The Machinist (DVD)

There are some films that are criminally ignored on their cinema release but find a natural home on DVD, where they build a cult following. Then there are other films which are just criminally ignored whatever the medium. The Machinist is an example of the latter - a superb film that deserves to be far more widely acknowledged. Almost certainly part of the reason for its relative anonymity is that The Machinist is not an easy film to watch. It is a very powerful, gripping and intriguing tale, but if you're looking for more traditional Hollywood style entertainment, you need to look elsewhere. It's a shame that so many people do precisely that, because they ...  Read the complete review

There are certain actors that will do anything to get into a role. This normal takes the form of method acting to get into the character’s feelings; perhaps changing their voice or hair. In extreme cases an actor may pile on the pounds like Robert DeNiro in Raging Bull or George Clooney for Syriana. I quite like the idea of fattening up for a role stuffing my face with cake and pasta in the hope of blobbing out. However, it must be infinitely more difficult and less pleasurable to lose weight. Not just a little but stones! I saw a promotional photo of Christian Bale in ‘The Machinist’ and he looked starved with his ribs showing. With this commitment to the role ...  Read the complete review

The Machinist is a dark, very dark, psychological thriller from director Brad Anderson (Session 9, Into Wonderland) and first time scriptwriter Scott Kosar. The film starts with Trevor Resnick (Christian Bale) carrying a body, wrapped in a carpet out to the coast and dumping the body into the sea. Why, who and what for is, obviously, unknown at this time. Trevor is a machinist in a large factory, liked and respected by his colleagues who all do seemingly mundane, pointless and repetitive jobs. Standing at machines pulling levers and pressing buttons at the appropriate times seems to be their whole job and they do it for all their shift. They work ...  Read the complete review

Directed by Brad Anderson, 'The Machinist' is probably best known for Christian Bale's immense weight loss. Proving the actor's dedication, Bale lost a staggering 63 pounds for his role as Trevor Reznik, a tortured human being who begins to doubt his sanity when he suffers from a terrible case of insomnia that hasn't allowed him to sleep for a year. This is a dark, haunted story, with a definite creep factor. The story and the direction is reminiscent of some of Hitchcock's work, sometimes directly referencing it, such as some short driving scenes which are rather similar to those in Psycho. Reznik, as the title suggests, is a machinist. While helping a ...  Read the complete review

In The Machinist we can see a brilliant performance from Christian Bale. Those who have seen American Psycho know how well built he was in that film. Apparently, he lost 62 pounds (28kg), to look severely emaciated in order to shot The Machinist. To save his energy, he did not even speak during making the film, only when it was necessary for the scenes. All this information got my attention and I watched the film directed by Brad Anderson. It takes place in a bleak, dark town where Trevor Reznik (Christian Bale) works in a factory as a machinist who has not slept in over a year. Everyone thinks he is a weirdo, and the assumption is not too far from the truth. ...  Read the complete review