A hypnotic, dark, film with an amazing performance by Bale

Rating: 8/10 (18 June 2005)

I expected the worst after reading review after negative review. All the critics seemed to totally miss the story and focus actor Christian Bale's dramatic weight loss for the part he was playing. Sure it should be mentioned, but to go at lengths about his physicality instead of the story? I do not agree with that. The story is dreamlike. The washed out cinematography gives off a disorienting affect. The story deal with Trevor Reznik, a machinist at a factory who has not sleep in a year and continues to loose weight. Strange things start to happen to him: a mysterious, bald mad that he befriends, Post-it-Note hang-man games on his refrigerator, bloody leaking from his 'fridge, and an ever growing sense of paranoia. The acting is top notch and I hope it finds its audience on DVD. The music is very reminiscent of Bernnard Herrmann that shows that director Brad Anderson was aiming for a Hitchcockian approach to this film. Scott Kosar's script is quite good, and make you forget about his work on the terrible Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake. If you like this film, I also recommend checking out Brad Anderson's first film SESSION 9, a subtle and suspenseful flick.