Despite Some Sputters, "The Machinist" runs smoothly

Rating: 8/10 (22 September 2012)

Yes, Christian Bale lost a lot of weight for this movie and I did spend time marveling at how thin he got and it inspired me to stick to a diet. A movie, however, should be more than marveling at a thin , albeit grossly thin, actor...and yes, there is more substance to the movie.
It's film noir, unfolding in shadows and having characters with questionable motives moving in a paranoid world. In this case, an insomniac who is either being stalked or really is paranoid.
Christian Bale is great. Besides being grossly thin, he is realistic, like when he confronts someone who he thinks is a stalker or rambles due to confusion from his insomnia (One year without sleep)
The movie reminded me of "Memento" in both its film noir style and a mentally challenged character trying to piece event together, Also, "Repulsion", when we were seeing action through Bale's perspective and use of weird angles. There's also a bit of "Requiem of a Dream" in there.
Overall, a good movie, but inconsistent. My interest revved up for some scenes, while dragging at others. The imaginative plot could have made a consistently gripping film.Perhaps in trying to capture an insomniac's mood, the pace was too slow.
In all it's a worthy viewing, especially if you enjoyed similar movies. I watched it as one of the free selections on Amazon Prime. As a free flick, you could definitely do worse. Enjoy!