Review by Matt Anderson

The biggest visual shock in The Machinist is Christian Bale himself. In a move that takes "dedication to the craft" to a whole new level, Bale shed more than 60 pounds, a full third of his body weight, to tackle the role of Trevor Reznik.

What's Trevor's problem? Why is he so skinny? Well, he's haunted; he hasn't slept in a year and he consumes more java than grub. He's one troubled soul who spends his evenings cleaning his bathroom floor with bleach and a toothbrush.

The Machinist: Hiding in Plain Sight (14 minutes) is a nifty little segment that details the story's use of symbolism and divulges some of the bits of classic literature that served as inspiration. It's a great analysis of the minutiae and provides food for thought while revisiting the movie.

The picture (2.35:1) is quite well done, in spite of some edge enhancement that is glaringly obvious in spots. On the bright side, the more often than not the image offers loads of detail (the hairs on Bale's bony chest, for example) and the black level is perfect, especially given the amount of deep, dark blackness used in the movie.

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