The Machinist

Spain 2004 - Drama/Mystery — 102 min — Directed by Brad Anderson
Cast: Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Michael Ironside

In a bleak and nondescript American city, Trevor Reznick is quite literally withering away to nothing. During the day Trevor works in a colorless industrial factory, while at night he seeks refuge in the bed of a tender prostitute, Stevie. For reasons unknown even to Trevor, he hasn't been able to sleep for an entire year. In the process, he has shed over sixty pounds, making him look like a walking skeleton. After an accident at the factory costs Trevor his job, he finds himself tracking a mysterious figure that may or may not, in fact, provide some answers to his confusion. Meanwhile, he begins to connect with a pretty airport waitress, Marie, who shows Trevor some much-needed sympathy.

Christian Bale was great, damn great even. He really looked like a skeleton, thin as, well, a skeleton. He must have lost half his weight for this movie, because he's really thin. Really thin. His character is creepy and his performance make me think he might even be a good Batman. But, I'm not sure he really can pull that one off. The visuals were really great, and you just assume it's in the US, even though it was filmed in Barcelona. The atmosphere is spot on, as a dreadfully bleak, desolate city that could be anywhere. Bale's performance aside, it's nothing spectacular. It borrows heavily from Early David Lynch movies and film noir in style, but ultimately fails to deliver any real thrills. The story just isn't good enough. They were going for something Memento-esque, but it pales in comparision. Still, it's not all bad.

My Rating: 6 / 10