Mr. Bale

Okay, I'm not obsessed. Im no kind of stalker. I'm maybe not even what you'd call a fan. But I've been thinking about Mr. Christian Bale this morning. Hm. Happy thoughts. 

(*Disclaimer - I don't know this man. I don't think we're friends. I haven't seen all his movies. I don't know his wife's name, or where they live, or whom they hang out with, or what either of them were wearing to any party ever. I'm not, I repeat, any kind of stalker. I don't even read entertainment reports, except maybe the headlines on GoogleNews.)

My Bale thoughts may have been sparked by Matthew's morning playlist choice "Newsies." Disney Musical, early nineties. Haven't seen it? For shame. Netflix it right away. Among other things, a late teenage Christian Bale sings. And dances. And wears a cowboy hat over his cute floppy hair. It's a classic happy, feel-great historical fiction WITH SONGS!

And so I've been thinking of other things I saw him in. For instance, Batman Begins. Love it. Too violent too often, but so great. And come on, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman? I'd love it before I saw it. And although The Dark Knight was a little too, well, dark for me, I thought he was great in it. 

Also Swing Kids. Remember that? I saw it once (a little weird for me, I'm a compulsive re-watcher) and remember it being hard and sad, but again, with some fantastic music: I'm hearing in my memory Ella and Duke Ellington. Yummy.

And a production of Midsummer Night's Dream, where he was Demetrius (I think) and he was very cute (I'm sure).

And speaking of Shakespeare, do you remember that Kenneth Branaugh Henry V? Which was (too long but) utterly beautiful? And the second best scene in it, where King Kenneth carries that sweet dead boy (wait for it) across the battlefield in that excruciating, breathtaking, gorgeous one-shot, five-minute, heartbreaking, sweeping moment? I get chills just thinking about that. And the boy? Mr. Bale, who else? (*Third best scene: King's speech to his soldiers - a masterpiece. And best scene: Bring on Emma Thompson for the classic exchange, "I cannot tell you." "Can any of your neighbors tell?" HA! Love the Emma.)

But what about my favorite of all, Christian as Laurie in Little Women? Did any of you just want to shake little Jo for totally missing that boat? Yeah, I know it's supposed to be historically accurate and all that, but come on: Laurie vs. the Old German Guy? No contest. 

So here I am, sending out a little Christian Bale-style love today. Just because.