Inside the Dark Places of the Mind

Rating: 9/10 (1 June 2006)

Christian Bale's appearance in this film is startling to say the least. He lost approximately 80 lbs. to portray Trevor Reznik, a character on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and he does an absolutely brilliant job of it. This is as close I ever want to get to witnessing someone having a nervous breakdown. Christian's portrayal is extremely realistic.
Trevor Reznik is a nice guy, quiet, and kind of shy, and definitely the type that would bring out the maternal side in a woman, with his gaunt features and haunted eyes.
Trevor works as a machinist. The machines there can be dangerous, men sometimes lose fingers, a hand, occasionally even an arm.
Trevor's only friend is Stevie, a prostitute, but he begins to make friends as well with a very kind and beautiful waitress named Maria, who is divorced and has a little boy, Nicholas.
Trevor is having problems, however. He can't sleep. In the film, he tells Stevie he has not slept for a year. Actually, a person could not go a year without sleeping, so perhaps it only seems that way to Trevor.
We do not know until almost the end of the film, the reason for Trevor's sleeplessness, weight loss and other problems. On our journey to the answers, we are kept in a state of high tension by Trevor's growing suspicion of a plot by his co-workers and the mysterious and sinister Ivan, who keeps inserting himself into Trevor's life.
I would call this film psychological horror. It is very well done, and certainly held my interest throughout.
9 stars.