The Best of Christian Bale

Having just seen "Terminator Salvation" this past weekend, it got me thinking about Christian Bale's best movies...

5. Reign of Fire

Filmed before Matthew McConaughey became Mr. Chick Flick, Christian Bale and McConaughey team up to save the world from an infestation of dragons. Bale's character had gone a lifetime without seeing a single dragon killed and yet to save human existence, he sets out with McConaughey to kill the sole male dragon who happens to be the biggest, nastiest one of them all.

4. Rescue Dawn

This entire movie is driven by Bale's performance. It's even more compelling because it's a true story. Bale eating a bowl of live maggots is as impressive as it is disgusting. Obviously, he cares a great deal about his craft. How many other actors would have done that? Not many.

3. Equilibrium

Our story takes place in a totalitarian state where citizens are no longer allowed to possess things that cause them to feel. No books, no mementos and no cute fluffy doggies. Bale plays a high-level enforcer of these rules, but the cute fluffy doggy breaks him. Bale takes it upon himself to change the rules via brute force.

2. 3:10 to Yuma

Two great actors and one great ending. Westerns are not something I particularly care for, but the movie is too good to let that get in the way.

And numero uno....

1. American Psycho

One of my all-time favorite films with one of my all-time favorite characters. I remember seeing this film opening weekend when Bale was virtually an unknown. When I walked out of the theater, he had a new fan. His acting is supurb and the story is scary, funny, and awesome all at the same time. Love it! Love it! Love it!

No, "Terminator Salvation" didn't make the cut nor did his Batman films either. While I enjoyed them all, his presence in them was not especially important to their overall quality. Could other actors played those roles as well as he did? Probably. Could anyone have played Patrick Bateman as well in "American Psycho"? Absolutely not. I chose these films because I felt that Bale's contribution played a big part in why these five movies are as good as they are.

In closing, I will post my favorite quote from Christian Bale:

"I will never say never, but I will say never to doing the more typical romantic comedies. You know, unless I’m getting audited and I’m on the street and I desperately need some dough and that’s the only thing that I’m getting."

Hopefully, it'll never come to that. It does make me wonder if Matthew McConaughey is being audited, though...