Bale: 'Caine makes it look effortless'

Christian Bale has praised The Dark Knight co-star Michael Caine for making acting "look effortless".

The actor, who returns as the caped crusader in the Batman Begins sequel, described Caine as "grace under fire".

He told Parade magazine: "When I think about him, I think about surfing, which is all effort for me, I get out and battle the waves and I'm exhausting myself.

"Then you see people who are riding multiple waves in the time it's taken me to fight out there and feel like I'm drowning. Michael's like that. He makes it look effortless."

Caine plays butler Alfred Pennyworth in the movie, which also stars Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman and the late Heath Ledger.

> Bale: 'The Joker didn't kill Ledger'