Bale gets frail in 'Machinist'

Brad Anderson's "The Machinist" came and went during its theatrical release last fall with little fanfare. Generally, all you ever heard about the flick were the dramatic weight loss heights actor Christian Bale undertook to inhabit the titular character -- shedding 60 pounds from his already trim 180 pound frame. While the movie as a whole isn't as impressive as Bale's individual acting achievement, (i.e. there's a lot of build-up and not much in the way of payoff) the recently released DVD is worth a look.\nBale stars as Trevor Reznik, a lithe operator who hasn't slept in a year. Eventually, Reznik's sleeplessness catches up with him on the job and he accidentally cuts a co-worker's (Michael Ironside) arm off with one of the machines. The accident prompts suspicion and anger from the other machinists. Such treatment puts Reznik on edge -- he suspects that his peers seek revenge. Helping him through his paranoia are the prototypical hooker with a heart of gold (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and a kindly waitress (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón). \nRife with literary allusions (Dostoyevsky's "The Idiot" obviously served as inspiration) and numerous masterfully-crafted shots, "The Machinist" is both handsome and intelligent. Unfortunately, the hour and a half-plus the filmmakers spent convincing audiences of Reznik's insanity is undercut by a twist ending from out of left field. However, in Anderson and screenwriter Scott Kosar's (2003's "Texas Chainsaw Massacre") defense, the tonal shift makes for a much more moral picture.\nSomewhat weightier than the film itself are the DVD's special features. Anderson gives an entertaining and enlightening commentary focusing primarily on the brilliance of Bale and how his working relationships with cinematographer Xavi Giménez and composer Roque Baños contributed to the nuvo-Hitchcockian atmosphere. He's critical of the film when it's needed, though his love of the work also often shines through. A featurette entitled "The Machinist: Breaking the Rule" also proves illuminating.\nWhile "The Machinist" is essentially a cinematic nightmare realized, it didn't warrant Bale's health-risking performance. Luckily for audiences that level of commitment is unnecessary -- just rent the damned DVD.