The Machinist is the story of Trevor Reznik, a lathe-operator who is suffering from insomnia. In a machine shop, occupational hazards are bad enough under normal circumstances; yet for Trevor the risks are compounded by fatigue. Trevor has lost the ability to sleep. This is no ordinary insomnia...
A stunt that didn't merit Bale's startling, and dangerous, transformation.
– Rene Rodriguez,
Miami Herald,
3 Dec 2004
fresh:
It's one of those movies that you admire more than you enjoy, but Anderson and Kosar are clearly talents to watch.
– Moira MacDonald,
Seattle Times,
3 Dec 2004
fresh:
[Bale's] is a great performance, full of commitment and sacrifice, and The Machinist is one of the year's best films.
– Roger Moore,
Orlando Sentinel,
10 Dec 2004
fresh:
One can't deny the dubious appeal of the spectacle of the skin-and-bone Bale, quite possibly endangering his health for the sake of his art.
– Geoff Andrew,
Time Out,
9 Feb 2006
fresh:
Until now Bale's screen persona has been defined by a graceful athleticism; here his physicality is repellent, yet he carries the occasionally creaky plot of Scott Kosar's unsettling screenplay to a resonant finish.