22/11/06 : The Machinist

22/11/06 The Machinist Director Brad Anderson 2004

Internet Review : Trevor Reznik is an industrial machinist who has not slept for a year. He has progressively lost weight to the point where he has become an emaciated skeleton. His alarming appearance and behavior cause his co-workers to shy away from him; they eventually turn on him after he is involved in an accident that costs a man, Miller, his left arm. Trevor, distracted by an unfamiliar coworker named Ivan , bears the blame for the accident. No one at the factory admits knowing "Ivan", however, and there are no records that he was ever an employee. Trevor seems to find peace only in the arms of Stevie a prostitute who develops genuine affection for him, or in the company of Marie, a waitress at the airport diner where he spends many of his nights

I absolutely loved this film. Christian Bale who plays the lead apparently lost 60 pounds for this role by eating a single bowl of rice per day. His gaunt and alarming appearance adds to the dark feel of the film which has loads of nice twists and surprises that you don’t see coming (well I didn’t anyway!). I think that we have all experienced where your brain can start to go with not enough sleep and this film gets the mood exactly right. I love films which leave you unsure as to what is reality as opposed to fantasy and that’s what this film is all about 9/10