Frail Bale enhances a somewhat average movie

Rating: 6/10 (18 November 2013)

Having not slept for over a year, industrial worker Trevor Reznik begins to interact with people and see things that are out of the ordinary. While trying to prove that the mysterious Ivan is real, he begins to question his own sanity. What is real, and what is a figment of his sleep-deprived imagination starts to become unclear.
'The Machinist' has become famous for being THAT Christian Bale film where he's dangerously thin. And, guys, Christian Bale is dangerously thin in this film; scarily so. That's literally the only reason I had for wanting to see the movie, as I had no idea what the film was about, or what it's critical and commercial standing was.
And yes, Bale's performance is immense. As the insomniac Trevor Reznik, he is a livewire on screen, stealing every scene he's in. You forget quite quickly that it's a Hollywood superstar, and get lost in the character. Reznik is a man in constant suffering – the lack of sleep, the breakdown of his sanity, his helplessness, his lack of trust – and Bale every emotion with class. His very thin physique adds to the aura of the character, and the star deserves huge kudos for the dedication.
But truth be told, it's a very good performance in only a decent movie. While I was fully engaged by the Trevor Reznik character, and thoroughly enjoyed seeing Bale's performance, I didn't have as much enthusiasm for the rest of the film. None of the other characters (except maybe Jennifer Jason Leigh's character Stevie) really resonated, with the chief antagonist Ivan (John Sharian) more annoying than anything else.
At the heart of it, the film is a mystery thriller full of twists and turns. Again, just like the characters themselves, I was never really blown away by the changes in the narrative. Because I didn't engage with the characters, I didn't engage with the action either. The ending was also extremely anticlimactic, leaving me quite unsatisfied.
I think 'The Machinist' is a movie which gets by on the appeal of Christian Bale's acting performance, and he is perhaps strong enough to make the film watchable. The fact he lived on just a can of tuna and an apple for so long is ridiculous, and it's worth seeing the movie just to experience the result of that dedication. But don't be fooled that this is an amazing film. The comparisons to 'Memento' and 'Shutter Island' are obvious, but 'Memento' this is not. It's a decent film, anchored by an excellent lead performance, that's all.