Sunday 27 February 2011

Best Actor 1949: John Wayne in Sands of Iwo Jima

John Wayne received his first Oscar nomination for portraying Sgt. John M. Stryker in Sands of Iwo Jima.

Sands of Iwo Jima is a fairly standard old fashioned war movie, it is entirely cliched  but I suppose it is sort of made finely for this type of film.

There are many types of different types of actors in terms of Oscar relation. There is the properly nominated actors in the sort of Laurence Olivier, or Marlon Brando, there is the over nominated like say Spencer Tracy or Warren Beatty, or there is the never nominated snubs of people like Edward G. Robinson or Peter Lorre, and there are also the under nominated of miss nominated meaning they are indeed Oscar nominees but they were nominated too few of times, or they were always nominated for the wrong performances. I must say John Wayne is an actor of this last type mentioned, he was indeed nominated for Oscars but only twice and for performances many detract from.

I actually think Wayne is fine as an actor in his standard performances, he sometimes over does it, and is limited in his way but I find he is fine in his standard roles that are right for him, and I do think he has a few performances that should have been his nominations, if he was only to be nominated twice he should have been nominated most certainly for The Quiet Man my favorite performance of his where he is surprisingly charming, comedic, and tender, or his most praised performance in The Searchers where he is coldly effective. Now he was not nominated for these his best roles, but rather this first for a very standard Wayne role of a Military man leading troops. Now The reason I went on this rather long opening description is I think Wayne is given at times an overly hard time as an actor, and I do think he could be great at the right time and for the right role, so I just wanted to make clear I do think he deserved an Oscar nomination or two just maybe not for this performance.

Wayne portrays Stryker in what is a very standard Wayne performance. He commands his troops in his own commanding way at which Wayne is just fine at. He is not amazing as the Sergeant, but sure I certainly did believe him well enough in the role. No he does not do anything great as he deals with his men of every different type with his appropriate man of military, but I did think it was fine for the film, and I believed his performance. Wayne does try his best to make the sometimes incredibly cliched dialogue with conviction, and I think he handles as well as any other actor really could have, which is not much but fine.

Wayne is fine most of the film, and I do think he is a little better in his performance in the war scenes. He has the right command of a fine although not perfect marine sergeant. He again does display the right emotions, and using silent reactions to what he sees and does is well handled enough, amazing, no, but well enough. In fact his reaction shots are always the best part of his performance in this film which convey a more feeling and emotion then whenever he is talking. I do think Wayne is good here, and in particular scenes, and he is just fine and functional in other scenes. A great performance no, the best performance of Wayne's career, no, the best performance of Wayne this year, no he was better in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, but I still thought he was fine.

Friday 25 February 2011

Best Actor 1949: Broderick Crawford in All the King's Men

Broderick Crawford won an Oscar from his only nomination for portraying Willie Stark in All The King's Men.

All the King's Men is a somewhat effective but also lacking piece that takes a look at political corruption.

All the King's Men tells the story of a journalist (John Ireland) who follows the political career of Willie Stark. When we first see Stark he seems like a very soft spoken honest Joe who wants just to do what is right for the people. I frankly think Crawford actually honestly overdid the softness and naivety of Willie at the beginning of the film and frankly made him seem to nice, and modest. Crawford makes no indication at all that there is anything but good in Stark, who is passionate for the good of the people and nothing else.

Old Willie though changes a little too rapidly when told that he is being used by the higher ups. He changes basically as soon as he finds out and changes to an very confidant passionate speaker who learns how to fiery up the people to vote for him. I will say Crawford gives the right passionate bluster to his speech and into the new Willie, but I find him changing into this far more confidant Willie lacks a proper transition. The film does not really give it enough time, but Crawford really failed to use the little time he really had to make it convincing. He also failed to show of hidden aspects of Willie beforehand in the earliest moments, due to the simple nice guy portrayal he did.

Willie Stark as soon as he becomes a knowledgeable confidant politician he seems to become a completely evil and manipulative one. I think Crawford and the film again are to blame, the film does force this instant transition, but also Crawford almost immediately begins to portray Willie in this evil fashion. Again a failed transition but this does lead to Crawford portrayal as the power hungry Stark. This is by far the best part and aspect of Crawford's performance one that he pretty much fully succeeds with. Crawford has the perfect manipulative command to Willie in his power hungry form. As he smiles gleefully of his new found power clearly enjoying it well. I also thought his smooth control over his sessions where he deals with his enemies are quite effective and believable. Crawford also keeps the right intensity of Willie who dislikes whenever anything is not going his way, again he keeps it smooth and builds his anger but hides in public in the proper slimy politician fashion.

