The Machinist -A Review- 2.0

It's been a long time since I've seen this film. I was in the mood tonight. 

Christian Bale is Trevor Reznick, the machinist of the title. 

It's been a year since he's slept and the insomnia is taking it's toll. He functions on coffee, cigarettes and the occasional chicken wing.  His spine shows through his skin. Legend has it Bale prepared for the role by consuming one cup of coffee and an apple every day for four months in preparation. It shows in gruesome detail. 

The real story however is, well, the story! 

Trevor works in a machine shop. He operates some sort of hydraulic something-or-other. They look dangerous. When he accidentally causes a co-worker to lose an arm while assisting in a repair the entire plant turns against him, except for one mysterious employee called Ivan. Problem is noone knows who Ivan is. Furthermore someone is leaving threatening post-it messages on Trevor's refrigerator! He wonders how they got in? Who are they? Why are they doing this to a man who can't sleep and whose only outlet is a 24/7 airport coffee shop? Well, that and a prostitute who seems to have fallen in love with him. 

The journey you'll take in answering these questions is more than worth it. Bale's performance is nothing short of genius! His commitment doesn't end with his emaciated body. This is not the Bale of Batman. There is no trace of the robust and muscled Bruce Wayne here. What we're introduced to in the beginning scenes is a corpse; a bony, creepy endoskeleton of a man who doesn't eat or sleep. 

The tone of the film is grim and the music oddly evocative of 80's creepers. 

The direction and editing are tight, leaving no extraneous scenes, to the point I thought it could've easily been two-and-a-half hours when in fact it was only just over an hour-and-a-half. They manage to pack a lot into that time! 

Relative newcomer Brad Anderson directed the hell out of this, and Scott Kossar (The Amityville Horror remake, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake) wrote the script. Believe me this is more than just worth seeing; this is required viewing for fans of the new thriller avante garde. Fans of Christopher Nolan may have a new hero. Storytelling is wedded to cinematography in a wonderful way. 

See The Machinist. 

Available on DVD everywhere.