Christian Bale: great method actor? or tries too hard?

[filmfreak88]

Recently I came across this article at msn: http://movies.msn.com/story/taxing-movie-people/christian-bale/?icid=MOVIES2a&GT1=MOVIES2a

Basically, the article says that Bale tries too hard and that his acting is always unnatural, forced, melodramatic, and too distracting.

I personally don't agree. Yes, he does give intense performances but that's because he usually picks intense characters. Thus, the intensity in most of his performances are called for. And he usually imbues such strong, often unlikable characters with depth and vulnerability. His intense, committed performances do not distract at all. In fact, they sometimes elevate what would have been mediocre movies. Sure, he does have the tendency to overact sometimes as best exemplified in The Fighter. But I am of the opinion that his occasional overacting is mostly not his fault. He is simply compensating for the one-noteness of the character (I think the screenplay writer is more to blame here). And it's not like all his performances are intense as he can also do restrained performances like in 3:10 to Yuma and The Prestige.

What do you think?

[cameron326]

I've enjoyed his acting in some of his films, particluarly Rescue Dawn and the Machinist. I think he does Batman quite well, but not great - he's convincing in the role, and they're decent films, but you don't come away with much insight into either Wayne or Batman - but that is also the fault of the scriptwriters and IMO a plot heavy film with little time for character development.

Like Johnny Depp before him, I enjoyed watching Bale films more before he became such a hyped actor performing in huge, hyped movies. I think Bale (and Depp) is a very good actor who enjoys playing intense, challenging parts. But for all actors there is always a danger of overkill and being typecast. Bale is a really good actor but he's not one of my favourites. I don't think he has the onscreen charisma of many other male a-listers such as Hanks, Nicholson, Cage and many, many others, but maybe thats part of the appeal in a perverse way - he doesn't come across as a typical Hollywood lead IMO, which isnt necessarily a bad thing.

[ayall]

I think Bale is a pretty good actor, and i think his recent performance in The Fighter proved that.

I personally really liked him in American Psycho... but he did play a role which required him to seem "unnatural, forced, melodramatic, and too distracting." Doing so, he hit the role spot on. He shoulda been been nominated or awarded an Oscar for his role in that film.

I think he did a good job in the Prestige, 3:10 and also in Batman Begins. I didn't really like him in the Dark Knight, but I think Heath Ledger did such an amazing job, it was an almost impossible act for Bale to follow.

So I agree with OP when he states;

Yes, he does give intense performances but that's because he usually picks intense characters. Thus, the intensity in most of his performances are called for. And he usually imbues such strong, often unlikable characters with depth and vulnerability. His intense, committed performances do not distract at all. In fact, they sometimes elevate what would have been mediocre movies.

I also like Ray's comparison to Depp.

[TheDenizen]

"great method actor? or tries too hard?"

Nope, he's just a decent method actor who tries too hard. I like Bale in a bunch of things (his Batman is pretty terrible though), but he does often come across as very forced and unnatural. He can be great in the right movie/role, though.

[MadMan]

I find him to be a great actor, one who works really hard and can at times overdo the whole "Intense" thing. He's not very good in the Batman movies simply because the part is rather weak. However, he's been fantastic in American Psycho, The Fighter, The New World, and Public Enemies. Haven't seen The Machinist yet, but I want to.

[filmfreak88]

Like Johnny Depp before him, I enjoyed watching Bale films more before he became such a hyped actor performing in huge, hyped movies. I think Bale (and Depp) is a very good actor who enjoys playing intense, challenging parts.

I agree about Depp. He is a good actor but he has become so hyped that I am starting to get tired of him. But for some reason I don't feel the same way about Bale.

[tef]

His Batman voice cracks me up. I think he's a fine actor, just sort of a self-involved asshole.

[ShogunRua]

I think Bale is a fucking terrific actor.

He was absolutely phenomenal in "American Psycho" and was a goddamn magnetic presence in "The Prestige". His Batman is quite stale, but I blame that on the way Nolan has written and presented the character more than anything.

As for the guy writing that MSN article, he's a fucking moron. You might like or not like Bale, but saying that the energy and emotion he invests into his roles and characters is a bad thing is insane. And I shudder to think what this guy would think if he ever watched a quality European or Asian art film.

By the way, that MSN guy also talked shit about Daniel Day Lewis and how he hated his performance in There Will be Blood. At that point, you can calmly dismiss him as a clueless idiot.

[TheDenizen]

American Psycho and The Prestige are definitely two of Bale's better flicks. But it seems like for every great performance he gives like The Machinist and 3:10 to Yuma, you also get something like Shaft or Reign of Fire to drag him back to earth (and that's not to mention some of the abominations of his early career).

[ShogunRua]

Reign of Fire

I watched that abortion, but I'm not going to fault Bale for his acting. The writing and directing of that picture was just so abysmal, that not even Marlon Brando could have turned in a quality performance there.