"If you were any thinner, you wouldn't exist."
No, your eyes are not deceiving you! It's been too long since I last did a movie watchlist entry. I have three movies I need to post about, so I'm going to start with the most recent one I've seen and work my way backwards:
The Machinist (2004)
Written by: Scott Kosar
Directed by: Brad Anderson
Starring: Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Aitana Sanchez-Gijon, Michael Ironside, John Sharian
Synopsis: Trevor Reznik (Bale) hasn't slept in a year. Literally. Strange events at home, a frightening accident at work, and a mysterious co-worker only Trevor can see all breed paranoia and push him to investigate what he thinks is a plot against him. Along the way he involves a friendly hooker (Jason Leigh) and an airport waitress (Sanchez-Gijon) as he tries to untangle this web of fear.
Oh, the things actors do for their craft. Rumor is that Christian Bale dropped to 110 pounds for this movie. I believe it. Just looking at him made me cringe. You can see every single bone in his body. It's rather terrifying.
Bale's performance was superb; he completely embodied Trevor and captured his rapidly escalating madness. The supporting cast member were good as well, particularly Jennifer Jason Leigh as the sympathetic Stevie, who is more than willing to turn off her red light and settle down with Trevor, whom she calls her "best client."
What I liked most about the film was the color, or lack thereof. The entire movie had a great washed out look. It was almost completely devoid of bright colors and most scenes were tinted a pale blue-green.
As for the plot twist (I'll spare you spoilers), I thought it was very cool. It was one of those twists where once it's revealed you go, "Oh. Got it." Every single thing crazy thing that happened in the entire movie finally makes sense. Nothing remains a mystery in the end, and I appreciate not being left hanging (Ahem. I'm talking to you, Chris Nolan/Inception.).
The Machinist was made for about $5 million and filmed entirely on location in Spain (the filmmakers did an excellent job making it look like Los Angeles). Overall, this is a quality film, one that proves you can make a good movie without a giant budget.