THE MACHINIST
*** out of *****
Reviewed by Finger_Of_DOOM

Genres
Drama
Mystery
Thriller

2004
Directed by
Brad Anderson
Written by
Scott Kosar
Cast
Christian Bale .... Trevor Reznik
Jennifer Jason Leigh .... Stevie
Aitana Sánchez-Gijón .... Marie
John Sharian .... Ivan
Michael Ironside .... Miller
Larry Gilliard Jr. .... Jackson (as Larry Gilliard)
Reg E. Cathey .... Jones
Anna Massey .... Mrs. Shrike
Matthew Romero .... Nicholas
Robert Long .... Supervisor Furman
Colin Stinton .... Inspector Rogers
Craig Stevenson .... Tucker

I waited a long time to see The Machinist, I remember talking with a friend about the trailer over a year before seeing it. Finally I got to view this film, but the first time I watched it I was very tired and nodded off in and out as the film progressed. This was not because of boredom but rather my own fatigue getting the better of me. Watching a film about a character who can't sleep while nodding in and out of sleep is a rather bizarre experience I wouldn't recommend it, it messes with your head. The second time I viewed the film I was much more conscious and was pulled into the film for the full 98 minute ride.

The Machinist is not a new concept, the marketing guru's behind the film's release have compared it to Fight Club and Memento. Although it certainly has elements from both those film it's a unique little character study of the effects of insomnia have on the human condition, body, and mind. Amazingly, actor Christian Bale lost 63 pounds to play the frail insomniac Trevor Reznik. A feat that was dangerously life threatening. Only allowing himself a can of tuna and an apple a day, Bale transformed himself into the tortured character as written by Scott Kosar.

Trevor Reznik is The Machinist, a man who hasn't slept in over a year, whose insomnia has left him a broken frail human being. The effects of which have started to infiltrate his mind; he begins to see things that aren't there, people that exist only in his mind. One day at the machine shop where he works a terrible accident leaves one employee without a hand, Trevor is to blame. His guilt and paranoia get the better of him when he suddenly discovers cryptic notes left in his apartment. Unsure if someone is out for revenge or his mind is playing tricks, Reznik desperately tries to save his sanity while uncovering the truth behind a past that haunts him, that's linked to his condition.

The Machinist feels like a modern day Alfred Hitchcock film. Director Brad Anderson calls it a tragic physiological drama with influences from Hitchcock and Polanski. The Machinist is a disturbing character study of a man confronted by his own guilty conscious, and the rediscovery of his dirty secret that has lost itself in his mind as a result of his guilt-ladened insomnia. Bale's performance is haunting and disturbing, he truly become the character inside and out, torturing himself in order to achieve the mindset of Trevor. He's able to evoke shock, sympathy and real concern from the viewer that engages you in the film's narrative.

Equally interesting are the supporting players that include Michael Ironside as his co-worker Miller who loses his hand in the accident, and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Stevie a local prostitute Trevor frequents (surprise, surprise has this woman been type-cast or what? It seems like every movie that has Leigh in it she plays a whore / slut type character.) Leigh's character is in a way Trevor's anchor in reality, the relationship is interestingly complex yet Stevie appears to be the only person that can look past Trevor's horrid condition. Aided by their onscreen chemistry, the scenes with these characters are among the most interesting voyeuristically to watch.

Performance-wise this film is superb, story-wise it's a little thin. The Machinist feels like a short film padded out to feature length with a twist at the end that can be seen coming from miles away. Although director Anderson states in his commentary that the film doesn't rely on the twist so much but the path that leads Trevor to it, there are moments in this film that are often weird and leave you feeling somewhat like Trevor at times and that are all part of this sick journey. Anderson made the right decision in giving the film a muted, drab tone. The best way to describe it is that the film looks like how Trevor must feel, Anderson and cinematographer Xavi Giménez captured the film's feel perfectly.

The Machinist isn't for everyone, it's often slow, frustrating and leaves you feeling tired. If you enjoy a good psychological mind fuck then give this film a shot, as it's got some great performances and the photography is worth the price of admission. If you're looking for something happy, then move along, this one's not for you.

Finger_Of_DOOM's reviews also appear on DVD Compare, where they include details of the DVD release. For this review click here.

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