Now Crawford is almost perfect in as the evil Stark well when he is being actually evil, but I really did not entirely buy him as being seen as this great man by the public. Crawford's speeches consists of angered rhetoric, and he lacked a charm in the role necessary I think for his character to completely fool the public in this way. Crawford does indeed put on a false show in public well enough, but I think he needed more charm and charisma to be fully convincing. I also think his many liaisons with many women has the same problem. Yes he is a powerful guy and they easily could be attracted to that, but the utter devotion seems a little hard to believe, due to the lack of charisma he shows especially in the scenes with the women. Crawford mostly did character work and perhaps that is what suited him best. If he only had to do the evil Willie in a Supporting character role his performance would have been brilliant, but since he is required to show so much with the character's changes and transition his performance falls short overall. His performance is lacking most of the time, but he still excels very well in specific moments.

Thursday 24 February 2011

Best Actor 1949

And the Nominees Were:

John Wayne in Sands of Iwo Jima 

Gregory Peck in Twelve O'Clock High 

Broderick Crawford in All The King's Men

Richard Todd in The Hasty Heart

Kirk Douglas in Champion

Supporting Ranking 100 Nominees

  1. 1972
  2. 1993
  3. 1954
  4. 1961
  5. 1968
  6. 1979
  7. 2010
  8. 1941
  9. 1984
  10. 1950
  11. 2000
  12. 1960
  13. 1997
  14. 1976
  15. 1948
  16. 1940
  17. 2003
  18. 1936
  19. 1985
  20. 1953
  1. Al Pacino in The Godfather (1972)
  2. Haing S. Ngor in The Killing Fields (1984)
  3. Ralph Fiennes in Schindler' List (1993) 
  4. Jackie Gleason in the Hustler (1961)
  5. Rod Steiger in On the Waterfront (1954)
  6. George Sanders in All About Eve (1950)
  7. Sydney Greenstreet in The Maltese Falcon (1941)
  8. Willem Dafoe in Shadow of the Vampire (2000)
  9. Walter Huston in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
  10. Jack Albertson in The Subject Was Roses (1968)
  11. Montgomery Clift in Judgment At Nuremberg (1961) 
  12. Robert Duvall in Apocalypse Now (1979)  
  13. Lee J. Cobb in On the Waterfront (1954) 
  14. George C. Scott in The Hustler (1961)
  15. Karl Malden in On the Waterfront (1954)
  16. Walter Brennan in The Westerner (1940)
  17. Pete Postlethwaite in In the Name of the Father (1993)
  18. James Caan in The Godfather (1972)
  19. Charles Coburn in The Devil and Miss Jones (1941)
  20. Laurence Olivier in Marathon Man (1976)
  21. Joel Grey in Cabaret (1972)
  22. Gene Wilder in The Producers (1968)
  23. Justin Henry in Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979) 
  24. Seymour Cassel in Faces (1968)
  25. Burgess Meredith in Rocky (1976) 
  26. John Hawkes in Winter's Bone (2010)
  27. Sam Jaffe in The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
  28. Peter Falk in Murder, Inc. (1960) 
  29. Benicio Del Toro in Traffic (2000)
  30. Christian Bale in The Fighter (2010)
  31. Tim Robbins in Mystic River (2003)
  32. Walter Brennan in Come and Get It (1936) 
  33. Burt Reynolds in Boogie Nights (1997)
  34. Klaus Maria Brandauer in Out of Africa (1985)
  35. Leonardo DiCaprio in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
  36. Donald Crisp in How Green Was My Valley (1941)
  37. Sal Mineo in Exodus (1960)
  38. Frederic Forrest in The Rose (1979)
  39. Geoffrey Rush in The King's Speech (2010)
  40. John Malkovich in In the Line of Fire (1993)
  41. Peter Ustinov in Spartacus (1960)
  42. Robert Forster in Jackie Brown (1997)
  43. Eddie Albert in The Heartbreak Kid (1972)
  44. Jeremy Renner in The Town (2010)
  45. Adolph Caesar in A Soldier's Story (1984)
  46. Greg Kinnear in As Good As It Gets (1997)
  47. Robert Duvall in The Godfather (1972)
