Christian Bale's performance as the English boy in China during the war.

Rating: Null/10 (18 September 2006)

I viewed this movie mainly for the performance of young (12 or 13) Christian Bale, and I was not disappointed. This is a rather long, involved movie, about the British living in China during the 1940s, and suddenly finding themselves swept up in the Japanese invasion, which coincided with the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 8th, 1941. Bale, as young Jim Graham, separated from his parents, is in virtually every scene, and is required to carry the movie. He does it admirably.
John Malkovich is one of the Americans, Basie, that Jim encounters in his journey. It seems that Basie only cares for his own survival, and only befriends others that may help him in that regard. Other Americans he meets include Joe Pantoliano and a young adult Ben Stiller.
The story is based on the book, written by a real British citizen who as a boy went through the same experience. It is not clear how much of what we see is fact, how much has been dramatized for the movie, however since it is a Spielberg movie, I suspect the whole story is very plausible.
SPOILERS. Expecting some action from the Japanese, Jim's family left their home and went to a hotel in Shanghai for a few nights. While there, the Japanese invasion began. As Jim and his parents were holding hands, trying to make it through the thick crowd, Jim dropped his model 'Zero' plane, and when he let go for just the few seconds, mom and dad were swept away. Jim found himself alone to survive. He ended up in an internment camp, where food was scarce and may died. Over the years there he lost his enchantment for the Japanese. Several years older, when the war ends, he is reunited with his parents, who looked like they had it pretty easy during the war. Through the experience Jim went from a pampered young boy to a young man.