Before I even watched the trailer for The Fighter, I titled this post “Christian Bale is an intense crackhead in The Fighter”. I honestly thought that Bale was the lead in this film – but he’s not. Mark Wahlberg is. Mark plays “the fighter” from the poor neighborhoods of Boston who falls far and comes back – it’s a true story, by the way. And Bale plays Wahlberg’s brother – the dude who trained Mark’s character coming up, and then Bale’s character goes to jail and becomes a crackhead, etc. Also: Amy Adams is in this! And she’s playing a kind of trashy, fist-fightin’ waitress. My mother is going to want to see this now – she thinks Amy Adams is her daughter.
It looks… good? Interesting. Bale looks like he’s acting his ass off, predictably. Wahlberg looks kind of hit or miss, and I actually think he’s an underrated dramatic actor. He really did transform his body, though. And Amy looks adorable. The whole mess is directed by David O. Russell – he did Three Kings and I Heart Huckabees and Flirting With Disaster. Russell is also rather notorious for being a major dick – like, more of a douchebag than Michael Bay. He’s probably more famous for getting into a fistfight with George Clooney during a violent on-set altercation than for his filmography. Also – there was this incident with Lily Tomlin that made me sick.
Which makes me wonder… why did Christian Bale sign on for this? Does crazy attract crazy?
Love both of them, hope it’s a great flick.
I’ve always thought Mark Wahlberg was underrated as an actor. Love him!
Christian Bale tries way too hard. He will never be the actor he wishes he were.
I happen to love love love Christian Bale. I think he’s tremendousely talented. But, he worries me with how much his weight fluctuates for roles. It looks like he’s lost ALOT of weight for his role, like he did with ‘The Machinist.’ Isn’t that really unhealthy? I thought massive and rapid weight gain/loss can affect your heart, metabolism, gall bladder, etc…
Marky Mark IS underated as an actor. I want to see him in more movies
I was waiting for this movie and I’m pretty disappointed that the main character is Wahlberg’s and not Bale’s…
In my opinion Bale is messing too much with his metabolism, I’m concern, actually, though I don’t know him personally, of course.
Ah, Wahlber is underrated, true, but unfortunately I can’t stand his face, but I really loved him in Boogie nights and The Departed.
Judging from the trailer, I think Christian Bale will steal the attention from Mark Wahlberg and Amy Adams, and possibly get an Oscar’s nomination.
Edit: Kaiser, can you please enlighten me on the Lily Tomlin/David O. Russell incident. The videos in the link has been removed.
ugh, I don’t think it looks that great. I am sure it will be a good movie for some but it not for me. I love Bale and Adams but i don’t like how they look or act here.
When I see Christian Bale, in my head I hear his rants and see a budding Mel Gibson.
More Mark!
what happens in the video with Tomlin/Hofman/Russel?
Crap, I can’t watch the video!!!! That sounds like serious shit with George Clooney though!
I LOVE Mark’s voice, I could listen to him all day!!!!
This movie looks good! I love Mark Wahlberg! Christian Bale is way too intense but a good actor nevertheless.
I think Chritian Bale is a riveting actor. But I agree that there’s a limit anyone without a latent deathwish should subject his health to for the sake of “art.”
I remember something Laurence Olivier said one year at the Academy Awards after Dustin Hoffman gave him an award.
Hoffman, a well known “Method Actor” was going on about Olivier’s work and how deep an actor has to go to create that quality of performance.
Olivier kind of chuckled and basically said: “Hey, it shouldn’t be that painful. Learn to fake it, pal. We’re actors.”
I like them both…
Well, Darren Aronofsky was originally supposed to direct this but then he left to do The Wrestler instead. Can’t remember if Christian Bale had signed on before or after he left…
Can’t wait to see this! Love Wahlberg!
The whole bruhaha that went down between Lili Tomlin and David O. Russell was when they were shooting the Huckabees. He wasn’t satisfied with a scene and kept having everyone do it over and over while berating them about it. Finally Lily lost her cool and bitched back at him and it was all caught on film and released. I always thought it was incredible they were able to complete the movie at all and smile about during press events. Apparently, he bitches about alot of the stars he works with, so I wonder if he and Bale might have gotten into it. That fight would be EPIC!!!!
Interesting to see Amy Adams play white trashy. I wouldn’t have imagined her in that kind of role but she seems to be pulling it off.
I finally saw Boogie Nights this past weekend. I know, it’s like 13 years old , but I just never got around to it. I loved it! I agree that Mark IS underrated, but Bale is OVERrated. Since he came out of the angry miserable douche closet, I don’t have much use for him. I won’t be seeing this!
David O Russell’s unique Directing style…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4Qls1rAfYs
Mark Wahlberg…who cares. He’s not a great actor. Christian Bale, on the other hand, is an amazing actor. From the pics above, it looks like Bale has physically transformed himself, once again, for this role.
