The Machinist

An excellently gloomy atmosphere and you will be astounded by Christian Bale, skinny to the bone putting doubts in the minds of those wanting to maintain their “slim figure". Reznik is an amazing character and the punchline of his story will simply get you. And yes, even if you saw Fight Club, The Machinist still has a lot to offer. A very strong four star rating. (13/02/2008)

Unfortunately, in terms of pace, the film is very poor. The editing was also not up to par, and by the end you are left very confused. Even with full attention, it is simply impossible to grasp the whole plot with all its details, and the resulting shock is more chaos than anything else. Just because Christian Bale weighs twenty kilograms doesn't mean he automatically gives a fantastic performance. It is commendable and somewhat crazy that he was willing to undergo such a transformation for this role, but his acting remains average and in no way close to Batman or Equilibrium. The Machinist boasts an excellent depressive atmosphere (great filters and toning) and solid minimalist music, but I felt that there was a lack of originality. (25/08/2006)

A well made mystery drama with elements of horror. You you will have to enjoy the atmosphere because to story itself is not that surprising (if you’ve already watched a few films, figuring out the twist will be easy). That said, The Machinist is still worth watching, if only for Christian Bale’s superhuman (inhuman) performance. (02/07/2009)

The viewer's slight and, over time, steadily increasing suspicion diminishes the resulting effect of the final revelation. The Machinist, therefore, is strong not in the incisive Shyamalan-like twist (which I found satisfying, it was very fitting in the context for the story), but in the brilliant depiction of the mental suffering of a man, sparked by severe insomnia and the violent repression of guilt within himself. On top of that, the gloomy atmosphere was delicious. Anderson could not have found a better actor than Bale, in whose face all the shades of mental anguish and fatigue are perfectly visible, and whose Stanislavskian method, supported by the consumption of just one apple a day, leads to something that, in scenes where Bale's character is half undressed, makes the viewer feel physically sick. Apples were soon replaced by mounds of doughnuts (the model diet of any proper Batman) and it makes me want to say that Bale is not the devil, KevSpo. Even he wouldn't take such a gamble with his health :) (22/10/2005)

Paranoia isn't pleasant at all, especially when the director presents it in a way that even the most astute viewer cannot fully interpret the sequence of events. Similar to the main character, one fumbles in the deep darkness of uncertainty, waiting for the final resolution as if for merciful deliverance from the gates of hell represented by both unknown arrivals and relatively close ones undergoing a sharp process of alienation. Brad Anderson deftly plays with the screenplay, and what initially seems like an uncertain move is merely a bluff, concealing another very direct move towards the goal, manifested in the ending, which is the director's sole but all the more painful stumbling point. Everything that precedes it is very successful filmmaking, be it the very dark camera filters, the minimalist but very intrusive soundtrack, or the cast. I find Christian Bale's emaciated character to be very double-edged. Christian Bale certainly deserves deep admiration for what he had to go through, but at the same time, his character can be somewhat disruptive while watching the rest of his acting part, which definitely belongs to Bale's other great roles, although again quite dark. Either way, The Machinist is ultimately a very impressive probe into "ordinary" human life, where the filmmakers have forgotten that the era of crushing plot twists has been over for some time now. (10/08/2005)