best film: Three options here, The Dark Knight, American Psycho (yes, American Psycho) and The New World. I wouldn’t have said this five years ago but subsequent viewings of Malick’s 2005 masterpiece have me believe it’s indeed Bale’s best film. Bale isn’t the star, that’s Colin Farrell, but without Bale the second half of the film doesn’t work and the film isn’t nearly as richly complex. He’s so sensitive and kind that it really moves your sympathies as the viewer. The Dark Knight is a masterpiece and that’s a fine choice and American Psycho is both a moral horror film and a black comedy masterpiece.
best performance: American Psycho is made by Bale. The writing is razor sharp but it doesn’t work without Bale’s tour-de-force work here at Patrick Bateman. It’s a rare non-auteur masterpiece. Bale’s intensity makes for a fantastic obsessive character but really it’s his comedic talent that’s on full display here (a trend in his best performances). He’d touch on this character again when he’s fake smugness as Bruce Wayne later in the Batman trilogy with Nolan.
stylistic innovations/traits: Bale, still in his 40’s, already has 20 films in the archives. He’s been going strong since his work as a child actor in 1987. His work in Empire of the Sun with Spielberg is one of the best child performances in cinema. Really though it’s 2000 and the turn of the century with American Psycho that Bale became one of the best actors working. His work with Nolan (including the landmark trilogy) is important as has been his work with David O. Russell (two nominations and one win). He’s gone the De Niro weight-loss route for films and put in on in others (American Hustle).
directors worked with: Nolan (4), Malick (2), David O. Russell (2), Todd Haynes (2) and then Spielberg, Herzog and Michael Mann once
Top 5 Performances:
- American Psycho
- The Fighter
- American Hustle
- The Big Short
- The Dark Knight Rises
Archiveable films
| 1987- Empire of the Sun |
| 1989- Henry V |
| 1994- Little Women |
| 1996- Portrait of a Lady |
| 1998- Velvet Goldmine |
| 2000- American Psycho |
| 2005- Batman Begins |
| 2005- The New World |
| 2006- Rescue Dawn |
| 2006- The Prestige |
| 2007- 3:10 To Yuma |
| 2007- I’m Not There |
| 2008- The Dark Knight |
| 2009- Public Enemies |
| 2010- The Fighter |
| 2012- The Dark Knight Rises |
| 2013- American Hustle |
| 2013- Out of the Furnace |
| 2015- Knight of Cups |
| 2015- The Big Short |
Drake, do you plan on doing a breakdown of American Psycho?
@Haider– absolutely — I’m surprised I haven’t seen it in the last few years. I’ve seen it 100 times overall
Since we are asking for a review, could you do an 8 ½? please
That’s a lot of views, what is the movie that you have seen the most times?
@Aldo– yeah I need to see 8 1/2 again soon too. American Psycho is one of them. I’ve seen Big Lebowski and Goodfellas a ton, too. Those three probably more than any others.
Goodfellas is quite entertaining, but does the others not lose their “shine” to see them so many times?
@Aldo– Not in my experience. I think good ones get better with repeat viewings. These three in particular are also impeccably written and funny– I didn’t sit down 100 times and give it my full attention for the night– many of these viewings I had it on in the background while I was doing other things. Not traditionally how I watch films.
You wouldn’t be able to evaluate it properly though right? If you are focused you can study the film better and enjoy it more. If you are distracted doing something else, you may miss something in the movie so it won’t be as good rii? But you said you don’t traditionally view movies this way so that explains it.
@Oz– correct. This was more about living by myself at the time and preferring this to having sports highlights on or whatever. I’ve seen each film a number of times seriously, no distractions, watching every frame— but many times with it just on as sort of the soundtrack going on behind the scene while I do other things.
I need to start rewatching movies. That’s why I am asking all these questions – Haha.
Why should I rewatch movies? What’s the benefit?
Anyways sorry for being annoying (I’m just curious – Haha). You said that with every viewing the good movies keep getting better. If that was the case, wouldn’t American Psycho and Big Lebowski be one of your top 100 or so?or atleats top 150? You’ve seen it 100 or so times you said. Do you mean that on most viewing it gets better but some viewing it stays the same or slides down or something? Because certainly then it should be at least top 150-200.
I thought everyone was watching the movies more than once.
@Oz Do you only watch the movie once and don’t watch it again?
It is not possible to capture everything in the movie by seeing it once, the next time, you will be familiar and you will be able to perceive other things that you had overlooked.
ok.I agree with you. I may start rewatching.
I would also like to hear Drake opinion. Maybe he has something else to say 🙂
@Oz — Hmm. I mean there are many reasons to rewatch movies. Entertainment, catch things I missed the first time, to be awed/amazed/impressed would be the main reason. I very rarely just watch a movie to find out what happens in the story (even the first time I watch it). If you equate it to reading– I mean I watch for the style– of use and structuring of the words and sentences (camera movement, mise-en-scene, editing in cinema) way more than what happens to the main character in the story if that makes sense.
American Psycho and Big Lebowski and Goodfellas are just very rewatchable films— that’s not always synonymous with greatness. They’re easy to put up and put down, great music, quotable dialogue, laughs… other (sometimes greater) films can be heavier, slower, just different. These are three great films that are also very easy to just put on and watch.
i used to thinkyou have to rewatch to really undersand but idon’tthink thatis the case. paulinekaelonly saw a filmonce unless she really liked it. i rewatched casablanca the day after i watched it, so with raging bull,inglrious beasterds, and singin in the rain. ive seen llewyn davis and searchers, lord of the rings multiple times. if it were some film that is artistic like a bela tarr but super slow it wouldbe harder to watch unless you give it a bit of time.
@m — yep and Kael swung and missed and many films– including 2001, Clockwork Orange, Blade Runner, Casablanca, Raging Bull, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Dirty Harry, Vertigo…. yeah
But drake, my question was after each viewing of the films did you keep moving them up your rankings? After each of the 100 viewings, did your love for the movies keep increasing(alwaysl or not really always.
Anyways, I’m not making much sense.
I just wanna say that is one of the best movie websites around. Great work!
@Oz– Oh gotcha. I think it largely plateaus at some point. 100 is excessive. But I saw Goodfellas last year for the first time in awhile and I do think I still was picking up on new things and may move it up slightly the next time. It is on an individual film by film basis. My overall point was weaker films tend to reveal themselves when you examine them repeatedly and strong films tend to do the opposite.
On the topic of rewatching, didnt you also have a revelation with Ozu?
On your Pan’s Labyrinth page you said you dropped it from a MP to a MS/MP. On your updated top 500, what are some of the films you will drop or move up after rewatching and updating?
@Oz– and thanks for the kind words on the site- so nice of you