  48. Cecil Kellaway in The Luck of the Irish (1948)
  49. Jack Kruschen in The Apartment (1960)
  50. Erich von Stroheim in Sunset Blvd. (1950)
  51. Robert Strauss in Stalag 17 (1953)
  52. Mickey Rooney in The Black Stallion (1979) 
  53. Charles Bickford in Johnny Belinda (1948)
  54. Pat Morita in The Karate Kid (1984)
  55. Jack Wild in Oliver! (1968)
  56. Albert Finney in Erin Brockovich (2000)
  57. Ken Watanabe in The Last Samurai (2003)
  58. Anthony Hopkins in Amistad (1997)
  59. John Malkovich in Places in the Heart (1984)
  60. Walter Brennan in Sergeant York (1941)
  61. Jason Robards in All the President's Men (1976)
  62. Robert Loggia in Jagged Edge (1985)
  63. Jack Palance in Shane (1953)
  64. Peter Falk in Pocketful of Miracles (1961)
  65. Edmond O'Brien in The Barefoot Contessa (1954)
  66. Ned Beatty in Network (1976)
  67. Edmund Gwenn in Mister 880
  68. Albert Bassermann in Foreign Correspondent (1940) 
  69. Basil Rathbone in Romeo and Juliet (1936)
  70. James Stephenson in The Letter (1940)
  71. Alec Baldwin in The Cooler (2003)
  72. Melvyn Douglas in Being There (1979)
  73. Jeff Bridges in The Contender (2000)
  74. Jack Oakie in The Great Dictator (1940)
  75. Mark Ruffalo in The Kids are All Right (2010)
  76. Ralph Richardson in Greystoke (1984)
  77. Djimon Honsou in In America (2003)
  78. Benicio Del Toro in 21 Grams (2003)
  79. Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive (1993)
  80. Burt Young in Rocky (1976)
  81. Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting (1997)
  82. William Gargan in They Knew What They Wanted (1940)
  83. William Hickey in Prizzi's Honor (1985)
  84. Jeff Chandler in Broken Arrow (1950)
  85. Oskar Homolka in I Remember Mama (1948)
  86. Akim Tamiroff in The General Died at Dawn (1936)
  87. Brandon De Wilde in Shane (1953)
  88. Joaquin Phoenix in Gladiator (2000)
  89. Daniel Massey in Star! (1968)
  90. Eddie Albert in Roman Holiday (1953)
  91. Chill Wills in The Alamo (1960)
  92. James Gleason in Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941) 
  93. Stuart Erwin in Pigskin Parade (1936)
  94. Tom Tully in The Caine Mutiny (1954)
  95. Frank Sinatra in From Here to Eternity (1953)
  96. George Chakiris in West Side Story (1961)
  97. Jose Ferrer in Joan of Arc (1948)
  98. Mischa Auer in My Man Godfrey (1936)
  99. Don Ameche in Cocoon (1985)
  100. Eric Roberts in Runaway Train (1985)
And my Winners Are:
                              Walter Brennan As Swan Bostrum

                                  Walter Brennan as Judge Roy Bean
                            Sydney Greenstreet as Kasper Gutman
                                 Walter Huston as Howard
                                  George Sanders as Addison De Witt
                       Robert Strauss as Stanislas 'Animal' Kasava
                            Rod Steiger as Charley Malloy 
                             Peter Falk as Abe 'Kid Twist' Reles
                                Jackie Gleason as Minnesota Fats
                           Jack Albertson as John Cleary
                           Al Pacino as Micheal Corleone
                          Laurence Olivier as Dr. Christian Szell
                              Robert Duvall as Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore
                              Haing S. Ngor as Dith Pran
     Klaus Maria Brandauer as Baron Bror von Blixen-Finecke
                                       Ralph Fiennes as Amon Goeth
                                       Burt Reynolds as Jack Horner
                                  Willem Dafoe as Max Schreck
                                 Tim Robbins as Dave Boyle
                              John Hawkes as Teardrop

This category is not the strongest but there are certainly strong performances to be found within it. Sorry about the lack of a video but I could not find good enough footage of Jack Albertson and Peter Falk.

