept into the fray. Two, it’s the little movie he wanted to make in between Batmans. Those are some pretty big bookends! Still, I love this film more every time I watch it. It’s the kind of film you finish the first time and want to go back and watch again right away. Oh, and Bale? Yeah… he’s really good in it!
So, what are some of your favorites?
Wayne (7)
Andrew (6)
Josh (6)
John (5)
Steve (5)
Justin (4)
Lauren (3)
Nick (3)
3guys1movie (2)
Andy (2)
Equilibrium is a film with all the markers of a Uni favorite… and I just couldn’t get through it. After about the fifteen mark, and the death of one character (those who’ve seen it know who) it just wobbled to the end for me. Even with a above solid performance by Bale.
I suppose my Bale top 5 would be (with your same exclusion, but I’m also excluding his voice work in Howl’s Moving Castle because of my Miyazaki fanboy nature):
1. Henry V (OK, it’s hardly ‘his’ film but he is featured in several of its most crucial scenes)
2. The Prestige
3. Empire of the Sun
4. 3:10 to Yuma (part of me putting this at 4 instead of 3 is the desire to avoid double 3s)
5. The Fighter
So yeah, on this one Kai, you and me differ quite a bit :S
Twitter: kaiderman
May 27, 2011 5:46 am
3:10 to Yuma was a tough one to omit because he is great in it. And The Fighter would make my Top 5 Performances list but not my Top 5 movies.
We’re not that different actually. Henry V is the only one that wouldn’t interest me.
You might be surprised on Henry V. The Shakespearean language is there, but Branagh makes it far more about the war and visuals than anything else. It’s got a sharp, quick pace to it. And one of the best no-cut sequences in film. Not saying it means you’ll enjoy it, but it’s a wonderful balance between Olivier’s slow, theatrical pace and Luhrmann’s frantic, explosive Romeo + Juliet.
Twitter: kaiderman
May 27, 2011 12:59 pm
If I’m ever in the mood for some Shakespeare, I’ll throw it in!
Dude, McConaughey stole the show in Reign of Fire. And I’m with Ryan, you gotta see Henry V, that’s one of the all-time greats.
Bitchin’ list though, homey.
Twitter: smallmind
May 27, 2011 6:36 am
I have to agree with Aiden. McConaughey steals Reign of Fire from Bale.
My Bale list would be:
1. The Machinist
2. American Psycho
3. The Prestige
4. Rescue Dawn
5. The Fighter
Twitter: kaiderman
May 27, 2011 12:58 pm
Machinist is a great one but it’s not that great a movie.
Also, this is a Top 5 movies list, not a Top 5 performance list, so even though (I can’t believe I’m saying this) McConaughey steals the show, it still makes the list as an awesome movie.
Twitter: mrsthuro
May 27, 2011 6:37 am
I’ve been in love with Bale since Newsies circa ’92. The Prestige is an amazing film that doesn’t get enough love. I would still include Batman Begins in my Top 5 because his performance in that movie drives the film, whereas TDK is all Joker territory.
5. The Fighter (Good movie, great performance. Still wish Hawkes had taken the Oscar.)
4. Newsies (Yeah, I said it.)
3. The New World
2. Batman Begins
1. The Prestige!!!
Twitter: kaiderman
May 27, 2011 12:59 pm
I omitted BBegins from contention or it would’ve been my #1.
good stuff Fletch. Equilibrium and The Prestige are 2 of my favorites. Just rewatched Equilibrium a couple days ago
Twitter: kaiderman
May 27, 2011 12:54 pm
Fletch didn’t write this, Jack. I did. But glad you like it!
How THE FIGHTER didn’t make this list is beyond me
and RESCUE DAWN since CS decided to remind me of that one…
Twitter: kaiderman
May 27, 2011 12:56 pm
I realize I’m in the minority on this but I thought Rescue Dawn was overrated as both a film and performance.
The Fighter was good but I like this Top 5 better. I’ll be curious to see the love for that film in a few years… to see where it settles in in his resume, that is.
Well done my friend!!! It is so hard for me to pick only 5 of his films that I like best, because like your wife, I am a huge fan from early on! I don’t know how you do it! Here’s my best try: (in no particular order)
1.batman begins
2.American psycho
3.the machinist
4.the prestige
5.swing kids!
