The Machinist (Japanese Import)

There are performers so committed to their craft that they're willing to go to any length to embody their characters. Robert De Niro gained a staggering sixty pounds during the 'Raging Bull' shoot to convert Jake LaMotta from a young, chiseled boxer to a careless has-been. Charlize Theron put on thirty pounds and masked her beauty behind layers of riddled prosthetics to become Aileen Wuornos in 'Monster.' And who could forget Edward Norton's turn as the swastika-branded neo-Nazi in 'American History X' -- a make-or-break career gamble that required thirty pounds of extra muscle, diatribes of racist rhetoric, and a daily regimen of offensive tattoos.

Yet none of those transformations was as dangerous or effective as the one Christian Bale endured to become a mentally unstable insomniac in 'The Machinist.' In six months time, Bale shed a mind-blowing sixty-three pounds to literally become a malnourished, skeletal wisp of a man. Sound like a cheap gimmick to give a struggling film an edge? Believe me, it's not. 'The Machinist' hinges on Bale's physical sacrifice, allowing the brilliant actor to deliver a far more disturbing look into his character's psyche than would have been possible otherwise.

'The Machinist' tells the twisted tale of Trevor Reznik (Christian Bale), an industrial worker who hasn't slept in over a year. His chronic insomnia has left his body emaciated, his co-workers suspicious, and his personal life in shambles. Shortly after he's blamed for a machinery accident that claims the arm of a co-worker (Michael Ironside), Reznik begins having hallucinations, finding bizarre Post-it notes on his refrigerator, and questioning his sanity. He searches for answers anywhere they can be found -- in the arms of a prostitute (Jennifer Jason Leigh), the love of a kind waitress (Aitana Sánchez-Gijón), or the friendship of her son, Nicholas (Matthew Romero). As his hallucinations become more intense, Reznik desperately struggles to uncover the source of his mental breakdown and undo its damage before he winds up dead.

Director Brad Anderson ('Session 9,' 'Happy Accidents') crafts Reznik's extraordinary quest into an unsettling psychodrama that defies genre conventions. Anderson doesn't portray Reznik as a hero of any sort -- he seems to tell us that the character deserves pity, but little more. I instinctively understood that Anderson didn't necessarily want me to like or root for Reznik. If anything, the director worked to ensure I could never let go and entirely trust any of the characters in the film. By the time the end credits rolled around, I was too caught up in the mystery to scrutinize the implications of Reznik's revelations. Anderson essentially eliminates the natural desire to bond with his main character, subverting viewer expectations and eliciting emotions we don't often feel when watching a film, insecurity and doubt.

It's Christian Bale's body-morphing turn as Reznik that gives the film its real resonance. I couldn't get over the effect the actor's appearance had in making every scene uncomfortable and disquieting. Since I'm familiar with Bale's usual look, his fragile frame in 'The Machinist' injects a feeling of dread into otherwise run of the mill interactions. His physical appearance allows Anderson to tell the story without getting hung up by Reznik's exact condition or any lengthy expositional information. Factor in the actor's weak gestures, sunken eyes, and defeated demeanor, and you have a character that instantly grabs your attention from the moment he steps on screen. His hallucinations and waking nightmares quickly emerge as a secondary threat when compared to Reznik's own failing health.

Is the flick perfect? Not quite. Unfortunately, it's biggest flaw lies in its final revelation. Unlike more intriguing twisters from directors like David Lynch, 'The Machinist' is all too eager to wrap its symbols, metaphors, and explanations into a succinct package that feels a bit too conclusive. For all of the film's hallucinogenic stylings and mysteries, Reznik's condition can be traced back to an event that doesn't feel as connected to his breakdown as the story would suggest. Don't get me wrong, the ending is still satisfying and thankfully relies on several, well paced twists and turns in the story, rather than one big "gotcha" moment.

'The Machinist' is a dark and brooding cinematic head-trip that features a gut-wrenching performance from Christian Bale. The film's strong script, arresting cinematography, and unsettling tone match his efforts scene for scene, creating something wholly unique. Bale's extreme commitment to his role elevates the film to another level -- I doubt it would feel nearly as significant without him.