The Machinist

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. (12/10/2010)

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. (25/08/2006)

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. (13/04/2005)

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)

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)