Suspenseful mood piece thriller that leaves questions unanswered

Rating: 7/10 (6 February 2009)

The first question that we beg of "The Machinist" (of what will be many) is "holy crap, why is Christian Bale so damn skinny?" Other than the actual fact that he dieted on tuna and an apple every day, there's no real answer for this in the film, but it can pretty clearly be deciphered as a metaphor or a physical manifestation of his character's troubled mind. But while the film has its metaphysical bases covered, along with its distinct color palettes contributing to a pervasive feeling of paranoia, "The Machinist" offends the one thing a viewer can't ever forgive: common sense. Not in its plausibility, but in terms of expecting that it can get away with not tying up every loose end.
"The Machinist" is a thriller in the purest sense. It is one character that strange events happen to that cause both him and the viewer to go insane trying to make sense of. The soundtrack even has a classic suspense score a la Hitchcock. Specifically, Bale plays Trevor Reznik, a factory worker who lives a lonely existence that consists of early morning (1 am) ventures to airport diners and paying the same hooker (Jennifer Jason Leigh) over and over again to the point that they're more or less together. When he meets a strange man who accidentally causes him to sever the arm of a fellow factory worker, Reznik begins to yell conspiracy, finding notes on his refrigerator that equate to a game of hangman.
The film has a great look. Director Brad Anderson succeeds at turning it into a mood piece with the constant use of blues and greens and the lighting. It makes for a film with as much of a suspenseful look as plot. "The Machinist" will have you trying to get a step ahead the entire time, trying to figure out how much of it is in this emaciated insomniac's head versus what's real, with an ending that will not disappoint.
At the same time, while many questions are answered, some glaring ones are not. The significance of the film's title is lost and what role this job and what happens in the film at it with the severed arm and the like seems to have nothing to do with the plot twist. Perhaps the general obscurity of the film's events will lead most people to a mostly hazing understanding of it all when it is revealed.
Still, fans of the genre will have something to enjoy in "The Machinist," especially ones that give equal importance to film-making and not just the plot coherency, much like true Hitchcock fans. While it may not leave you fully satisfied, you certainly won't regret the whole experience.