7. Christian Bale - Terminator Salvation
Take a look at the above image. This is a very literal visual metaphor for Christian Bale's entire performance in Terminator Salvation. Under constant stress, Bale's John Connor screams at cyborgs, screams at his fellow resistance members, even screams at poor Director of Photography.Where's that signature Bale subtly, that texture that made him pop in the likes of American Psycho? Unfortunately it's nowhere to be seen. I think that, under the right set of circumstances, Christian Bale is potentially one of the finest actors currently working but in Terminator: Salvation, conditions were far from perfect. Firstly, Heath Ledger's death a year prior to the release of the film had quite profoundly and quite publicly affected Bale and so I can understand his head not being fully in the game. Secondly, and I say this with all due respect, McG honestly sounds like a f***ing nightmare of a director to work with. The problem I had with Bale as Connor is that he didn't seem at all like the cocksure, semi-arrogant little douche I'd come to know and love from the original Terminator movies. But honestly, I'd have to chalk that up to both poor scripting and direction. However, Bale was still the figurehead, the poster-boy for his own performance, so in the list he goes.