Make no bones about it: This is a sleeper.......

Went to see The Machinist last along with Ray and the Natural Brunette.

As we walked out of the cinema we seemed to be mixed between having really enjoyed it and needing a think about it. Judging by Ray's blog this morning I guess he's come down on the side of 'thumbs up'. Myself, well I'm easily pleased (as documented far too many times on this blog) and was quietly chuffed with it. Having slept on it overnight I've come to the conclusion that it was actually rather good indeed.

As ever with these things I'm struggling to decide how much to actually say about the content of it, due to spoilers being damn annoying if you've yet to see the film. I think this is one case where if you see the storyline coming or hear things about the twist(s) then you'll still enjoy this.

It's probably safe to say (mainly because it's pretty much on anything you read for this) that Christian Bale plays Trevor Reznik, a man seemingly unable to sleep. Why he finds it impossible to, and what the people around him have to do with this is the simple premise to the film itself.

The storyline, in a strange way, seems almost secondary to this Carpathian. To paraphrase a relevant lyric, it's not what they do but the way that they do it.

I don't think I blinked through the 90mins of the film - that's how it felt anyway. Bale is outstanding and owns every scene he's in, which amounts to most of the running time. He's painfully thin yet seems the only person either side of the screen who isn't phased by this. When I say thin, I mean rib-showing, bone-defining thin. I've seen people suffer for their art but this isn't only the zenith of that so far but also a wonderful use towards really building a character you can believe in.

The film is slow, though deliberately so. Pans, tracks, shots held - all bring you into traverse world and trap you in there with him. You find yourself spotting the small details like grimy hand-cleaner dispensers of bleach bottle labels, things you'd miss at the sort of pace everyday life would have you see them.

Aside from one or two items (which, when realised, ring true of a certain other films twist clues) the palette is almost entirely washed out and subdued, bathed in greys and blues, almost faded with age.

Fincher comes to mind in this, to an extent, and also in the style of some of the supporting characters. Of these Jennifer Jason Leigh plays it from just three acting cue-cards: "Breasts", "Grunge" and "Surpressed indignance". Not amazing but she helps Bale shine all the more by contrast so no bad thing.

Don't go looking for "The Big Ending" (tm) or being the next Mr Original, complete with surprising clothes, and enjoy this for what it is. A story of one man and his journey, where the journey is more important than the destination.

Ironically, this has sleeper written all over it.........