Great directing, obvious plot

Rating: 7/10 (20 December 2015)

The Machinist portrays Reznik, a lathe operator, struggling with unexplained insomnia, loss of weight and progressive perceptual disorder, trying to find solace in a brown-and-gray world where his only friend is a lonely prostitute. Basically that's the whole plot of this movie. Reznik doesn't have cancer (that would be a surprise) but apparently has some mental problems.
Christian Bale delivers a very powerful performance, and his photo as Reznik could be used as a perfect illustration for a dictionary entry on 'gaunt'. How much weight he lost for the role is perhaps the most impressive thing about this film. The direction is skillful, effectively delivering the atmosphere of depressing self-doubt and loneliness.
However, the plot is as obvious as it can be. The symbolism is superficial and shallow. "Look!", says the camera, "there are two possible turns here! How symbolic!". And then, "Look how much this scene is reminiscent of that previous scene! We'll ZOOM IN here and then ZOOM IN AGAIN in case you missed it!" There are practically no surprises on the way, especially if you've seen Hitchcock's films or something newer and shallower like The Double.
Even though on the whole it feels powerful, at the end of the day I'd rather spend 2 hours re-watching Fight Club.