Review: The Machinist

Yeah, Christian Bale lost a lot of weight. There, that's out of the way. Bale's dedication to the performance, is admirable, but there's something troubling about how lazy The Machinist feels. There are parts of it that are very appealing. Bale is an enormously talented actor, and he gives The Machinist a great deal more gravity than it would have likely had without him. But Brad Anderson's taken far too many pages out of the Fight Club book here in regards to his narrative elements. It's very clear, very early on where the film is going in telling the tale of an insomniac who weighs a buck twenty, has the worst social skills I've seen in many years, and hangs out with a guy who just screams "I'm a plot device, pay attention to me!".

The Machinist's narrative twists and turns enough to keep the viewer interested, and the performances really are pretty top-notch. There are several strong scenarios, most of them involving the female characters in Bale's life. But, ultimately, Anderson allows his film to collapse due to exhaustion, and not a little contrivance.

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