Jolt Country

Without Christian Bale, this wouldn't be anything I could have stuck out. I tend to like movies better in the theater. Man, Bale's great. So I'd say see it for him????

Three stars.

I don't need to see it. 4 stars!

Agree with ICJ: Christian Bale made this movie watchable. Everything else though... Eh...

Annoyances!

1. The first third of the movie is nothing, but quick cuts of character development. An entire "meet and fall in love" plot is constrained into about three minutes, the secondary (but still prominent) actors have these quick snippets that portray their home life or whatever, but I never felt connected to them.

2. Every single character except Irving (and maybe Sydney who was slightly less complicated) felt flat and had easy to define motives.

3. The ending could easily be divined by the half way mark of the film which is fine and common, except the way each character would react and develop by the end was also on full display at that point.

PLUSES!

1. The period suits were interesting and Hapticanimal and I discussed whether they were fitted or just generic props / garments.

Anyway...

** out of ***** stars.

Yes, the fact that it got any nominations except for Bale is stupid. I want Pinback to see it so he can agree with me.

The fact it received ten Oscar nominations as opposed to Twelve Years a Slave's (which riled me up to tears) three, lets me sit smugly on my nerd throne and proclaim that I have better taste than 90% of the cretins in lala land.