The ‘Fighter” in this movie is “Irish” Mickey Ward – a true hero and gentleman. One of my all time fav boxers. Not the greatest technician but so full of heart everyone should know his name. Mickey is 100 times the man that either Wahlberg or Bale could ever hope to be. That is the real story here.
Yay! Irish Micky Ward.
My god they made Bale look terrible. I am not happy about this. Also, I don’t know how ANYONE who is familiar with Bale’s work could say that he’s not a fantastic actor.
@Scarlet Vixen-I read a couple different articles (citing Bale as example) discussing how incredibly bad it is for your body to yo-yo so drastically. The jump in weight from Machinist to Batman likely put extreme strain/stress on Bale’s body. Dude could have a heart attack from doing this. If it wasn’t Bale, who seems so obsessive/controlling then I would have suspected HGH or the ‘roids but I dunno…he doesn’t strike me as the type…
Very anxious to see this. Amy Adams is my favorite and is definitely playing against type. No Disney princess here.
Too bad the Huckabee clip is no longer available. Boy, did Russell go praying mantis on Lily Tomlin.
The movie had been screen-tested twice and every one said Bale,Adams and Leo stole the movie and it was really good for a R rated feel-good dramedy
I’m sooo excited for this! I <3 Mark Whalberg…but every time I see him kiss, it kinda creeps me out. He like…smothers his women. Uch. It was really bad in Fear. I thought he was gonna swallow Reese Witherspoon’s head.
Bale is an amazing actor, but he needs to lay off the extreme dieting for roles. Let makeup make you look haggard, you don’t need to kill your body…
Sigh…He needs to always be his pretty self at his Batman weight.
I’m not a huge boxing fan but the bouts between Mickey Ward and Arturo Gatti were mesmerizing; very much embodying what the “heart” of the sport is supposed to be. I hope this will be a good movie and do justice to the heart of Mickey Ward!
Yahh!!!
I’m taking my family to see this one!
Love Christian Bale, he is an amazing actor; but, to echo some of the comments above, I do worry about his ‘intensity’ when it comes to his roles. He looks awful here!!! I hope a lot of this is Hollywood un-magic and he really doesn’t have a receding hairline/bald spot like that. But I would love him anyway.
And Mark Wahlberg is just plain fun: fun to watch, I love his accent, and I think he is a really solid actor. He was great in The Departed and had the killer last line in the whole film!
So this one looks good! Feel good!
Also, didn’t we have some reports about Mark Wahlberg being concerned about Bale’s weight loss a few months ago?
But I don’t know if those were just old rumors dredged up again by how bad he looks again, just like in The Machinist. I never saw Machinist because, damn, sounded kind of crazy. But just like in American Psycho… such intensity. Wawawiwa.
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
a thousand times MMMMMMMMMM
AHHHHHH OHHHHHHH CHRISTIAN BALE is hot
i want him
Is this based on a true story or Rocky Balboa?
It looks pretty intense… which probably what attracted Bale. I agree Wahlberg is under-rated.
Christian Bale… If I could wish for a guy he’d be just like him. He’s even got beautiful teeth. (sigh) I hate most men now they all look revolting and act like cave men.
Wahlberg’s final scene in ‘The Departed’ made me love that film. Marky Mark don’t take no sh*t. Bale will probably get an Oscar nomination.
Reminds me of that Russell Crow film.. Cinderella Man. Very good film but didn’t do well at the BO..
Not sure how this will do. People don’t really like boxing films..
I like Bale, Mark I can take or leave. I won’t see this in theater.. will wait for the DVD.
@Tess, that’s hysterical!
Wahlberg can easily play trashy, and Adams was great as white trash in Junebug. Bale….he’s a great dark/dramatic actor, but he sucks at playing low-rent. Anyone ever see Harsh Times? Awful movie, awful acting. I’m guessing Wahlberg steals the show, as he often does in movies.
Anyone see “The Other Guys”? Really showed Walberg’s weaknesses as an actor. He’s pretty 2 dimensional. He’ll be good in this because it’s close to who he is as a person.
As for Bale, at least he publicly apologized about the whole rant and we haven’t heard anything else since. When did you hear Gibson apologize? He’s not the same as Gibson. At least I hope not because I really like him.
He is a good actor. Excellent? I don’t know. He’s got ups and downs but more ups than downs imo.
The stuff with Clooney was priceless. They say is stemmed from Russell basically abusing a crew member and Clooney was all like ‘Back off, bitch’ and Russell was all, ‘I’ll show you bitch’ and then got slapped like one. When asked about it, Clooney confirmed it, HA!
@ Kaiser
you are drinking some hard core haterade.
a little jealous??
The Fighter proves that the boxing movie still has life. It also underlines just what a distinctive actor Bale has become. -Alex Jones