Movie #332 - American Psycho

American Psycho
2000 - Rated NC-17 - 1 hr 42 min
Director: Mary Harron
Starring: Christian Bale, Justin Therouz, Josh Lucas, Chloe Sevigny, Reese Witherspoon, Samantha Mathis, Jared Leto, Willem Dafoe

I must be some kind of sicko, because I think this movie is freaking genius.  And the gore is amazing.  Weird, right?  (SPOILER ALERT)

If you can watch this movie in the way the filmmaker intended you too, however, it has so much to say.  The general gratuitousness of the 1980's lifestyle, the dark secluded recesses of our minds that most of us don't indulge, the two-sidedness of the human condition, and the corruptness and idleness at the top of the corporate chain... Bateman's fantasies are blended seamlessly into the true scenes of the movie, so your experience is the way he'd like to tell it to you. He believes he's done these things, and by the end of the movie, you'll be confused about it yourself.

In fact, the "did he or didn't he" conversation happens nearly every time we watch the movie.  They never explain it in the film, but his friends' refusal to believe him and the whole "his victims are still alive" thing clears it up pretty well.  But as I said, the murder scenes are depicted so realistically, I can see where the confusion comes in.

Anyway. I love this movie, even if that does make me a little sick.

Movie #186 - Equilibrium

Equilibrium
2002 - Rated R - 1 hr 47 min
Director: Kurt Wimmer
Starring: Christian Bale, Sean Bean, Emily Watson, Taye Diggs

Weird futuristic movie.
Evil Taye Diggs.
Sense Crimes.
Dead puppies.

This is what I took away from this movie.  It's impressive to watch, pretty to see, and is one of Christian Bale's more interesting roles.  Although, of all these people, believing that he's the one to fall for a puppy is a bit of a stretch.  And Taye Diggs evil? Never!

I couldn't remember this movie by it's title, which was soon remedied once I put it on. Then I panicked, because I remembered it as "the movie where they shoot the puppies." And it was all downhill from there.

So this one's okay. Not one of my faves. And definitely paints one of the bleaker pictures of human kind's future, so you won't walk away feeling good from this one.

Movie #146 - The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight
Warner Bros Pictures
2008 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 32 min
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy

If you haven't seen this movie yet.... oh man. Do you live in a cave? How are you reading this post? Honestly, I'm concerned about you. This is a MUST see. MUST. So get out of your cave and go find a rental store... oh wait a minute. You have the internet. Get a Netflix account and download the movie already, for crying out loud.  Watch it in your cave, I don't care. 

There. Much better now.  Now you understand. This movie, from beginning to end and all the way through the middle, is awesome.  Sure, Christian Bale's Batman voice is a little weird. And yeah, the Two-Face plot at the end feels like an afterthought.  But, my God, is Heath Ledger brilliant or what?  Some have said that we only love this movie so much because it was his *last* film (technically, that's not true... ahem, Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, but we're not on I yet.) But if he were still alive (oh....now I'm sad), I'd still think this movie and his performance were frickin' fabulous.

If you're not an action or comic-book-based movie fan, that's fine. You don't have to be to appreciate the artistry of this movie. The tone is perfect, the plotline engaging, and the performances top-notch.  I'm gushing, I know. But I give credit where it's due and - after watching all those 90's Batman movies last month - I'm really glad they decided to give this franchise a re-boot.  And while Heath Ledger will be sorely missed for a long, long time, I'm glad we got this parting gift from him.

Movie #58 - Batman Begins

Batman Begins
Warner Bros. Pictures

2005 - Rated PG-13 - 2 hr 20 min
Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, Ken Watanabe


I remember when this movie came out thinking, "Another Batman? Why?" But after watching those last four, I can see what the franchise needed a new start. In Batman Begins, the slate gets wiped clean and Christopher Nolan takes a stab at how Batman became the Batman. And some clever bits and pieces are added to deepen his character.

This movie takes the comic-ness out of the story and makes it more accessible. Batman isn't just one-half vigilante and one-half playboy. Instead, we get to see his relationship with his father, how deeply scarring it was to lose his parents, how his childhood friend can affect him, and how his training made him what he is. Plus, it's fun to watch Christian Bale train with ninjas, just sayin'.

Christian Bale may not be the best Batman, but he's great at the gritty, wounded hero thing. He could do without the Batman voice, as I'm sure most people would agree, but it's a small criticism in an otherwise entertaining movie.

I really enjoyed this movie when I first saw it in the theater and I still like it now. My only regret is that the sequel The Dark Knight is filed under D... or else I'd be happy to move onto it right away.