Thanks to its great acting, music and filming, The Machinist is a movie that delivers a dark and twisting story that reminds you of some the great Alfred Hitchcock thrillers.
Christian Bale, who is wafer thin throughout the movie, is haunting in the role of Trevor Reznik – a ordinary machinist whose life has been slowly unraveling for a year and spins further out of control after a work accident.
Reznik’s world is turned further upside down when a man named “Ivan” begins stalking him causing Reznik to believe he is the victim of a conspiracy. The only problem is that he is the only one that has seen Ivan and no one else believes that person exists.
This conspiracy plot sends Reznik into overdrive as he struggles to reveal who has put Ivan up to stalking him and tries to discover what is happening to his life.
Although parts of the plot are familiar and you start to figure out what is happening before the ending, The Machinist keeps your attention locked on the film. Every aspect of the film, from the music to the dark colors used, adds to the tone and helps keep your attention on what is happening on screen.
Bale does an outstanding job as Reznik. His weight lost, which caused health problems for the actor, adds to the creepy feel of the movie. As the movie continues, Bale looks gaunt and becomes more desperate trying to figure out what is happening to him.
When answers don’t work out, Bale lashes out at everyone around him convinced they are all trying to punish him for the accident at work.
As Reznik discovers the truth, desperation turns into total exhaustion and you believe it thanks to Bale’s performance. This movie shows why Bale is such a great actor and that he could truly play any part given to him.
Bale is haunting and desperate in The Machinist
The movie’s music is a driving force in the film and adds to the dark filming of the movie. It also adds to the Hitchcock atmosphere and seems like something straight out of Psycho.<!--page-->
Main Menu screen
Director Brad Anderson’s use of odd camera angles and color help the movie create a surreal feeling and makes you wonder if any of it is really happening. From the grinning smile of Ivan to the use of darkness in Reznik’s apartment, Anderson creates a world where it isn’t clear if anyone is innocent or they are truly trying to drive Reznik insane.Anderson also offers little clues through the movie to help the viewer figure out what is happening to Bale, but that just helps keep your attention. These clues help you discover the truth about Reznik, but not so soon that there is no point in watching the rest of the movie.
The DVD comes with several special features including eight deleted scenes, The Machinist: Breaking the Rules – a behind the scenes look at the film, and commentary by Anderson.
The eight deleted scenes do a good job of further expanding on Reznik’s life and revealing a bit more detail on some of the other characters in the film. It doesn’t hut the film that they were cut, but watching them adds to the DVD.
Special Features screen
The Machinist is a movie that hooks you right at the beginning and grabs you by the throat by the ending. It has all the right ingredients for a thriller or suspense film, but also the careful details needed for a movie that holds your attention from start to finish.
I highly recommend the movie to any fan of Hitchcock or anyone who enjoys a dark thriller. It does require that you keep up with what is happening, but pays you back with a movie that you really don’t want to stop once you start watching.
The Machinist is now available at Amazon and available for pre-order at AmazonUK for an August 1 release.
Visit the film’s database for more information.
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