3 posts tagged “christian bale”
Some folks are saying this was too long. I didn't feel that way seeing it. There were some parts that seemed unneeded or that could have been handled in more concise ways but I didn't want it to be over or anything.
One of the things that I've hated about a lot of other superhero films and the pre-Bale Batman films was the multiple villains. Starting with Batman Returns it seemed like every superhero movie had to have multiple villains in it. Even Spider-Man 3 had Venom and Sandman for no real reason. While having Ra's al Ghul and the Scarecrow in Batman Begins worked fairly well I was worried when I saw pictures of Two-Face. I didn't think having the Joker and Two-Face in the same film was needed. I was really surprised when not only they but the Scarecrow appears and the film actually works. I liked it better than Batman Begins.
The reason why it works is that a) the Scarcrow is barely in it and b) the Joker is tied directly into Two-Face. The two of them just don't happen to show up. There is a reason why both Two-Face and the Joker are in this. In fact, there's a pretty good reason why all this stuff had to be in it. Now, as I said, some of it could have been done differently and more quickly, but it all had its reason to be there.
The storyline is the best part of the film. The direction, on the other hand, isn't all that great. I've seen Memento and Batman Begins and I've never been impressed with his actual direction. He is a good writer. he might get good performances from the actors. When it comes to cinematography and camera shots, however, he is wholly uninteresting. He has no visual flair. If a director with some real style and energy had been behind the camera this really would have been over the top. As it is the film is just better than average. The death of Heath Ledger casts a shadow over the film and he might be award worthy. It isn't worthy of any non-technical awards though.
three thumbs up
Better than Begins
It ain't no Iron Man, though
Nor is it The Hulk.
One of the things that I've hated about a lot of other superhero films and the pre-Bale Batman films was the multiple villains. Starting with Batman Returns it seemed like every superhero movie had to have multiple villains in it. Even Spider-Man 3 had Venom and Sandman for no real reason. While having Ra's al Ghul and the Scarecrow in Batman Begins worked fairly well I was worried when I saw pictures of Two-Face. I didn't think having the Joker and Two-Face in the same film was needed. I was really surprised when not only they but the Scarecrow appears and the film actually works. I liked it better than Batman Begins.
The reason why it works is that a) the Scarcrow is barely in it and b) the Joker is tied directly into Two-Face. The two of them just don't happen to show up. There is a reason why both Two-Face and the Joker are in this. In fact, there's a pretty good reason why all this stuff had to be in it. Now, as I said, some of it could have been done differently and more quickly, but it all had its reason to be there.
The storyline is the best part of the film. The direction, on the other hand, isn't all that great. I've seen Memento and Batman Begins and I've never been impressed with his actual direction. He is a good writer. he might get good performances from the actors. When it comes to cinematography and camera shots, however, he is wholly uninteresting. He has no visual flair. If a director with some real style and energy had been behind the camera this really would have been over the top. As it is the film is just better than average. The death of Heath Ledger casts a shadow over the film and he might be award worthy. It isn't worthy of any non-technical awards though.
three thumbs up
Better than Begins
It ain't no Iron Man, though
Nor is it The Hulk.
When I said, "I want to be Christian Bale" I meant I wanted to have the body he had in American Psycho, not the one he has in The Machinist. I know it has been said to death, but Bale is incredibly scary skinny in this. There's one point where his character's call girl/girlfriend mentions it and he sucks his stomach (even further) in and he looks like the guy from Aphex Twin's "Come to Daddy" video.
My dad (who is not skinny) is a machinist, so the parts of the film where Bale's character is at work were of particular interest to me. However, I've been to where he works and it isn't anywhere as tedious or grim as the machine shop in this film. In the film the place where Bale works seems to be some kind of manufacturing place with multiple shifts. While there is some parts manufacturing where my dad works he mainly seems to make machines for factories.
At any rate, the fact that the main character in the film is blue collar was something I liked about the film. There are way too many movies and tv shows about white collar and upper class people. I'm an academic, but I like to think that I'm like J-Lo and I remember where I came from (and I have ass for days).
I'm hesitant to say too much about the film because that might ruin it. So if you ain't seen it, skip this part....
In a lot of ways this film is like Fight Club. However, comparing the two is kind of hard because they are about different things. Fight Club is has a lot of white collar angst (boo hoo, life in a cubicle is hard...) The machinist is, as I've said, working class. However, I think one of the things that really sets them apart for me is that Fight Club is really about finding someone to love and The Machinist is about guilt.
