Not Very Nice…
Desson Thomson takes some cheap shots at Christian Bale in The Wrap and I feel compelled to respond…
headline…
“Is Christian Bale a Real Movie Star?
If we see a glint in his eyes, it
May 21, 2024
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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?
So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.
And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.
There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.
I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.
So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.
But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”
My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher
“That was the most disappointing thing to me in how this thing was played. Is that I’m on the phone with you now, after all that’s been said, and the fundamental distinction between what James is dealing with in these other cases is not actually brought to the fore. The fundamental difference is that James Franco didn’t seek to use his position to have sex with anyone. There’s not a case of that. He wasn’t using his position or status to try to solicit a sexual favor from anyone. If he had — if that were what the accusation involved — the show would not have gone on. We would have folded up shop and we would have not completed the show. Because then it would have been the same as Harvey Weinstein, or Les Moonves, or any of these cases that are fundamental to this new paradigm. Did you not notice that? Why did you not notice that? Is that not something notable to say, journalistically? Because nobody could find the voice to say it. I’m not just being rhetorical. Why is it that you and the other critics, none of you could find the voice to say, “You know, it’s not this, it’s that”? Because — let me go on and speak further to this. If you go back to the L.A. Times piece, that’s what it lacked. That’s what they were not able to deliver. The one example in the five that involved an issue of a sexual act was between James and a woman he was dating, who he was not working with. There was no professional dynamic in any capacity.
~ David Simon
Bale aside, I don’t take kindly to the Ivan Lendl jab. Fuck you, Desson. The guy reached number one in the world in HIS field, playing in 19 grand slam singles matches, winning EIGHT of them. Have you done anything comparable with YOUR career? You don’t even know the definition of “fool’s gold”. Prick.
Agreed. Bale continues to make choices that challenges him. Writing a hit piece on him is way too premature. Wait until he hits his latter-day Harrison Ford phase.
Wow. I never even liked Lendl. Sorry for the name calling, but sometimes it does have its place.
And Lendl beat McEnroe in two out of the three grand slam title matches they played against each other. Wow, he sure is a fool’s gold player, Desson.
Speaking of… T4 drops in 2 days and I haven’t heard a peep on it. Are they keeping it under raps or is there an embargo? I can’t believe there hasn’t been anything even on aintitcool, where they could rave it if awesome or denounce McG (if it is crap).
T4 is a terribly mediocre (if not outright bad) movie, which is why you haven’t heard much about it. Check out the early reviews at Rotten Tomatoes. Not too kind.
I still say that the current ending is laughable and far worse than the original ending which was leaked online months ago.
Bale doesn’t do much in the movie, either. Basically just walks around yelling and looking glum.
The Variety review was laudative.
There have been twenty reviews at Rotten Tomatoes. TWENTY, out of TWO HUNDRED or so that will be posted. All of them are newspapers/trade papers, Emmanuel Levy, etc. There are also FIVE other good reviews that are out there (including The NY Daily News, ReelzFilm, The College Times, and a couple of others) that they haven’t posted even though they are very positive.
For some reason Warner Bros. let the newspapers post their reviews early which was a stupid decision because if you actually read their reviews they seem to be criticizing the film for not being cheeky enough — like T3 — and they think it’s “too intense.”
The early buzz from the early screenings yesterday and today is much more positive. But I think the stupid Warner Bros. embargo is the reason you’re only hearing a selected number of reviews and they are negative. The blogs and others who actually “get” Terminator will probably be more positive.
Also, everyone seems to be harping on the Bale “rant” which I think is affecting their reviews.
“The guy reached number one in the world in HIS field, playing in 19 grand slam singles matches, winning EIGHT of them.”
Wow, he won eight of nineteen matches! That is some record. Imagine if he’d actually won ten of ’em. Then he’d be over .500 for his career. He’d be the best EVER!
“Wow, he won eight of nineteen matches! That is some record.”
Actually, the record is his competing in nineteen grand slam finals matches in the first place. Winning eight of them merely tied him for the sixth all-time best (fourth if you’re only looking at the open era).
Christian Bale looks glum in T4? I have trouble believing that.
Hallick, I knew what you meant. I was just having a little (unsporting) fun with you. Lendl was an excellent player. I remember his futile efforts to conquer Wimbledon quite well. He worked so hard at it, only to be obliterated in the final by the likes of Pat Cash. He had a great run at the US Open, making the final 7 or 8 years in a row. He had some great battles with Wilander, Becker, et al. And McEnroe, of course. I’m sure McEnroe still hasn’t gotten over the ’84 French Open final. Lendl had a great run in the ’80s. His record is one that needs no defending.
no prob, Blackcloud.
I stopped reading the piece after
I think you could give him “The Prestige.” But Batman? I think Heath Ledger was a bigger draw for The Dark Knight than Bale.
I didn’t think the article was that bad. I mean it wasn’t flattering of Bale but I didn’t get the sense that he ripped him either. When the author compares Bale to Lendl it wasn’t so much bagging on Lendl that he was undeserving but he didn’t have the same bravado or persona that the larger than life McEnroe had. When he lists Cruise, Ford and Clooney, I believe he’s referring to their mystique they had above their talent. I didn’t get the sense he questioned Bale’s talent but said he didn’t feel Bale possesses that same charm to win the world over.
Perhaps another way of putting it would’ve been to compare him to the boxer who’s given the belt after the old champion’s retired and not by a match. To be the champ you’ve got to beat the champ. Maybe what he is saying is Bale has yet to prove he’s the draw we have to see regardless of what he’s playing in. I don’t know for sure because I’m not the author of the piece but that’s kinda what I took away.
Part of it, and maybe this where the piece gets a little muddy, could be due to society’s need to elevate someone to that echelon or an inherent thrown that must be occupied.
My personal feeling is that the next 18 mos to 3 years COULD (not necessarily will or would but could) define Bale’s admittance to Hollywood’s pantheon. How he got into the position is subject to another debate but he’s kinda the #1 now, will he be Steve Young or Danny White?
Again… I have no problem with the reality that Bale is not Harrison Ford or Will Smith, in spite of the giant movies.
It’s the “what’s wrong with this guy?” tone of it and the idea that one guy is getting slapped for the lack of star power in Hollywood… a guy who is actually trying to be a great actor who picks really challenging roles.
There are 2 or 3 too many ideas in the piece and none of them are well considered or delivered.
1. Movie stars aren’t what they used to be.
2. Christian Bale has been in massive movies, but doesn’t seem to be a big box office draw.
3. The public sees stars differently than they used to
4. The reason stars feel different (to me, someone who is not of the Twitter era) is that we want them to reflect us and not bathe in their reflection.
The only one I object to as idiotic on its face is the 4th one. But I think he fails to make a real case for any of the 4. And it is mean and thoughtless, both in singling him out and not acknowledging the breadth of his career, to shove this onto Bale’s plate because he is in the next mega-film (in a smallish role) and, I suspect, because he is an easy target since he doesn’t do much media and the set rant made people think he was vulnerable.