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The Machinist is directed by Brad Anderson. The film
stars Christian Bale (The Dark Knight), Jennifer Jason Leigh
(Fast Times at Ridgemont High), John Sharian, Aitana Sánchez-GijB
3n, and Michael Ironside (Top Gun.) The film is an English
language production made by a Spanish company. Music is
by Roque Banos. ***
Trevor Reznik is a machinist, suffering from insomnia.
Working in a dangerous environment with severe lack of sleep,
he begins to question whether or not he is truly sane. As
time progresses, he is visited by a co-worker no one else
seems to think exists, and finds mysterious notes. It isn’t
long before his madness gets the better of him, and those
around him. ***
This film came out before Christian Bale was unleashed
on the masses as Batman in the new Christopher Nolan series.
But when you watch the Machinist, one thing becomes clear
– even in this earlier role, Bale was a talented actor.
He makes this movie his own from start to finish. For the
duration of the film, I truly believed he was an insane
insomniac. The fact that he lost a ton of weight for the
role only adds to the illusion. ***
It’s nearly impossible to write a conventional review
or summary of The Machinist. This is truly a film that must
be seen to be appreciated – words don’t do it justice. In
a world where the horror genre has gone down the crapper
overnight, The Machinist stands as one of the few solid
entries in t he genre. ***
As if Christian Bale wasn’t reason enough to enjoy this
film, it features solid direction and a great supporting
cast. Amongst the supporting cast’s members are Jennifer
Jason Leigh and Michael Ironside – two great actors who,
for whatever reason, never quite seem to get the credit
they deserve. Working alongside Bale, they make for one
hell of a movie. ***
It’s hard to describe this movie, because it’s unlike
anything else out there, and obviously, I don’t want to
spoil the plot. But take my word for it – t his is a great
film. It’s a shame it never really got unleashed on the
masses, because this is a movie unlike anything else out
there. Bale steals the show in this pre-Batman role. ---
Image and Sound:
Paramount delivers a quality Blu-Ray transfer for the
film. With its drab, muted color pallet, this is a movie
that often looks monochromatic – obviously the film crew’s
intention. The image contains a staggering amount of fine
object detail, and the black levels are strong throughout.
Grain is noticeable, but never at any point does it become
a distraction. Lossless audio gives the film a sense of
atmosphere it was so sorely lacking in earlier DVD releases,
and greatly benefits this package. This is not a film that
was meant to be reference quality on an HD format , but
all the same it looks and sounds incredible.
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