The Machinist
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Movie Reviews of The Machinist
Movie Review: Guilt but no pleasure
Summary: 5 Stars
A "breakdown" review...
--THE PLOT: A man who works in a dead-end job with factory machines begins to question his own reality as he struggles to do the most basic things in life. Sleep, more than any other activity, challenges him relentlessly.
---WHO WILL DEFINITELY like "The Machinist": fans of "Mulholland Drive," "Memento," "Donnie Darko," "Lantanna" and other unconventional films with twists and turns...fans of "Sixth Sense," though, may not care for this deep, disturbing film since the latter is very conventional and over-hyped...
--KEEP IN MIND: While THE MACHINIST tends to get a bit carried away with symbolism at times and thinks it's being subtle when it's not, there is still something lush, eerie and captivating that gets under your fingernails and soul. Christian Bale literally put his life on the line for this role as he shed 65 pounds and looks like he is about to die at any moment. Even more startling that his gaunt appearance is how believable he is as a man tormented by what he does and doesn't know about himself.
--WHY IT STAYS WITH YOU: Because underneath the stark, ugly colors and clever departures from reality is a gritty, brutal truth about what guilt can do to a person. Even though part of me doesn't think it's a good idea for an actor or actress to lose so much weight, I can't see how it could have been done any other way. Anyone who has ever been emotionally distraught or wracked with guilt can tell you that the way Bale looks in THE MACHINIST isn't far-fetched at all: guilt is the great destroyer and the body and mind its victims...
Movie Review: A deeply disburding movie that haunts you
Summary: 5 Stars
Christian Bale is an excellent actor who deserves much more credit that he receives from both the critics and views alike. I mean he started as a boy in Speilberg's "Empire Under the Sun" (watch it and be amazed at his acting skills even then) and starred in such groundbreaking roles as "American Pyscho", and yet he is often overlooked when great actors are mentioned. This movie should move him up to the top of the list. Here he delineates a character to such a powerful degree that sometimes I simply stared at the screen in disbelief. I hardly recognized him at first, he was so skinny that every bone showed......please let that be the product of some Hollywood magic? The storyline is eerie and compelling and recounted so many times here that I will leave it alone. The dialogue is smart and every character is well played (even if Jennifer Jason Leigh has the downtrodden prostitute role down to a science). Although I loved this movie and gave it 5 stars, I do have one complaint. I felt this movie reminded me too much of another film (not going to name it outright & make you think the same thing other to say a Ed Norton vehicle) which affected my initial viewing to a point. It had the same dark and brooding cinematography and the plot seemed to follow similar lines; however, upon another viewing I realized how original this movie was and how it stands alone as a great piece of filmaking. You really do not want to miss this film. This is definitely a movie that you will talk about with your friends.....or even strangers.Movie Review: Definitely a new premise, and one that works well.
Summary: 5 Stars
While it may fall into some other psychological film categories, it's definitely a unique film in it's ownright. From it's quirky characters, to it's unusual settings (including a lot in Bale's blue collar worker's place of employment: a machine shop), to it's visual look and direction, this is very close to being called a true, one of a kind film. It is a dark film, with some dark scenery, but I was actually surprised to find that the overall look was nowhere near as bleak as one would be led to believe from the film's promotion and reviews. It's kind of like Anderson's film Session 9, which set in an abandoned mental institution, you would think it would be a dark looking film, but it really isn't.
Christian Bale, Michael Ironside, and Jennifer Jason Leigh all give top notch performances and make you forget about it being a slow moving film, shot in hotel rooms, dingy apartments, and a grungy machine shop. The actor who plays Bale's psychological nemesis is also excellent. He is the one Bale keeps seeing show up at work, while no one else does.
The film is strong enough to keep your interest thorughout, with interesting dialog, character development, and the mystery element. While not the most thrilling or complex of psychological puzzles, the end is rather simple, yet very satisfying, and it thankfully does not go the artistic route and come up with some preposterous twist ending.
This is not a movie for everyone, but it's a fine piece of cinema and deserves to be seen.
Movie Review: Hitchcock meets Fincher
Summary: 5 Stars
This is easily the best movie that I have seen all summer long. I was expecting it to be a good movie, but I wasn't expecting a masterpiece that would get me thinking in the way it did. The thing that most impressed me was (second from the acting) the way it sort of re-created the mood and feel of an old Alfred Hichcock movie, the soundtrack was even reminiscent of Psycho's a few times. I bet it also wouldn't be much different of a movie if you switched your TV to B&W. I wish I could, but I can't really rave about the story without giving too much away, so I'll go ahead and rave about Christian Bale. I first saw him in Reign of Fire, and he didn't really impress me, just sort of the average British actor, but when I saw him in Equilibrium and American Psycho I was stunned. I love the way he speakes in an American accent if you want to call it that. If you've seen American Psycho, than you know how buff and perfect his body was for the roll of Patrick Bateman. Well, imagine everything about his appearence in that movie, only opposite. He dropped his weight down to 120 something pounds, that is dedication. Another actor who I was glad to see was Michael Ironside who is able to play so well a terrifying villain, or a intimidating, yet really nice guy. I can't say I knew any of the other actors, but they all did a great job. If you enjoyed the likes of Fight Club, Identity, and Psycho, you'll probably enjoy this movie as it sort of combines all three into one awsome film. Enjoy!Movie Review: A severe case of sleeplessness
Summary: 5 Stars
A frighteningly emaciated Christian Bale stars as Trevor Reznick, a machinist who has inexplicably been suffering from insomnia for upwards of a year in Brad Anderson's psychological thriller "The Machinist".
Bale's lack of sleep causes him be be distracted, losing focus in the workplace, a critcal condition while working with dangerous machinery. He begins having hallucinations, seeing imaginary people causing negligence resulting in the loss of an arm by co-worker Miller played by veteran actor Michael Ironside. He now becomes a pariah at work and soon gets fired. With his life spiraling out of control he conceivably might gain salvation in the arms of sympathetic prostitute Stevie played Jennifer Jason Leigh, with whom he's had an ongoing relationship. Unfortunately a series of hallucinations cause him to be verbally abusive to Leigh, torpedoing that life saving possibility.
Bale's behavior becomes more and more bizarre and he finds himself running from authorities after filing a false accident report with police. While fleeing, he has an epiphany realizing the reasons for his severe weight loss and insomnia.
Director Anderson finally reveals the mystery of Bale's existence and we realize that what we have viewed is a window into the extreme psychological ramifications of a guilty conscience. This excellent film does a wonderful job, courtesy of Bale and a finely constructed plot of examining a stressfully twisted mind.