Twitter: kaiderman
May 27, 2011 1:01 pm
That is probably similar to my wife’s list of Bale films. Batman, of course, rules.
The Machinist keeps getting mentioned but I don’t think it’s a strong film. I think the severe weight loss makes it more interesting than anything in it.
Amen to your number one brother.
But man, Equilibrium and Reign of Fire are two of the worst films I’ve ever seen. Bale is good in them, but the entire story and world they craft is so face-palm enduing I found enduring them an exercise in sanity.
I’d throw in Rescue Dawn and The New World into the mix. Party because I think those are two of Bale’s best performances and partly because I like artsy films with tons of trees.
Twitter: kaiderman
May 27, 2011 1:02 pm
Glad I didn’t completely let you down for a change, James.The New World is a great film. Definite Top 10. Rescue Dawn, I could take or leave, honestly.
Yes!! I can’t argue with The Prestige at the top even though I had American Psycho in mine. Love the Empire of the Sun love, such an underrated movie.
What about his role in “Mary, Mother of God”?
-Jason
Twitter: kaiderman
May 27, 2011 2:23 pm
What about it?
Great list. I would swap out The Prestige with 3:10 to Yuma though. Equilibrium was a fun movie and it had my boy Sean Bean in it (huge man crush).
Bale was great in Rescue Dawn, but the movie disturbed me, especially towards the end, so I am glad it was not on this list.
Twitter: kaiderman
May 28, 2011 7:53 am
I CANNOT and WILL NOT swap Yuma and The Prestige! I will recognize that Yuma is a damn fine film and acknowledge it as a Top 10 but it is no Prestige.
Ha! Maybe I need to watch it again. It came out at the same time as The Illusionist and it got lumped into the “two movies of the same kind” category in my mind (Volcano – Dante’s Peak, Armageddon-Deep Impact, etc.).
Twitter: kaiderman
May 28, 2011 11:42 am
Yeah, I know but The Prestige is not only better than The Illusionist, it also just a great film. REVISIT!!!
My favorite is Rescue Dawn. Herzog at his commercial best. Worth seeing for Bale’s performance alone.
Twitter: kaiderman
May 28, 2011 7:48 am
So strange… I think Rescue Dawn is overrated as a movie and performance.
Especially because it had so much potential for Bale to do even more, which he always seems to do. Dunno? That one just missed with me.
The Prestige would top my list, but after that it’s hard to choose. 3:10 to Yuma, American Psycho, The Machinist, and countless others.
REIGN OF FIRE….other because I don’t care for him…I don’t watch him on screen…blah.
REIGN OF FIRE yes….other then that I don’t care for him…I don’t watch him on screen…blah
Twitter: manilovefilms
May 30, 2011 11:14 am
First off, I will note that I’ll be revisiting The Prestige in a manner of days. Just got back from my sister’s and she left me with parting gifts of a bunch of DVDs, including that one!
So, excluding the Batmans…
5. The Fighter
4. The Prestige
3. 3:10 to Yuma
2. The Machinist
1. American Psycho
Twitter: kaiderman
May 30, 2011 11:17 am
I’ll be curious to hear your thoughts on The Prestige. Apparently, I need to revisit The Machinist. Alot of people keep bringing it up. I remember it being a strong performance, eccentuated by the extreme weight loss, but not that solid of a film.
shame on you. if you had really read “american psycho” you would know the movie sucked. there is no way to do that work justice with anything less than an NC-17 rating. but that’s what you get when you have a woman directing. (this bitch, on the other hand, woulda done it right!) bale’s portrayal didn’t do it for me either. he was TOO cool, smug but not in a charming, confident way. the thing about bateman’s character is that he was a likeable guy: women wanted him, men wanted to be him. bale wore his hatred on his face, which the real bateman never did. that’s why he got away with everything: he was so unassuming, so NOT evil looking. bale made it obvious; bateman was obscure.
don’t even get me started on chloë sevigny…
Twitter: kaiderman
June 23, 2011 3:15 pm
Sorry you didn’t like the adaptation, ostar. I still like the film a lot.