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| Machinist, The |
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  (6/10)
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Runtime: 102 |
| Public Rating: 8.17 (23 votes) |
Director: Brad Anderson |
MPAA Rating:  |
| Genre: Drama |
Year: 2004 |
| Writer(s): Scott Kosar |
| Distributor: Paramount Classics |
| Reviewed by: Aaron West |
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Starring: Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael Ironside, John Sharian, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón.
So it's become a trend over the past few years for high profile actors and actresses to physically transform (read: uglify) themselves in order to get recognition for their character. Ask Kidman or Theron and they'll tell you that this could, in fact, result in a gold statue on the mantle. Ask Ms. Zellweger and she'll tell you that fattening up will allow a greater chance for a good seat in February. The next logical step for a Hollywood actor is to slim down. Enter Christian Bale, an actor who has shown instances of ability, but has yet to choose a visible role that draws attention to his talent.
An apple a day keeps Bateman and Batman away.
Strange things are happening to Trevor Reznik (Christian Bale) and he isn't able to tell what's real and what's imaginary. He hasn't slept in over a year; his weight has fallen to below 120 lbs; His only companion is a high priced call girl named Stevie (Jennifer Jason Leigh), but he also maintains interest in a hispanic, late-night coffee shop waitress. Someone seems to be leaving post-its on his refrigerator with an eerie, unfinished hangman game. To top it all off, he meets a suspicious guy at work who doesn't actually seem to exist.
Far out man!
Of course most of the Machinist talk will revolve around its South Beach Diet star. Bale's transformation is a little more Tod Browning than Rick Baker. Having dropped a whopping 70 pounds for the role, at least Christian can sleep well, knowing that if this whole film thing doesn't work out he could easily stand in for Jared in the next Subway ad campaign. With all this focus on the look, it's easy to lose sight of Bale's stellar performance here. This is the performance of his career, but unfortunately will probably be overshadowed by the novelty of his physical transformation. Other than some critical recognition, I sincerely doubt that Bale will be walking down the red carpet this year. The same performance in a better project, perhaps even without the extreme physical aspect, might earn Bale more respect.
The look and feel of The Machinist matches the melancholy of its main character perfectly. The color scheme is a drab blueish green, while the lighting and set design convey a darkness and dirtiness. The camera projects a somewhat blurred image, as if peering through tired eyes.
Unfortunately, technical strength and a great performance alone cannot carry a film. The problem with The Machinist is, surprise, with the script. While it may be an intriguing concept, it completely lacks plausibility and has a horrendous ending. This is a project where the backstory and character motivation's are all resolved at the end, with suspense building as the narrative climbs closer to that revelatory denouement. An unbelievable, or even worse, a pointless ending (guilty), can effectively ruins an entire film of this nature. Remember Vanilla Sky? It's as if the audience begins a roller coaster ride, expecting a grand, exhilarating finale. When the end fails to deliver, the entire ride just doesn't seem worth it. That is almost the case with this blue collar blockbuster.
Even though it's easy to cry foul at the conclusion, it isn't easy to hate The Machinist. It has its charm, plus there are a couple terrific sequences that make it seem worthwhile. Speaking of rides, one scene in particular that stands out is when Reznik takes the son of his late-night ladyfriend to an amusement park. He takes the boy on a haunted house ride and gets more thrill than he bargained for. Symbolism is rampant during this trek through "Route 666", as he seems to be touring through his own private hell. Much of the symbolism is correlated with the mise-en-scene throughout the rest of the film, which rewards the audience for paying attention. The scene is the first point at which the audience questions the validity of what they've seen thus far, but is also the symbolic focal point of the entire movie -- the type of scene that, in itself, is ripe for repeat viewings.
Despite some poor writing, with gaping plot holes galore, I have to recommend The Machinist. Just be warned, if you don't eat beforehand, I guarantee you'll be hungry afterward. Maybe there will be a Subway near the theater.
İ Aaron West, 29th November, 2004
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