Film Review: The Machinist
The Machinist in my humble opinion is one big mind-fcuk.
It’s been awhile in my recent memory since I have actively watched movies beyond the pure pleasure of enjoying them; that I’ve seen such a well-constructed piece of human drama that leaves me reeling with questions and a mad desire to know more as every second develops.
This film evokes a sense of fcuked-upness similar to watching bizarre constructs of modern cinema such as any David Lynch movie (Mulholland Drive, Twin Peaks), Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko, Alejandro Amenabar’s Open Your Eyes (later adapted into English as Vanilla Sky by Cameron Crowe), the French shock movie Irreversible, or Christopher Nolan’s breakout movie Memento.
For his debut movie, the director Brad Anderson shows much promise in the future by creating a tense psychological thriller; from the way he handles the camera to how he lights each scene; evoking a sense of dread and making the viewer constantly question just where the hell is this story taking us to?
Kudos must also go to Christian Bale who lost A LOT of weight to end up as the skeletal protagonist the film focuses on. Since it’s a psychological thriller with a twist ending (I’ve said enough already lest I spoil the ending!) I’ll just gloss over the film’s premise.
Basically Christian Bale is Trevor Reznik, a blue collar worker that works at a factory (where he is..dum de dum…here it comes.. a Machinist!). In the past few months, he has been having trouble getting sleep (insomniac) and gradually turning thinner as each day passes by. It becomes so much of a problem that he starts alienating the people at work and his only salvation is Stevie, a hooker played by Jennifer Jason Leigh and Marie, a Latino waitress (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon) that works at an airport cafe Reznik frequents during his hours off work.
The antagonist for the movie, Ivan played by John Sharian, starts entering Reznik’s life as a fellow co-worker at the factory he works at. However, no one else that works there knows whom Reznik is referring to. Soon Reznik starts seeing things and fcuked up stuff occurs from a freak accident on the factory floor resulting in a decapitation to post-it notes being left on Reznik’s fridge.
What is reality? What is fantasy? Is this all a result of an insomniac’s hallucinations?
If you are game for an engaging psychological thriller which asks its audience to be sharp at each and every second to piece all the clues together…then go ahead and watch the Machinist. I’m sure you will leave the cinema satisfied.
If you are an average Malaysian cinemagoer however, stick to the local comedies or basic mindless American fare, buddy. That’ll save you your hard-earned RM 10 and 2 hours of your simple-minded misbegotten life!
;-p
It’s been awhile in my recent memory since I have actively watched movies beyond the pure pleasure of enjoying them; that I’ve seen such a well-constructed piece of human drama that leaves me reeling with questions and a mad desire to know more as every second develops.
This film evokes a sense of fcuked-upness similar to watching bizarre constructs of modern cinema such as any David Lynch movie (Mulholland Drive, Twin Peaks), Richard Kelly’s Donnie Darko, Alejandro Amenabar’s Open Your Eyes (later adapted into English as Vanilla Sky by Cameron Crowe), the French shock movie Irreversible, or Christopher Nolan’s breakout movie Memento.
For his debut movie, the director Brad Anderson shows much promise in the future by creating a tense psychological thriller; from the way he handles the camera to how he lights each scene; evoking a sense of dread and making the viewer constantly question just where the hell is this story taking us to?
Kudos must also go to Christian Bale who lost A LOT of weight to end up as the skeletal protagonist the film focuses on. Since it’s a psychological thriller with a twist ending (I’ve said enough already lest I spoil the ending!) I’ll just gloss over the film’s premise.
Basically Christian Bale is Trevor Reznik, a blue collar worker that works at a factory (where he is..dum de dum…here it comes.. a Machinist!). In the past few months, he has been having trouble getting sleep (insomniac) and gradually turning thinner as each day passes by. It becomes so much of a problem that he starts alienating the people at work and his only salvation is Stevie, a hooker played by Jennifer Jason Leigh and Marie, a Latino waitress (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon) that works at an airport cafe Reznik frequents during his hours off work.
The antagonist for the movie, Ivan played by John Sharian, starts entering Reznik’s life as a fellow co-worker at the factory he works at. However, no one else that works there knows whom Reznik is referring to. Soon Reznik starts seeing things and fcuked up stuff occurs from a freak accident on the factory floor resulting in a decapitation to post-it notes being left on Reznik’s fridge.
What is reality? What is fantasy? Is this all a result of an insomniac’s hallucinations?
If you are game for an engaging psychological thriller which asks its audience to be sharp at each and every second to piece all the clues together…then go ahead and watch the Machinist. I’m sure you will leave the cinema satisfied.
If you are an average Malaysian cinemagoer however, stick to the local comedies or basic mindless American fare, buddy. That’ll save you your hard-earned RM 10 and 2 hours of your simple-minded misbegotten life!
;-p
posted by NiK! at
9:29 PM
