Promoted Promise of a Great Film.

Rating: 1/10 (23 October 2005)

Disappointed.
The Machinist was promoted with promise of a great film. Unfortunately, it was not. Movies of this genre require a greater vision and talent on the directors' part. It was as if Brad Anderson desperately tried to reproduce Christopher Nolan's 2000 "Memento" with Marc Caro & Jean-Pierre Jeunet's 1991 "Delicatessen". Christian Bale as usual preformed well, though the film would have been more successful casting an actor less familiar and of the required physic of Trevor's character.
Finely, Brad Anderson emphasized the great lengths to portray an L.A. environment in Barcelona, Then later describes his attempt to portray nondescript local in the director commentary on the DVD. This inconsistency was apparent throughout the duration of the film. One should be skeptical of the future film announced by Anderson, "The Crazies", for the plot has been over used since the beginning of zombie flicks produced since the 60's. It will be very difficult for Anderson to come close to Danny Boyle's 2003 film, "28 Days Later".