Thought-provoking moody film

Rating: 8/10 (21 April 2011)

The Machinist is a psychological thriller directed by Brad Anderson, based on a script by Scott Kosar, and produced and shot in Spain after most American production companies rejected the project as weird.
Trevor Reznik hasn't slept for a year, he barely eats, and has become a loner. He founds himself at trouble after a work mate loses his hand because of his negligence, and a plot against him, involving a mysterious cocky man called Ivan, unveils. His only comfort is the company of two very different women: beautiful single-mother and bartender at the airport's coffee shop Marie, and rough sweet-and-sour prostitute Stevie. Who is Reznik, who are the others, and, more importantly, which are the answers to the hung-man post-its he founds on his fridge every night? Although this is a Suspense film, the plot succeeds more at questioning the idea of self-identity than at building up a thriller. The movie is both an analysis on the need of sleep to have a healthy mind and on the power of our unconscious to define, redefine or distort the way we see us, both physically and psychologically. In fact, Reznik's story is just a quest to respond to the question, Who am I? When the question is answered, all the pieces of the story come together in an emotional closure puzzle.
I did not notice that the movie was not shot in Los Angeles but in Barcelona, although, to be honest, there was something out of place in it or awkward about some scenes, like the smallness of the space related to the scene related to the cross lights with Marie, or the atmosphere of the Police Station. Still, the atmosphere and lighting of the movie are fantastic.
Christian Bale is unbelievable as the insomniac paranoiac steal worker Trevor Reznik, and one wonders why he wasn't nominated to the Oscars that year. The fact that he bothered to get so thin, a walking skeleton really, shows how committed (or crazy) he is about acting. The viewer has to be thankful, though, as his decayed physique helps his character and the movie immensely. Bale just doesn't act, he psychologically splits himself to become Reznik. And anything he does in this movie is believable, raw and authentic.
Bale's counterpart Ivan is played by John Sharian, who is cheekily disturbing in his performance. You hate him immediately, physically, the way the moves, the way he dresses, the way he smiles, still, there is something appealing and warm about him. I think his performance and his physique add even more interest to the theme of Raznik's quest for identity. Aitana Sanchez Gijon and Jennifer Jason Leigh are correct as Marie and Stevie, respectively. The rest of the cast are all believable in their respective supporting roles.
The main flaw of the movie is its predictability in certain areas, so the tempo and building of the thriller resents it. The viewer immediately knows that Reznik is having mental problems, so, at a certain level, you are pre-disposed to anything crazy or out of the ordinary to happen. In other words, the surprise factor is somewhat killed before starting. The movie is full of clues to understand Reznik, which is great, but they are overly present sometimes. For example, the time of the watch when Rezkik is with Maria is used repeatedly, so this part of the story is killed mid way. However, the movie succeeds at not unveiling who Ivan is until almost the end, so the viewer gets what expects in a suspense film. I would have liked the same with regards to Marie.
This is a terrific movie, with a great atmosphere, a thought-provoking script, and a brilliant performance by Christian Bale. The Machinist is one of those multi-layered stories and movies from which you get new details each time you see it. A modern classic.