Bale at his best.

Rating: 7/10 (30 May 2012)

There are many fine actors in cinema today, with many great performances in many great films, however when it comes to method acting,it doesn't seem to get much better than Christian Bale. For his role of Trevor Reznik in The Machinist, Bale dropped a whopping 63 pounds for his portrayal of the stick thin Insomniac. It is often common for actors and actresses to gain or lose a few pounds for an upcoming role, but to drop such an excessive amount of weight, I think its safe to say that no one can accuse Bale of taking his profession lightly. As a huge Bale fan before seeing The Machinist, one could say my opinion is quite biased, but regardless of my own opinion, Bale's performance in this film is absolutely incredible, and throughout the film I literally felt as though Bale had disappeared into another person. I found it nearly impossible not to gasp at Bale's transformation in this movie.
Near the start of the film we're told that Reznik hasn't slept in a year, which, well, kind of looks obvious. This immediately left an enigma, hooking me in and making me want to know why hasn't this seemingly innocent, lonely Machinist slept in so long, and also why we are introduced to a man who looks like a walking skeleton.
What I absolutely loved about this film is that director Brad Anderson and writer Scott Kosar really did hit the nail on the head of displaying themes of isolation, repression, loss and guilt in this film, as though the story is shown through Reznik's eyes, yet somehow a constant feeling of mistrust of him makes the film rather unsettling. The dark lighting that is constantly drained and ghostly adds to the idea of the themes and loss and guilt, which I found worked very well at creating quite a gloomy atmosphere full of tension and suspense in the film. The exceptionally clever camera work reflects upon the haunting imagery represented throughout different scenes, making the film particularly stand out for me especially because of how dark this film is.
When I say dark, I don't mean black and white, or poor lighting, however every colour in this film seems to be faded and greying, adding to the protagonists weakened state, as though the world around Trevor is sinking as well as himself, which I found very creepy. For the duration of the film Reznik is plagued by an unpleasant character named Ivan, played very well by John Sharian, an apparently new employee where Trevor works who causes him to result in a horrific accident at their workplace which causes Trevor to become alone and mistrusted, endorsing the theme of isolation, making the film somehow darker than Trevor's eye sockets, which are a perfect reflection for his guilt and sin.
There is easily recognisable suspense and mystery throughout the film which is wrapped up in the complex and well written plot, which was built up from great character development shown from Jennifer Jason Leigh's pleasurable portrayal of Reznik's 'friend in need' Stevie, as well as rather mysterious characters such as Ivan and Marie. I feel that some would find the climax of the film predictable and bleak, however I found that the twist was so dark and gripping I honestly felt as though Trevor has become part of my own life because of how much I ended up feeling sorry for this character, instead of it decaying my enjoyment of the film.
For viewers who are just casual movie watchers as something to pass the time, or viewers who don't like anything more complicated and unsettling than Twilight or Transformers, I certainly don't recommend this film as it is disturbing, complex, and well written. However for those who appreciate a fantastic script and memorable cinematography, as well as a plot twist that will keep you on the edge of your seat, I recommend this, as it definitely engages with those points. I very much enjoyed the film, although I did find it quite unsettling at times, as it really does represent a man's horror and fragile state of mind. The Machinist is a film I will most certainly remember, which leads me to giving it a well earned 8/10.