November 13, 2004
Movie Review: The Machinist
WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD
Don't try to get your girlfriend to go to this movie by playing up Christian Bale's hotness. He's not hot unless you're into zombies or skeletons (and yes, I know some of you do have this fetish). You think I may be exaggerating here, but I swear to you that I am not (evidence). I actually turned to Cyndi and asked her if she thought they did some kind of computer editing to make him look so starved. I don't think they did.
Okay, on to my thoughts not consumed with the Christian Bale weightloss program. The movie itself was good: eery, creepy, edgy, gritty. Like Bale's character Trevor Reznik, who hasn't slept in over a year, we're left with a very uneasy feeling that something terrible is just about to happen, and the deja vu feeling that perhaps it already has. The Machinist is a mystery story about guilt and the consequences of that guilt. It won't make you feel happy at the end, but it'll definitely resonate with you throughout the weekend.
As I sat there through the bleak film, a myriad of others came to mind: Fight Club, Seven, Insomnia and Memento, and any one of Hitchcock's movies. There was a twist, yes, but unlike a Shyamalan movie, you know it's coming. There was a mystery there to be solved. Don't all mysteries have swerves in them?
vivian at November 15, 2004 01:46 PM
I really liked this movie! It was creepy and the mood just pulled me in. They did use makeup to make him look even thinner, but still, brother looked SICK.
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kenji at November 15, 2004 01:50 PM
I figured they did. Also, his posture was particularly ghoulish (neck stuck out, wobbling around on those thin legs of his). He also probably water depraved himself before shooting.
Last night, Cyndi jokingly said she needed to go on the Christian Bale diet. Now THAT would be hot!
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