One one hand I really hated the Fight Club ended up basically being a love story. On the other hand Fincher is a much better director than Brad Anderson. Fincher makes Fight Club so stylish it is good to watch just on that alone. As good as the Machinist is, I don't think it has the replay value that Fight Club has. If Fincher had directed the Machinist and Anderson had directed Fight Club, I think the Machinist would be the best hands down.
That lack of stylish direction is one of the biggest strikes against it. If the direction was more stylish, I can easily see this being a movie that would stick with you a lot longer than The Machinist does. I compared Bale's look to that of the Aphex Twin video. Can you imagine what it would be like if he had directed it? Wow. That would have been awesome. So as it is, The Machinist was a pretty good film.
Seven Thumbs up.
Mad props to Christian
Someone give him a sandwich
'Cause Bale gotta eat!
My dad (who is not skinny) is a machinist, so the parts of the film where Bale's character is at work were of particular interest to me. However, I've been to where he works and it isn't anywhere as tedious or grim as the machine shop in this film. In the film the place where Bale works seems to be some kind of manufacturing place with multiple shifts. While there is some parts manufacturing where my dad works he mainly seems to make machines for factories.
At any rate, the fact that the main character in the film is blue collar was something I liked about the film. There are way too many movies and tv shows about white collar and upper class people. I'm an academic, but I like to think that I'm like J-Lo and I remember where I came from (and I have ass for days).
I'm hesitant to say too much about the film because that might ruin it. So if you ain't seen it, skip this part....
In a lot of ways this film is like Fight Club. However, comparing the two is kind of hard because they are about different things. Fight Club is has a lot of white collar angst (boo hoo, life in a cubicle is hard...) The machinist is, as I've said, working class. However, I think one of the things that really sets them apart for me is that Fight Club is really about finding someone to love and The Machinist is about guilt.
One one hand I really hated the Fight Club ended up basically being a love story. On the other hand Fincher is a much better director than Brad Anderson. Fincher makes Fight Club so stylish it is good to watch just on that alone. As good as the Machinist is, I don't think it has the replay value that Fight Club has. If Fincher had directed the Machinist and Anderson had directed Fight Club, I think the Machinist would be the best hands down.
That lack of stylish direction is one of the biggest strikes against it. If the direction was more stylish, I can easily see this being a movie that would stick with you a lot longer than The Machinist does. I compared Bale's look to that of the Aphex Twin video. Can you imagine what it would be like if he had directed it? Wow. That would have been awesome. So as it is, The Machinist was a pretty good film.
Seven Thumbs up.
Mad props to Christian
Someone give him a sandwich
'Cause Bale gotta eat!
When this one was over, I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it. And I'm still not sure. In this movie set in the 80s Christian Bale stars as a Wall Street guy by day and killer by night. It is really pretty droll and there are some really humorous parts. However, they are played almost so straight you kind of wonder if they are supposed to be funny or not. I never laughed out loud but I was pretty much entertained.
I'm just not sure what the point of it all is. OK, so people on Wall Street in the 80s were self absorbed, shallow, and empty inside. What are we supposed to get from a movie that came out in 2000? What does it have to say to us now? And that is the question. That is why I'm so confused. I don't understand what this movie is.
Christian Bale is freaking ripped though. It was also really interesting how his body is on display to such a degree here. It is obvious that a woman directed this by the way his body is so objectified especially in the initial phases of the film. Talk about your narcissistic scopophillia. I totally want to be him. Not the psycho character he portrays in the film. I don't like anything about him. I want to be Christian Bale.
Other that that, I got nothing.
no thumbs
Christian Bale is hot
He kills a lot of people
Not sure how I feel.
I'm just not sure what the point of it all is. OK, so people on Wall Street in the 80s were self absorbed, shallow, and empty inside. What are we supposed to get from a movie that came out in 2000? What does it have to say to us now? And that is the question. That is why I'm so confused. I don't understand what this movie is.
Christian Bale is freaking ripped though. It was also really interesting how his body is on display to such a degree here. It is obvious that a woman directed this by the way his body is so objectified especially in the initial phases of the film. Talk about your narcissistic scopophillia. I totally want to be him. Not the psycho character he portrays in the film. I don't like anything about him. I want to be Christian Bale.
Other that that, I got nothing.
no thumbs
Christian Bale is hot
He kills a lot of people
Not sure how I feel.
