The Machinist

In this movie, Christian Bale plays Trevor Reznik, a factory worker who weighs nothing and has not slept in a year (plus his entire life is seen through a washed-out filter of blues and grays, so you kind of wonder how he even continues to put up with it).  PLUS not one but two women are interested in him, which in his condition is completely absurd.  As if that isn't weird enough, creepy things start happening to and around him , and he cannot tell whether they are really happening or he's just crazy from insomnia.  I won't tell you which, if either, of these is the case.  But I will say some other things about the movie.

First off,  this movie singlehandedly proves that Christian Bale is the greatest current Method actor.

That said, I don't know how his wife stands him.  Maybe he lets tons of time go by between movies, so she can get a lot of experience with Christian the truly decent guy between bouts of Christian the depressed, 60-pound man or Christian the brooding and ripped superhero.

This movie is really, really good.  I did spend the vast majority of it wondering what could possibly be the reason a man would get as thin as he did, and not sleep for an entire year - but everything is satisfactorily resolved at the end, and I wish I had just trusted him and gone with it.

If you're interested in a dark, quiet thriller, and for some reason have not seen this yet, I for sure recommend it!

Availability: DVD and Streaming (Yay!)

Released: 2004
Date added to my queue: 12/6/2007

Reason added to my queue: Unknown