Most Wins: Walter Brennan with two
Most Reviewed: Walter Brennan with three
Winners in Both Lead and Supporting: Laurence Olivier, Rod Steiger, Robert Duvall, Walter Huston
Films with Winners in Both Lead and Supporting: On The Waterfront, Schindler's List
Noticeable Trend: A good amount of my winners are villains or antagonistic characters.
Academy Agreements: 7
Most Pleasant Surprise: Pete Postlethwaite in In the Name of the Father

Wednesday 23 February 2011

Best Supporting Actor 1950: Results

5. Jeff Chandler in Broken Arrow- Chandler is already miscast around actual Native Americans, and his dull performance never makes up for this problem.
4. Edmund Gwenn in Mister 880- Gwenn is properly sweet and charming in his part, but the part of the most benevolent of criminals is not much of one.
3. Erich von Stroheim in Sunset Blvd.- Stroheim is perfectly cast adding another layer to his character simply through his own background. He also is always proper in his role, but his performance never becomes that amazing for me. Max Meyerling is certianly an interesting character but a limited one.
2. Sam Jaffe in The Asphalt Jungle- In many years I sort of look forward to rarely talked about nominated performance which are ample in this category. I usually find out why they are rarely spoken of like Gwenn, and Chandler, but I was very pleasantly surprised to find Jaffe's incredibly strong work. Jaffe's performance is subtle even simple work at times, that is amazingly effective and very memorable.
1. George Sanders in All About Eve-Sanders simply could not be better in the role of Addison De Witt. He channels the snarky smug, yet incredibly intelligent and suave ways of the character. Sanders always makes his presence known with every single comment he makes, and to top it off he has one unforgettable scene that is just a magnificent piece of acting.

Best Supporting Actor 1950: Erich von Stroheim in Sunset Blvd.

Erich von Stroheim received his only Oscar nomination for portraying Max von Meyerling in Sunset Blvd.

Now here is a performance and character I find that raises the interesting question of the difference between great casting, and a great performance. It must be said that it was quite brilliant to cast Erich von Stroheim as Norma Desmond's butler. The fact that Stroheim really was a famous director as Meyerling reveals himself to have been does add an extra layer. That Stroheim just like Meyerling had been reduced from once being a great director not quite to being a butler, but still being reduced to playing a butler. This casting just does add to whole underbelly of Hollywood feel to the film that works quite well in its favor.

Now his actual performance is a different story, since if you had no idea who Stroheim was his casting really would not have added an extra layer to the film. Stroheim early on just does a the butler duties of a butler role. He does them well with the right undercurrent of strangeness which goes well with the strangeness of the whole life of Norma Desmond. Stroheim is not given much to do, but he stays noticeable as a fixture of Norma Desmond's mansion. Stroheim does display the right odd devotion and caring of Meyerling to Desmond, and I do like his small way of revealing more of Max along the way, such as when he says not to look to closely at Norma Desmond's fan letters.

Meyerling is of course not just a butler but Desmond's ex-husband, and director. Stroheim does handle this reveal well, and did suggest it properly beforehand. He also is good at showing his inability to disappoint Norman when he is unable to tell her the truth about her popularity. Also Stroheim is good in the final scene showing Meyerling inner director come out at the end. I think Meyerling is a very interesting character far more so than he needed to be. Stroheim also does really portray the part as well as one could, his background does add to the film, but I do not think this is an amazing performance though. It is good Stroheim was perfectly cast, but I just cannot call this a great performance.

Best Supporting Actor 1950: George Sanders in All About Eve

George Sanders won an Oscar from his only nomination for portraying Addison De Witt in All About Eve.

All About Eve is a well made, well written, and well acted drama about the aging theater actress Margo Channing  (Bette Davis) having her position of star of the stage being usurped by the manipulative Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter).

Addison De Witt is the most famous theater critic in the world at least according to himself, who is well known in the theater world for his sardonic wit, and criticism. Sanders seems simply the only person for this role. There is something about Sanders which he utilizes so well in this film, and that is he seems to be in a class of his own. Sanders just has this perfect quality that suggests he is simply functioning on some sort of different level which could not work better for Addison De Witt.

Sanders fully and brilliantly realizes his characters incredible wit, intelligence, and his overly classy way he acts and moves. Each movement he makes are always more fully amplify Addison way and nature. Sanders is not in the film overall actually that much, but he is always noticeable, and always brings the right amount of attention to himself. Sanders is just compulsively watchable in his performance, whether he is making a remark made as witty and sardonic as possible with Sanders' impeccable voice, or is reacting to another speak with his perfect reactions always dissecting them, and finding weakness or strength or what that say.

