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!