A predictable, engaging but dimly lit psychological thriller

Rating: 7/10 (18 May 2010)

A piano and a few violins which sound like a cat is being savagely strangled is all you really need to make any situation feel as nerve racking as watching a woman parallel park into a tight spot and this movie exploits that fact very schemingly. All the way through its torture to your ears like someone is tickling your cochlear with a sulphuric acid soaked soldering iron.
Basically this is a story of a guy who has insomnia but like everything else Hollywood it can't JUST be insomnia, you know the problem you just go to your family doctor about and take sleeping pills for, NO! He's had insomnia FOR A YEAR and its only when the film begins that he starts to lose his mind over it, seems like he was doing fine before that, just a bit freakishly skinny that's all (hold that thought). The movie is gripping and sticky right up until we meet Mr Ivan, he's a shinny, bald headed, squeaky squirrel voiced, irritating version of Tony Soprano (wow, lots of adjectives!) and from then on its pretty Mr predictable. Oh by the way did I mention his weird toe hand? The movie has your standard twists and turns but with a nifty and downright heartbreakingly evil use of a mundane everyday office item – Mr post-it note, I will never look at him the same way again! And whilst I'm on the subject will someone please teach Trevor (played by Christian Bale by the way) how to play hangman!
There are two moments in the movie when we actually have some technicolour and that happens to be both the times Jennifer Jason Leigh (who plays Stevie) is naked – fine by me, but why does even a sunny day in the movie look like it was shot using a camera from the 1900s and not 2004?
Back to skinny Mr Bale. I'm not really sure how him being as skinny as a 1980s anorexic HIV positive heroin user with a strange addiction to bleach (I don't think he really knows you can just use soap) adds to the storyline but it's really disgusting and pretty cool at the same time. I mean you know you shouldn't look, like when you see two dogs humping in the park but you still do! I, like everyone else who critiques this movie am amazed at how he did it but I guess it becomes a lot easier when you know a big fat cash injection will be coming your way for doing it but that aside "nuff props" to him for doing so (and that's me being cool).
Overall, and I don't say this much so cherish it, a pretty good movie, engaging, interesting, dark and gross but unfortunately predictable even if you have just a tiny bit of movie know-how. A good performance by Christian Bale and we all know how generally a nice and bubbly guy he is – especially to his DP. I'd almost say I'd recommend it – wait; that's enough of me being nice I think I just swallowed some vomit whilst typing that last line so I'm going to stop there.