Russel Crowe, as much as I loathe him, does a wonderful job in this film… and plays the Nietzschean bad boy better than pretty much anyone I could ever think of.

Christian Bale was spectacular as I’ve come to expect.

Ben Foster was fabulous, and I use that word intentionally. I first noticed him in “Six Feet Under,” and his wormy character has come to be my standard image of him as a human being, not fair I’ll admit… but still. He was so deliciously unhinged in this movie, cruel and dapper and glazed with the vaguest hint of latent homosexuality. That white, leather tunic… my GOD I want to own that thing.

SPOILER

I do disagree with your view of the end of the film though. I don’t think the movie pulled any punches violence-wise at any point - the fork incident, the Pinkerton’s rather rough tumble… the violence was stitched into the reality the film tried to portray… so that when that one ribbon of blood streamed out of Charlie’s chest at the end… effectively breaking his heart… I was downright gleeful, if a bit grossed out.

Hiya, by the way.