Gary Oldman...Enough Said

There are a select few actors who will be remembered for all time. Those actors join the ranks of James Stewart, Marlon Brando, and Gregory Peck. Without fail the actors who will join those ranks will be Daniel Day-Lewis, Tom Hanks, and Gary Oldman.

Gary Oldman knows how to steal the screen. He has done it quietly. However, he has more memorably stolen a screen with very alive and wild characters. I'm thinking of his performances in Dracula (1992,) True Romance (1993), The Fifth Element (1997), The Professional (1994), and my most recent find State of Grace (1990).

The Professional - Great Scene!!!

Netflix describes State of Grace as most Irish mob or Italian mob movies. There is an undercover cop who was once friends with everyone in his old neighborhood. Things are happening behind the scene that even the mob bosses aren't aware of. And there is a wild card or loose cannon in the group. This is where Gary Oldman's character enters the scene as a part of the Irish mob family.

Bram Stoker's Dracula - Dracula Himself

Gary is so crazy and wild it's scary. He makes you feel as though any conversation with this guy may or may not be awkward. You could be put into a situation you don't want to be in and yet you can't help but want to hang out with him just to see what he will do next. Every character Gary plays is so believable it's palpable!!!

Crazy Scene from State of Grace


Gary Oldman will continue to do amazing roles no matter what. It could be a low-key role (Batman Begins & Dark Knight). Or it will be a crazy, roller coaster character who could be either in the same minute. Either way I will watch every movie Gary Oldman is in. One thing will be certain. Gary will outperform everyone.

Great Performances Years Apart

Christian Bale is simply magnificent in The Fighter. The character actor within Christian has come back. A young 13 year old boy puts forth an amazing performance in Empire of the Son in 1987. That same amazing actor has returned in 2011 at the age of 41 to become one of the most well-rounded actors of our time.

If you have not seen The Fighter and would enjoy a true life story about a struggle for life, respect, and the love of a family then you would love this movie. Let's not overshadow Mark Wahlberg's performance just because the Golden Globes and Oscars snubbed him. He lands every line and emotion the same way his character lands his punches.

Better yet is the transformation of Melissa Leo in her role as Micky and Dicky's mom. Wow! In reality Melissa is only 11 years older than Christian. The make-up, wardrobe, and the way she just absolutely delivers makes you suspend your disbelief. Fantastic!

In comparison, Christian's characters in both The Fighter and Empire of the Sun are emotional about their family, they both are imprisoned, and they both transform from what they were at the beginning of the film to the end result. If you haven't seen Empire of the Sun, then you are missing out on a Spielberg film that brings out the best in a child actor. Amazing film! Quite frankly I don't understand why I don't own it. Here I come Amazon.com!

Minus some off camera "explosions" Christian Bale has become one of the most well respected actors. I'm a fan!