“The Machinist” stars Christian Bale as Trevor Reznik, a man who has spent nearly a year of his life in a state of wakefulness. Insomnia for him is not just a small problem… it has become his way of life. Haunted by an experience only hinted at during the beginning of the film, Reznik’s affliction affects him both physically and mentally as he loses tremendous amounts of weight and quite possibly, his mind. In a year full of highly overlooked movies, I have no doubt that “The Machinist” is going to nearly top that list. It came in and out of theatres in a blink of an eye and hardly anyone I’ve talked to has even heard of it. I can’t tell you how much this depresses me to see films of this caliber come and go without so much as a ‘how do you do’ from audiences. And why? Because it is a movie that requires your full attention and the ability to think. The film unfolds as a mystery waiting to be solved. The style reminded me a bit of “Memento”, though it bears little other resemblance.

The look is very dark and gritty, and as such is a bit on the gloomy side. But this is what the film is all about… the darkness that can haunt the human psyche. And while the ultimate payoff in the film may not be to everyone’s liking, it makes perfect sense.

This is not to say that “The Machinist” is a great film. As far as screenplays go, as thought-provoking as it is at times, it is a little thin. But not as thin as actor Christian Bale decided to become in order to portray the role. Those who are familiar with Bale know him as a tall, very well-built guy. But for the movie he opted to lose over 60 pounds to accurately convey the physical transformation an insomniac of this magnitude would go through. However, where for some actors it might simply be an attention-getting gimmick, for Bale it was far from it. It was just a part of the process to throw himself into the part. The transformation doesn’t stop there. Watching the film, you can see that he carries along the mental state along with the physical. This is what has always set him apart from most actors. It’s too bad more people don’t recognize his work.

This may change this month (at least hopefully so) as Bale steps into the shoes (or should I say boots and cowl) of everyone’s favorite “Dark Knight” as he takes on the lead role in the new “Batman Begins.” It is one of his first really big ‘commercial’ roles’ and I was quite surprised he took he job. I’ve been a fan of Bale’s work since his days way back in Steven Speilberg’s “Empire of the Sun”, but I had no idea that he would become as good an actor as he has. His turn in “American Psycho” was as ruthlessly chilling as his role in “Reign of Fire” was humanly sympathetic. He is a great character actor who seems to be above any challenge and I am really looking forward to his take on the Batman legacy.

The new DVD for “The Machinist” includes a commentary by director Brad Anderson, as well as a few deleted scenes. There is no commentary on these scenes, which was sorely needed in a few cases. There is also a fairly lengthy making of featurette that is far better than the standard fare puff piece.

Paramount is releasing “The Machinist” this week, well-timed for the theatrical release of the Batman film. This was really good move and one I hope will bring a lot of the much-deserved attention this move, and it’s star, deserves.

Directed by: Brad Anderson
Starring: Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh,
Extras: Audio Commentary by Director Brad Anderson, The Machinist: Breaking the Rules, 8 Deleted Scenes, Theatrical Trailer
Specifications: Widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 2.0
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: 6/7/2005
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R
Website

We'll give The Machinist an A.