I’m not saying he did a bad job. And maybe he was the best choice for the oscar (can’t say it was an impressive year). But I am just saying I was not impressed. Here's some reasons why:
I didn’t feel any connection between the characters, the critique applies across the cast, so their experiences in the movie fell flat. Example: When the HBO documentary airs I didn’t feel like the mother was torn down, I didn’t feel Dickey’s embarrassment/shame, I didn’t feel sorry for his boy, I didn’t feel for Mickey having his idol torn down on national TV. This should have been a dramatic anchor and instead I feel just “meh”.
Stealing the show isn’t that big of an accomplishment in this situation. Given what I said above and that he was basically the main character. Him an Marky Mark anyway. And is that really any competition for Bale? Marky Mark? If he didn’t steal the show there’d have been something REALLY wrong.
I wasn’t sold on his delusional comeback, I wasn’t sold on his despair, I wasn’t sold on his drug addiction, I wasn’t sold on his family connections and disconnections, I wasn’t sold on his influence over his brother (positive and negative), etc.
I’m sure many would have done worse, but I’ve got to believe someone could have done better (maybe even Bale himself).
I am open to the idea that his performance had these flaws due to circumstances out of his control as an actor, such as, director, script, supporting cast, editing. But I also can’t say those were the cause, so I have to fault him for it.
What’s so great about actors pulling off accents? I hear people do great impressions all the time.
Really I think people jock this role because of his physical transformation like The Machinist.