Did Not Suspect a Spanish Film

Rating: 10/10 (16 September 2005)

I thought it a very well done movie, and I was surprised to see another Spanish film in English, a California-like DMV and all. 2001's _Dagon_ comes to mind, but the cast and crew of _The Machinist_, or _El Maquinista_, do a great job even for an American movie in a movie that certainly appears to take place in the United States. The film also has famous actors such as Christian Bale and Jennifer Jason Leigh; Michael Ironside also plays a role.
It certainly has twists, and I was also surprised with the quality of the acting in this 2004 film, Spanish or not, expecting a sci-fi or horror-type film. Christian does not look himself in the part as he's lost a lot of weight. He could easily be a concentration-camp survivor, or victim, with all the weight he's lost! I had to wait for the credits once I suspected it was the guy who later played Batman in _Batman Begins_ (2005) and _American Psycho_ (2000).