Although bleak, it's only the exterior.

Rating: 8/10 (17 April 2006)

To me, this is not a mood piece. Although bleak in general terms, the pristine cleanliness of the tone of the movie and the surroundings in most of the scenes of this movie, even the main character's working place, gives and impression of detachment. It is probably due to the fact that in movies, one almost never sees surfaces smudged with greasy fingerprints or such things. For dirt to look authentic it has to be applied. In any case in this movie, the sterility enhances the emotional and physical austerity of the atmosphere, yet providing the viewer with modest beauty.
I was positively surprised by Christian Bale's performance. His over-enthused conduct (albeit fitting to the character) in The American Psycho left me cold. I would recommend the Machinist to anyone who wants to take one's time to really watch a movie.