Sanders makes Addison the perfect pompous but incredibly intelligent critic, in this lively completely entertaining performance. A great performance in almost every moment he is in adding everything he can even in the smallest of moments, but he is also given one scene just for Sanders to be completely outstanding. This is of course his scene where he finally manipulates Eve, and shows her how things really are. Sanders is simply incredible as Addison destroys Eve's facade and breaks her down. He also shows a slight sensitivity breifly when Eve laughs at him, that Sanders quickly but perfectly weaves into the razor sharp edge of his character. Sanders holds no bars in this scene, and is chilling as he tells of Eve how she is now his. Sanders for this scene alone deserved an Oscar it is that good. With this incredible scene, and all of his other short but scene stealing moments this was an Oscar well deserved for George Sanders.

Monday 21 February 2011

Best Supporting Actor 1950: Sam Jaffe in The Asphalt Jungle

Sam Jaffe received his only Oscar nomination for portraying Doc Erwin Riedenschneider in The Asphalt Jungle.

The Asphalt Jungle is a well made and an effective crime thriller.

Doc Erwin Riedenschneider conceives the plot to heist jewels. He is the brains behind a small group of men in this scheme. Jaffe portrays the part with a very smooth, and proper demeanor. Jaffe just gives this perfect smoothness to his performance. He shows well that the Doc is a man who knows precisely what he is doing, and never at all loses his cool no matter what the situation.

 Jaffe's very calm and cool presence always adds to The Asphalt Jungle, and I was always very much interested in what he was doing even with the simplest actions. I think the heist scene shows best how quietly interesting  and effective Jaffe is in his role. He moves throughout the scene with an effective precision showing this as something that Doc has done more than once before. Also just when he is waiting for the others to do their jobs, Jaffe makes the Doc just quietly smoking a cigar somehow riveting.

Jaffe is not given an enormous amount material but he makes so much of the little he does indeed have. I think I particularly liked his performance near the end, where Jaffe shows a slightly less business oriented Doc. He has some oddly poignant moments that Jaffe creates very simply. I say odd because I think he sort of makes one briefly with Sterling Hayden, anyone who makes a scene at all poignant with him deserves an Oscar nomination. I particularly liked his final scene where he spends too long to "enjoy" life. Jaffe finds just the right note for this scene to make a fascinating end to his performance. A quietly effective performance by Jaffe, that I was pleasantly surprised by.

Best Supporting Actor 1950: Jeff Chandler in Broken Arrow

Jeff Chandler received his only Oscar nomination for portraying Cochise in Broken Arrow.

Broken Arrow is not terribly made, and it is interesting to see an early film that shows the Native Americans in a more positive light, but the film just never becomes that good though.

The film does try to tell a story more fully about the Native Americans, but the main characters which are Apache are portrayed by white actors like Jeff Chandler. This does most certainly does lead to a good amount of non authenticity with his performance. I never really believed him as Cochise. This is certainly at least partially not his fault. It was miscasting to have a white actor portray the lead Apache especially since most of the supporting Apache are portrayed by actual Native Americans.

Chandler technically could have been worse and really fell flat as Cochise into embarrassing territory. Chandler instead is just mostly dull in his performance. He stands up straight with a very dignified leader sort of posture, and speaks in commanding enough fashion I suppose. He never makes Cochise all that interesting, nor does he get over his miscasting. His performance just stays a mostly dull, and at best at becomes a functional performance. His performance just is not at all special and I doubt I would remember it at all if he had not been nominated for an Oscar.

Sunday 20 February 2011

Best Supporting Actor 1950: Edmund Gwenn in Mister 880

Edmund Gwenn received his second and final Oscar nomination for portraying 'Skipper' Miller in Mister 880. 

Mister 880 frankly is not that interesting of a tale about a secret service investigator tying to find a small time elusive counterfeiter, it is made even less interesting due to a tacked on love story.

Mister 880 is the counterfeiter who eludes the secret service at every turn, no one has been able to catch him so much they call in an specialist by the name of .... I don't remember even though I just watched it yesterday, frankly it doesn't matter since his character is so unremarkable, but anyways he is played by Burt Lancaster. So who is this criminal they need Lancaster for well a sweet old man played by that sweet old man Edmund Gwenn, who may be even sweeter as Skipper Miller than when he played Kris Kringle, after all in Miracle on 34th street he at least hit someone on the head.

