The Machinist (2004) Movie Review

Well...I had heard of this movie.  The Machinist, the movie where Christian Bale looses 63 lbs!  To play a insomniac Machinist who is slowly loosing his mind.  Wait a second...63lbs?  Bale was never that big to begin with right?  Right!  He looks like a Holocaust survivor...no joke, no disrespect, but he looks terrible!  He lost 63 lbs to star in this role...It's sick, when you start watching this if you don't know that Bale is the star you will never, never recognize him!

That out of the way, that said...The Machinist was dark, dreary, creepy, crazy and strangely enthralling.  I was literally sucked in.  It doesn't happen very often, but I was not aware of anything else going on around me.  It was dark and gritty and it was like I was glued to the tv with some sort of dread fascination.  I felt on edge, I felt pity for his character, I wanted him to some how find his way out of the hell he was living in.  I saw no way this movie could end well, and I hate movies that end poorly...but I kept watching, fearing the worst and praying for the best.

Christian bale plays Trevor Reznor (I was kinda distracted thinking of NIN's Trent Reznor...Just sayin') a machinist who is suffering from a year long bout with insomnia.  He associates with a prostitute, who seems to be his only friend, and an airport waitress, who we see him going on one date with.  All the while he is slowly spiraling into insanity.  He begins finding mysterious notes in his apartment, and seems to be the only one who sees a new worker at the machine shop.  After causing a devastating accident at work which results in a coworker loosing his arm, his madness begins to take hold of him.

The whole movie I'm just waiting, hoping that there is light at the end of this tunnel that seems to be getting darker and darker.  I'd like to tell you if there is or isn't but I think I'll leave the ending unsaid...that'd be kind of crappy for me to say wouldn't it.  Anyway...I'll give this movie 4 stars...very interesting and very different.  Check out The Machinist on DVD...but Blu-Ray is better :).

For those of you who have never even heard of this movie check out the trailer...