The Machinist

For his role in The Machinist, Christian Bale lost over 60 pounds (a third of his body weight!) – a shocking transformation that’s more than just a stunt. Bale stars as Trevor Reznik, a machinist who has’t slept in over a year. As a result, Trevor is paranoid and suspicious of everyone around him – though there are two women in his life he seems to trust, a kind waitress (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon) and a weary prostitute (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Director Brad Anderson is clearly going for more of a ’70s character study vibe rather than that of a thriller, a decision which absolutely works. Along with cinematographer Xavi Gimenez, Anderson imbues The Machinist with a stark visual style that complements the film’s bleak tone perfectly – something that can’t be said of Roque Banos’ score, which is over-the-top and distracting. Screenwriter Scott Kosar eschews plot in favor of a prolonged focus on Trevor, and as a result, we really get under the skin of this guy. Of course, it’s Bale’s amazing performance that propels the story forward; though he’s always been a solid actor, this’ll probably be the role that garners him the most attention before he dons the Batsuit next summer.

*** out of ****