He lives a dull existence enlivened only to his trips to see hooker with a heart Jennifer Jason Leigh. When we first meet him he’s trying to dispose of a body in a rug and much of the film is spent getting us back to this flash forward. Dead people always seem to be getting wrapped in rugs in the movies - I wonder if it ever happens in real life?
If I’m getting off topic it’s only because Bales started it. He stares at walls and goes on flights of fancy whilst trying to solve the hangman puzzle that keeps appearing on his fridge door. His poor attention span doesn’t end well for colleague Michael Ironside who gets his arm lopped off after Bale hits the wrong button with one of his pointy out ribs. It’s a shame as Ironside’s arms had only just grown back since ‘Total Recall’.
Bale doesn’t blames his bad diet or lack of sleep for his woes, no, it’s all a big conspiracy headed by Ivan. Ivan is a big man with dark glasses and a sports car who is always around but seen by no one else but Bale. It’s OK though, he’s got a photo of him to remind him he’s not going nuts.
He tries for a slice of redemption with his flirtation with a waitress at an airport diner. A few $20 tips get him a date with her and her epileptic son, but a visit to the rather graphic ghost train means the day doesn’t end well.
Will Bale’s weight down under 9 stone he hatches a plan to nail Ivan - get his address from his car registration plate. Sadly the DMV will only give this if he’s in an accident. One accident later he’s been smashed up and back on the dock dragging the body in the rug - who’s really the mad man here? It’s gonna be him for sure.
And it is! But in a rewarding kind of way that ultimately wasn’t that unexpected. It is a good but disturbing film. There’s a lot of scenes under buzzing electrical lights and the factory where Bale works is like something out of ‘Brazil’.
He constantly gets asked the question ’who are you’ and it’s clear there is something going on - doppelgangers? Schizophrenia or just plain old bats shit crazy? - you decide.
It’s really Bale’s show with his weight loss absolutely devastating to the point of being distracting. Of the second string I liked Michael Ironside’s character who sees the upside of having his arm chewed off and Jennifer Jason Leigh gives her usual, ahem, fully committed performance.
As the film spiralled to it’s conclusion I doubt if many were surprised at the twist but there were enough clues laced about to make it satisfying. The only thing that took me out of it was a ropy Photoshop job - why do old photos in films never look convincing?
All in all an interesting whodunit or more a ‘why did he do it‘. Might put you off your nachos though - or put you on them, depending on your girth.
THE Tag Line - Machinist Screws Himself Up 77%
No comments:
Post a Comment