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The Machinist (2003)
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The most astonishing thing about this bleak, underplayed psychological thriller is Christian Bale's incredible physical transformation. No longer the bulked-up protagonist from American Psycho, Bale has deliberately withered to the point where his appearance is shockingly reminiscent of undernourished PoWs. Reportedly losing over 60 pounds — a third of his body weight — to get into the role, Bale plays factory worker Trevor Reznik, whose emaciated condition and chronic insomnia may be linked to a mysterious stranger and a secret from his past. Director Brad Anderson, who was behind the lens for the effectively creepy Session 9, here cultivates a similarly studied atmosphere but his determination to move everything at a pace that would disgrace a particularly slothful snail finally undermines some of the tension. Still the Theremin-heavy score, which brings to mind such cult classics as The Day the Earth Stood Still and Carnival of Souls, is appropriately weird. AS
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| Contains swearing, violence. |
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Tell us what you think
Email us at rtfilmcomments@bbc.co.uk to tell us what you think of this film. Your comments may appear in Radio Times magazine.
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Running time
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97min
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Country of origin
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Sp
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Genre
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Psychological Mystery Thriller
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Alternate title
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El maquinista
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Original language
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English
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Screenplay
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Scott Kosar
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Theatrical distributor
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Tartan
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UK cinema certificate
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15
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UK cinema release date
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March 2005
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Film certification logos reproduced by kind permission of BBFC |
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