Awesome build-up, but the payoff not so much....

Rating: 7/10 (31 July 2005)

This review contains information that may be deemed a spoiler by some people. Basically, I tell you what horrible plot device I'm happy they didn't use.
Overall I thought the movie was really good. The Machinist kept me wanting to know what happened next, up to the end. The end which wasn't entirely terrible kinda reminds me of a "Kill Bill Vol.2" ending. At the end of "Kill Bill Vol 2" I expected an awesome fight scene but on first viewing was disappointed with the way Tarantino handled it. Subsequent viewings have made me appreciate the way Tarantino threw a sucker punch in there that you wouldn't expect.
In "The Machinist" the build-up is so twisted that you expect the ending to be something you couldn't possibly have imagined. {b}I{/b} wanted the ending to be so far out there that it would freak me out like the rest of the movie did. (*possible spoiler*) All signs pointed to Trevor and Ivan being one and the same but,thankfully, that wasn't the case. It was was an all right "Aha!" in "Fight Club" but if they had done it here it would've almost ruined the movie because of the sheer cheesiness of it. (*/end spoiler*) I think upon a second watching I might like the ending more and knowing the end will change the color of the movie for me. Events that seemed sinister during the first viewing will take on a lighter tone.
As for the how the movie was shot, it's really good. The coloration they use gives a lot of the movie an almost black and white look which is effective in creating a sense of foreboding. The way the dark halls were shot reminded me of what a dark hall was like as a child. The movie is able to convey a sense of dread through the use of a muted color palette.
I'm definitely going to recommend this movie to people and I'll watch it again just so I can have foresight this time. It'll be almost like watching "Identity" for the second time.