The Machinist Reviews

I'd never been really blown away by a psychological thriller that has a surprising twist than a movie like this.

This is a remarkable film and, in my experience, an original one. Reznik's painfully wasting body and sleepless existence is an excellent allegory for the withering of his self esteem and the nagging conscience that would not allow him to rest, respectively. It reminded me of The Picture of Dorian Gray and of Mark Twain's delightful essay The Facts Concerning the Recent Carnival of Crime in Conneticut though it probably has more lineage than that.

Thankfully I watched the film without thinking too hard about it meaning that, unlike others in attendance, I was blindsided by the twist until the conclusion and so most probably enjoyed it more than my fellow viewers enjoyed their smugness at having worked it out "in the first twenty minutes".

Though the plot is somewhat skeletal and hopeless (rather like Reznik) the film has a message worth selling to anyone in posession of a conscience - psychopaths & sociopaths need not apply. Bale's performance is very good though his appearance is distressing and his apparent desire to drop to 100lb skirts frighteningly close to the mindset of an anorexic. Indeed his physical sacrifice for the role was, for me, the absolute limit an actor should push for his art.

Bale has constantly (and pleasantly) surprised me ever since American Psycho and as he ages I'm sure we can expect to see his range given more room to project his talent.

A disturbing but interesting work.

I already saw this movie but since it was a while back and since I had it on DVD, I was really eager to check it out again. Basically, just before making 'Batman begins', Christian Bale starred in this flick and thanks to both movies which were rightfully acclaimed, Bale suddenly became an actor we should all reckon with. Concerning the movie itself, even though it was maybe nothing really groundbreaking, it was still a really solid thriller. Eventually, the only thing that bothered me, especially after I rewatched it, was that , even though it was supposed to a psychological mindf*ck, it was actually rather predictable. On top of that, I have to admit that the main character turned out to be slightly annoying with his conviction that there was a plot against him. Of course, you could argue that someone so delusional, so paranoïd, would always believe that what happens in their mind is actually true but it was rather frustrating that it took the main character so long to figure what was actually going on when it took the viewers only 5 minutes. Still, there is no doubt that Christian Bale gave such a strong performance in this flick. I mean, sure, Bale truelly looked awful which was what everybody focused on when this movie was released but his performance went way beyond his physical appearance and the guy was just spellbinding to behold. Anyway, to conclude, I thought it was a really strong thriller and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre. 

I highly suggest this if you're looking for a good psychological thriller...or something with Christian Bale

Trevor Reznik has been deteriorating for a year, he has become an insomniac. It has been a year since has he has enjoyed what it feels like to sleep. He has the same routine, he goes to work, meets a hooker, and then goes to a local cafe where he talks to the waitress. This is all he has, until one day he meets a new mysterious co-worker named Ivan. Trevor believes that for some reason or another Ivan is out to destroy his life. Trevor begins to investigate the situation and everything is not what it seems. Trevor finds himself the center of delusion, paranoia and exhaustion. In his state of mind there is a fine line between imagination and what is actually real.

Trevor Reznik is the definition of a walking dead man. His face is sunken in, the bags under his eyes are dark, and his ribs are visible through his skin. Trevor looks terrible. His life is in shambles, he doesn’t really live for much. He sticks to his everyday routine and keeps to himself. Until one day after an accident at work, Trevor feels that everyone is out to get him. He doesn’t know how to react, he just keeps trying to avoid any and all conflicts, but the pressure just keeps building. Trevor’s life is spiralling out of control and there is absolutely nothing he can do about it.

The film has dark images, sexual references, a not so deep attempt to be deep. This film is clichéd in many aspects. The first scene gives a major clue, the story progresses exactly how you think it will. Still through all the clichéd aspects, it still has a touch of honesty. Whether it is how bad Christian Bale made himself look for the role, or much you just cannot help but want to know more about Trevor. Trevor is that character that is down to earth his life isn’t perfect, yet we find ourselves assuming the worst of this guy. Trevor isn’t made out to be the hero in the situation. The film goes the complete opposite way with Trevor and kudos for that. To be extremely critical of this film would mean it would get a bad rating. There was a lot missing in this film. They exposed the plot way too quickly. They added way to many characters into a short film. Despite all these faults, the characters from Christian Bale and Jennifer Jason Leigh were played honestly. There were no added elements to these simple characters. They were easy going, they weren’t perfect, they had normal human feeling. They felt connected to each other. As Trevor explodes on everyone that is in his life, you begin to feel sorry for Stevie . She cared for him and he being messed couldn’t quite see that.

Despite seeing the outcome from the beginning, it still is a good ending in a sense. This film is a lot like Memento (Which I wasn’t impressed with) but this film did manage to give us a very simple plot with some disturbing images of a man who let himself go. Bale and Leigh are good in their scenes, but all in all this film misses the key elements to be a solid film. Still a decent film, that isn’t long, and if you want to watch it and enjoy two good performances then go for it. Just don’t expect it to be amazingly well twisted.

Trevor is an industrial machinist, but he's disturbed. He has a severe case of insomnia, and hasn't slept in a year. His only comfort is the pretty waitress he chats with at the airport diner, and a prostitute he visits regularly. One day, a shady bald cowboy named Ivan starts working at the factory, and things turn for the worst. Is Ivan playing head games on him? Is he messing around with his prostitute? Is he turning all his co-workers against him?

From the very beginning scene, this movie is continously throwing clues at you, and with any luck, will keep you guessing all the way to the end. What is real and what isn't. Will the waitress he likes help him overcome his paranoia, or will Ivan start messing with her life too?

And I don't agree with the other comment; This movie's plot is unique. Sure, the plot of 'someone going crazy' HAS been done many times before, but that's like saying 'world war 2 plot' have been done before. 'Someone going crazy' is a very broad category. But I feel no other movie has ever explored the power of GUILT so well, and what it can do to the mind of the guilty.

And I certainly wouldnt let the fact that Bale looks disgusting be a MINUS against the film. It's one of its strongest points. Bale went from 183lbs to 120lbs for this movie. He wanted to go to 100lbs, but director stopped him at 120 out of fear for Bale's health. His 63lbs loss for a movie is a record, and shows just how commited this talented actor is. He became one of my favorite actors after this film. He changed so much in this film that you cannot even recognize him.

This story has been done so many times already. A guy does something horrible and starts to go crazy because of it. Still entertaining, but not that great. Plus, Christian Bale looked disgusting.