Machinist (The)

Genre: surreal drama
Director: Brad Anderson
Release: 2004
Studio: Castelao Prodns, Filmax Group
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.3/10

Sleepless on the Assembly Line

Trevor (Christian Bale) is by no means a bad guy but you’d never want to share his dead-end life. He holds a mind-numbing industrial job at National Machine, where his bosses and some co-workers relish the day they’ll get rid of him. He is losing weight uncontrollably, hasn’t slept in ages and finds solace only in the arms of a sympathetic prostitute named Stevie (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and in friendly conversations with Marie (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón), a waitress at the airport.

Of course, these skeletal details reveal little about THE MACHINIST but since I recommend it to all of you suspense fans, saying more would only spoil it for you. Nevertheless, I must caution you: this dark and atmospheric film is one of the most draining and mentally demanding I have seen in quite a while. It plays like a veritable nightmare, the kind you awaken from dumbfounded and damp with sweat, wondering if it was really hell you visited during your horrid slumber.

In his role as a modern-day Charon, Christian Bale moved me immensely; despite the fearsome weight loss he endured to play Trevor, his ravaged face manages to show kindness as well as despair. I will forever be captivated by Jennifer Jason Leigh’s voice and you will appreciate Aitana Sánchez-Gijón’s reassuring presence. Surreal images, faded colours and dialogues as sharp as razor blades create a harrowing mood heightened if need be by a superb and scary score by Roque Baños.

As for the story-line itself, I must warn you again. After a strong start, the movie veers off into pure illogic, so much so that you may be tempted to give up at the hour mark. Truth be told, I almost did from a Kafka overdose but recovered almost miraculously a few minutes later, thanks to an amazing turn of events engineered by writer Scott Kosar.

Kudos to Brad Anderson and crew for a tense and devastating film bordering on cinematic genius.


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