IMDb > The Machinist (2004)
The Machinist
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The Machinist (2004) More at IMDbPro »

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The Machinist -- An industrial worker who hasn't slept in a year begins to doubt his own sanity
The Machinist -- An industrial worker who hasn't slept in a year begins to doubt his own sanity
The Machinist -- An industrial worker who hasn't slept in a year begins to doubt his own sanity
The Machinist -- CineMagia.ro - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.8/10   66,919 votes »
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Down 6% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer (WGA):
Scott Kosar (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Machinist on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
11 November 2004 (Germany) See more »
Genre:
Tagline:
How do you wake up from a nightmare, when you're not asleep? See more »
Plot:
An industrial worker who hasn't slept in a year begins to doubt his own sanity Full summary » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
7 wins & 8 nominations See more »
User Reviews:
A strong mood piece, but not for everyone See more (379 total) »

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Christian Bale ... Trevor Reznik

Jennifer Jason Leigh ... Stevie
Aitana Sánchez-Gijón ... Marie
John Sharian ... Ivan

Michael Ironside ... Miller

Larry Gilliard Jr. ... Jackson (as Larry Gilliard)
Reg E. Cathey ... Jones
Anna Massey ... Mrs. Shrike
Matthew Romero Moore ... Nicholas (as Matthew Romero)
Robert Long ... Supervisor Furman

Colin Stinton ... Inspector Rogers

Craig Stevenson ... Tucker
Ferran Lahoz ... Gonzales
Jeremy Xido ... Evangelisti
Norman Bell ... DMV Clerk
See more »
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
MPAA:
Rated R for violence and disturbing images, sexuality and language.
Runtime:
101 min | Turkey:94 min (TV version)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The first film Brad Anderson has made that's not based on one of his own screenplays.See more »
Goofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When playing "Hangman," a part of the body is drawn only after a wrong letter has been guessed; in the movie, Trevor draws a body part before filling in a letter.See more »
Quotes:
[first lines]
Ivan:Who are you?
See more »
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Lunar RhapsodySee more »

FAQ

Why did he wash his hands with bleach?
What is the actual plot of this film?
Who is Ivan?
See more »
327 out of 364 people found the following review useful.
A strong mood piece, but not for everyone, 29 October 2004
Author: Craig Estrella (Surecure) from Toronto, Canada

There are many good things about The Machinist that are well deserving of praise. The very atmospheric nature of the film is supported very strongly by excellent performances all around. Christian Bale takes things to the extreme in his embodiment of his character. It is hard to take seeing him in his near-starvation body mass, which elevates the tension of this piece even further. The storyline leaves a little to be desired. While it creates its mood excellently, it does tend to plod along a little too much.

One thing that does stand out is how reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock this film plays. Almost everything about the film screams Hitchcock, from the editing of certain scenes (the driving sequences are very much in the style of Psycho) to the Bernard Herrmann-esquire score (lots of bass clarinet), the lack of fully-exploring/revealing some of the creepier points of the film (what is dripping from the fridge?), and the washed out, grainy photography. If you want to see what a film would look like if Hitchcock were alive to film it today, this is the closest thing you could probably come across. And if that was part of Brad Anderson's intention in directing this, I have to commend him on the execution because it is uncanny.

Overall, I would recommend this film, but not to casual movie-goers. This is very much a movie-phile experience for those who appreciate character development and cinematography as much as plot points and a storyline that can be defined and followed from one action to the next. In that way it is closer to films like Magnolia or the Others, where the apex is the characters. If you are looking for a typical popcorn Hollywood thriller, this is not what you are looking for.

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See more (379 total) »

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Machinist (2004)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Whats the longest you havent slept for? coye
A theremin? carlsez_1
What is with the clock stopping at 1:30 am? judebonner2
Tevor Reznik's Name Skywalker08
Problems with the theory that Trevor is... samwise_1984
Confused about Ivan daydreambeliever26-1
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