Christian Bale

2019 · James Mangold · 152 min · Drama / Action

Ford v Ferrari is a roaring crowd-pleaser that turns a corporate racing rivalry into one of the most satisfying films of 2019. Christian Bale and Matt Damon have outstanding chemistry, the racing sequences are among the best ever filmed, and James Mangold's direction finds the human story inside the machine without losing any of the speed. It's a film that makes you care about the difference between winning and being allowed to win, and that distinction gives it more weight than the average sports movie.

2005 · Christopher Nolan · 140 min · Action / Drama

Batman Begins is the definitive Batman origin story, grounding Bruce Wayne's transformation in psychological realism and anchoring it with an exceptional cast. The fight cinematography is frustratingly murky and the third act loses some of the discipline of its opening hours, but Nolan's vision of a broken man becoming something larger than himself changed what superhero films could be. It earned its place as the foundation of something special.

2007 · James Mangold · 122 min · Western

3:10 to Yuma is a taut, well-acted Western remake that thrives on the crackling dynamic between Russell Crowe and Christian Bale, even if its explosive final act stretches credibility past the breaking point.