The Machinist

Skittishly hostile Trevor Reznik is 6'2", weighs only 119 lbs., and literally has not slept in a year. Haunted by increasing paranoia, insomnia, and exhaustion, he's willfully wasting away (actor Christian Bale lost 63 pounds for the role), and hanging onto reality by a very thin thread after a disquieting opening scene, in which he examines his bruised, emaciated body in a bathroom mirror (following what appears to have been a struggle that ended in murder). Akin to Memento in its psycho-cinematic deconstruction of an obsessed man's disintegrating mental state, The Machinist gradually peels back layers of delusion in Trevor's sleep-deprived and malnourished psyche through Bale's mesmerizing performance. Director Brad Anderson (Session 9, Next Stop Wonderland) lets the audience get ahead of the character (but only by a small step or two) as clues to his state of mind begin coming to Trevor--at first almost by accident--but what makes this gritty yet beautifully crafted thriller memorable is its extreme, riveting exploration of how unbearable experiences can eat away at a person, literally body and soul. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director Brad Anderson, a “making-of” featurette (26 min.), eight deleted scenes (10 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disturbing film.] (R. Blackwelder)[Blu-ray Review—May 26, 2009—Paramount, 101 min., R, $29.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2004's The Machinist sports a nice transfer with Dolby TrueHD 5.1 sound. Blu-ray extras ported over from the standard DVD release include audio commentary by director Brad Anderson, a “Breaking the Rules” making-of featurette (26 min.), eight deleted scenes (10 min.), and trailers. New to the Blu-ray version are the production featurettes “Manifesting The Machinist” (23 min.) and “Hiding in Plain Sight” (14 min.). Bottom line: a solid debut in Blu for this disturbing film.]