The Machinist

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. (08/10/2005)

A picture that can be summed up as “Bale, but nothing else". Christian Bale absolutely excels, not only in physical preparations for the part, but mainly in his performance of a worker suffering from long-term insomnia, and strange things start happening to him. The problem is that this movie seems much better than it really is, and the screenplay is completely predictable. The only reason why it is at all watchable is the expectation that the outcome won’t be what it looks like it is going to be from the very first minutes. The movie quite often promises very clearly that “this is going to be really something, just wait and you’ll see". In the end it all seems to trail off into nothing and you are left feeling that somebody wasted the huge potential. Overall, this is definitely an example of quality filmmaking that is saved by the Bale and he is rightly praised highly by many for his performance. I’m rather intrigued to see just how bad this would have turned out with a different actor. (04/13/2005)

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. (07/02/2009)

The ambiguity of every scene in The Machinist amuses me immensely. It's a bit of a shame that the existential level is killed a bit by the necessary point of the story, but I still enjoy the playfulness of form and content throughout. When you add in a good dose of witty cynicism (my favorite, when Reznik gets dementedly hit by a car and the camera focuses on the "I'd rather be fishing" sticker) and Bale's dedication, The Machinist deserves five stars. (10/12/2010)

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. (08/25/2006)