A Subtle, Fantastic Independent Film

Rating: 8/10 (27 July 2008)

In my opinion, Christian Bale is rising fast as one of the most respectable modern actors. After having loved his performance as the in the freshly revived Batman series, I noticed this movie on the shelf at the local video store where I worked. I'd heard bits about it from friends around school so I picked it up; needless to say, I thought it was an awesome movie. Bale is Trevor Reznik, a machinist with a nasty case of insomnia who's withering away to nothing. Soon after he meets a strange new co-worker named Ivan (John Sharian), an accident causes a worker to lose their arm and Reznick becomes the negative center of attention as a result. From that point on, Reznick's life proceeds to deteriorate further as he begins to believe he is being targeted in a plot against him by everyone in his life, all in conjunction with Ivan.
Bale, who dropped 63 lbs for the role, does a superb job as the increasingly paranoid Reznick. It's almost painful to look at when you first see an emaciated Bale at the beginning of the film; the man looks like the walking dead. Throughout the movie, we watch as he pieces together clues to determine what's going on and, while some twists become evident pretty fast, it all leads up to the final reveal where everything comes together. One reason I love this movie is the fact that you can rewatch it 2-3 times and still catch subtle hints and foreshadowing throughout that point to the truth. The story is complex to where it keeps you wondering until the end, but never becomes confusing.
The film benefits from great supporting performances from Sharian as the strange newcomer who seems to tie it all together, as well as from Jennifer Jason Leigh as a prostitute who is essentially Reznick's only real friend. The movie's pacing is a bit slow but it compensates by keeping the story interesting with constant developments. This film shows the talent of director Brad Anderson and motivates me to seek out some more of his previous work. Those who watch it shouldn't expect a fast-paced thriller, but a thought-provoking piece of independent film that'll prompt you to watch again just to see what you might've missed the first time.