Not always a well oiled machine

Rating: 6/10 (17 February 2016)

Clearly informed by the works of Hitchcock, Fincher and Lynch, director Brad Anderson's 'The Machinist' carefully builds a tight little psychological thriller as it goes, but the ending--though complete and without many cheats--and the explanations may not sit well with everyone.
That notwithstanding, an alarmingly gaunt Christian Bale is chillingly effective as a man poised precariously on the razor's edge of sanity. He's so good in fact that soon his appearance is secondary to his performance. Along with co-stars Jennifer Jason Leigh and John Sharian, he holds 'The Machinist' together even as it threatens to break down in the final act.