The Machinist is yet another small virtually unheard of film which I think really deserves more attention. Before I dive right into the plot, I just have to say that I think Christian Bale delivers an excellent performance and has proven himself as a dedicated actor. Just for the film he lost an incredible 63lbs. dropping down into the 130lb range. He looks almost skeletal throughout the film and it really adds to the whole story line and character development.
Now for the story. The Machinist is the story of Trevor Reznik (Christian Bale) who is a worker at a machine shop who is suffering from a severe case of insomnia. Although this isn't your normal case of insomnia; Reznik hasn't slept for a year now and his life is quickly spiraling downwards. The loss of sleep takes its toll and Reznik is involved in a serious accident at his job which starts to unravel his life. His life starts taking bizarre turns and throughout the film he tries to figure out who he is and why certain things are happening.
Although this movie may not be for everyone as it's on the edge of bizarre, if you like movies like Memento or Fight Club and films that while they may confuse you at first they keep you interested throughout this is the film for you. Director Brad Anderson does a brilliant job creating a creepy mysterious feel throughout the film while not revealing too much. The script was also well written and the soundtrack throughout added to its eerie feel. As I mentioned before Christian Bale delivered the best performance I've ever seen from him and really brought his character to life.
While The Machinist may not be for everyone, it's definitely a great movie in my book and I plan to purchase the DVD as soon as I can find it. If you like movies you have to think about and movies which are confusing at first, but then reveal it all by the end this is for you. 9 out of 10 stars for this one, leaning towards 10 out of 10, but I understand not everyone will enjoy this one.
"The Machinist" opens October 22, 2004 and is rated R. Drama, Thriller. Directed by Brad Anderson. Written by Scott Kosar. Starring Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh.
