Review of The Machinist (2004) by Boris Nicolas E — 26 Aug 2011

In the psychological thriller "The Machinist", Christian Bale stars as Trevor Reznik, a machinist who goes through many struggles as he begins to face-up to the horrible event that has stricken him with insomina so severe that his physical and mental health are beginning to deteriorate at a clinical rate. "New York Times" calls it "The feel-good movie of 2004" and "USA Today" says "It's fun for the whole family." No, but seriously though, this is by the guy who went on to do "Transsiberian", so you know that this is going to be messed up, as well as slow. Not to mention that there's a chance that it will feature the poster's star name for just under 30 minutes. Forget Emily Mortimer, it was "Woody Harrelson Week"! Well, this time, Christian Bale is not playing any bit part, but Brad Anderson's other flaws of disturbances and slowness are still here. The film also suffers from a lack of immediate development and some expendable scenes.

Really, outside of fine practical effects and a fantastic twist, there's not too much behind the film. So what makes it so good, you ask? What makes this a fine film is not much more than the strong leading duo of director Brad Anderson and star Christian Bale. Anderson sets a gritty, fascinating tone to hold your attention and to up the effectiveness of the mystery themes. Of course, the real powerhouse behind this film is leading man Christian Bale, who's chillingly audacious committment to the role of the suffering Trevor Reznik is commendable enough without him working through his own pains-for-the-sake-of-authenticity to give a riveting performance. Bale is so charismatic and layered, with such a tone of believability that he draws you in, whether he's being a charming every man or a struggling soul. This really is Christian Bale's movie and whether you know what he was working through to put on this film-carrying performance or not, it's hard not to see why he's one of today's great performers.

In the end, although it's a bit of a slow-flowing, periodically disturbing mess, "The Machinist" is a thriller experience that's well worth remembering for, if nothing else, Brad Anderson's gritty direction and Christian Bale's audaciously immersive, charismatic and overall deeply riveting, powerhouse performance.