A superbly atmospheric and engaging film.

Rating: 8/10 (21 May 2010)

The Machinist stars Christian Bale (playing the main lead excellently) who plays the character of Trevor Reznik, an exceptionally thin man, so much so you can see his skeleton who is plagued by fatigue after not having slept in more than a year. He works in a machine factory where one day he causes an accident one of his co-workers that leads him to losing his arm. They blame him for it and want him out of the job. Soon he starts to suspect they are conspiring against him when strange post it note messages appear on Trevor's fridge. whilst also he is haunted by a figure dressed in a black leather jacket and sunglasses called Ivan (played superbly by John Sharian). He tells Trevor he works in the factory but his co-workers and bosses claim he dosen't exist.
Trevors quest to find out what is happening to him takes him into an interaction with other characters, Jennifer Jason Leigh who plays hooker Stevie with surprising heart in places, a waitress Maria at the airport who Trevor goes to for coffee and pie and her son. Is Trevor going mad in his investigation with not having slept in more than a year or is someone/people plotting against him for the accident at the factory? You won't get me telling you.
This is a wonderfully bleak and atmospheric film with director Brad Anderson using dark and natural lighting to convey the fatigue and loneliness of Bale's character Trevor. Bale actually became deliberately thin for this part and when you first see this film, it's a shocking and grotesque sight to see particularly when Stevie comments on his exceptionally thin figure and he moves his body so you can actually see the shape of the bones beneath his skin. It's a testament to Bale that he has helped make Anderson's film so authentic in this way and like mostly every actor Bale has had his good and bad films but this is one of his better one with a performance that truly depicts the horror of what Trevor is going through.
Be warned now this isn't a typical Hollywood pop-corn trash movie. It's the film with the air of an independent one with a low budget, the story is structured in such a way, it becomes confusing as to what's happening (quite similar though not as complex or grand a scale as Mulholland Drive) but stick with it as it is intriguing and by the end it is all explained. The twist of what actually happened was shocking though it would have been nice to understand more motivation behind Trevor's character of why. If you watch this after reading it or have seen it and read this. You will know what I mean. This is a great film for character study of a man and his mind. I thoroughly enjoyed this even if it did take a little time to become immersed in it as I was unsure at first with where the film was going. Be patient though and you will be rewarded with a complex but compelling and excellently acted and made movie that puts Bale's dismal performance of the Dark Knight (the last film I saw him in back in the shade)and him back on form.
N0TE: It seems after this film his family fattened him up again. Thank god!