Skipper Miller's crime is he peddles one dollar fake bills to get by in a very modest life style. He only ever spends uses one dollar per store, and even tries to buy something else with the change he is given. The Skipper also does this to avoid actually to save the government money, since he could go to a Veteran's home but that would cost more money than he requires. The Skipper is the friend to everyone, and everything.

Well since Skipper is such a perfectly nice criminal with really almost selfless tendencies, this really allows very little for anything for Gwenn to do but be a nice charming old man. He is just that in everything scene, a sweet old man. The role requires little else of him, except at the end when he is caught. He shows a slight bit of sadness giving up his printing press, and later a sort of exhausted relief when he finally gives himself up. This little bit of extra emotion amount to very little, but it technically is perfect for as Skipper is written. Gwenn is charming, and does as required, but Skipper is a little too simple of a character for his performance to amount to much of anything.

Saturday 19 February 2011

Best Supporting Actor 1950

And The Nominees Were:

Erich Von Stroheim in Sunset Blvd.

Edmund Gwenn in Mister 880

George Sanders in All About Eve

Jeff Chandler in Broken Arrow

Sam Jaffe in The Asphalt Jungle

Before I jump back to Best Actor and gain back my ability to relax as I review here is another Supporting year.

Best Supporting Actor 2010: Results


5. Mark Ruffalo in the Kids are All Right- Ruffalo's performance is somewhat charming I suppose, but very limited in what he does with the role. When the role requires more of him, he does not handle it very well.
4. Jeremy Renner in The Town- Renner stays intense and suggests the psychotic nature of his character well and in an effective fashion. It is not that complex of a character, but Renner does the most he can with it.
3. Geoffrey Rush in The King's Speech- Rush showboats all the way throughout his performance as the unorthodox speech therapist. His showboating does work though I feel for this role, and is properly entertaining, and effective.
2. Christian Bale in The Fighter- Bale gives a strong performance managing to realistically portray the character drug induced problems, along with adding some humor as well.
1. John Hawkes in Winter's Bone- (Good Prediction Dinasztie) Hawkes realizes his character incredibly well, and manages to give both a chilling performance, and a warm one. He manages to mix both aspect of his character incredibly well, and in an effective performance.

Best Supporting Actor 2010: Christian Bale in The Fighter

Christian Bale won an Oscar his first Oscar nomination for portraying washed up boxer, and drug addict Dicky Eklund.



The Fighter is a cliched story, and it being a true story still does not stop it from being not very original. I did think it was competently made story, but I have to say for me I really was not all emotionally affected with the big fight at the end, something which did occur with all the Rocky movies for me no matter how bad they got.

Bale performance begins in the film as a rather comedic work. He portrays Dicky in a fairly flamboyantly comedic fashion. He outstretches his arms in a certain manner and carries himself in a very distinct physical fashion. He always is letting loose energy all the time a moving around, and does everything he can to more fully realize Dicky as a character. This is risky move as it can seem forced or theatrical but Bale manages to make fairly realistic and effective most of the time.

The humor he adds to the film is well handled most of the time by Bale, but I feel the film starts to exploit the comedy involving Dicky's drug addiction a bit much, since later on the film it takes a look at it in a completely realistic serious fashion. This really puts a stress on Bale's performance since he has to go in and out of seriousness and comedy with his performance. This is a rather difficult challenge and I won't say Bale fully succeeds, but no actor could really.

When the film stops making him be the comic relief Bale is very good at showing the pathetic sad side of Dicky. He always shows in the early part of the film his constant drug problems. He puts into his whole physical performance, which Bale does do quite well always showing the drug induced nature of the character. This could have been done very poorly, but Bale does it quite effectively, and I feel it enhances the other downtrodden pathetic aspects of his character rather than simply overriding them. I thought Bale also did a good job of showing the honest want of his comeback that will never happen.

After he gets off the drugs do to being arrested and being put in jail. Bale handles his characters regrets over what he does well, but I am glad he did not completely rid his character of his humor as before, even though the film stops any of the humor coming from his addiction quite abruptly. I also though Bale was quite good later in his wanting to help his brother Micky (Mark Wahlberg) achieve what he never could. Bale is given some rather cliched dialogue to work with but Bale handles it quite well nonetheless.