El Maquinista

[Capmaster]

AKA "The Machinist". 2004. Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael Ironside.

Bale plays a machinist with a tortured soul who hasn't slept in a year. Bale lost a whole bunch of weight for the role, and looks like a concentration camp inmate. I can't believe he got that skinny without destroying his health permanently. What a pro!!

The movie grabs you and doesn't let you go. All through the movie when you think you have it figured out, something changes in the equation, and you don't really know what's what until it's almost over.

Superb acting job by all concerned, especially Bale. I highly recommend it

Warning! : Spoiler - Click black box to view
Check out Ivan with the toes for fingers. EEeeewwwww .....

I give it - 1/2 out of a possible

[Pam]

Amazing acting by Bale. Great story!

[enstg8er]

sounds interesting, i'll add it to the list. thanks.

also added-
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0145503/

Schindler's List was apparently enough for most film goers. "Sunshine," superior to "Schindler" in many respects, got fewer accolades and much less attention. Why do I think "Sunshine" is superior to "Schindler?" Primarily because it tells the story of the Holocaust through the lens of a single family whose pre-Holocaust history gives a dimension and depth to the tragedy of that family that "Schlinder" is incapable of providing because of its quite different narrative strategy and focus. To be sure, "Schindler's" narrative sweep affords a greater sense than "Sunshine" of the scope of the slaughter. But "Sunshine" stands in relation to "Schindler" as a novel stands to a work of history. One brings the insights offered by individual tragedies, the other brings more of a societal perspective. The best "Holocaust" film, however, remains in this viewer's opinion, "The Pawnbroker" with Rod Stieger, which had an even narrower focus than "Sunshine" and brought the horror of the Holocaust to life by exploring the emotional desolation/death suffered by a single survivor. A truly great film.

[Capmaster]

To date I think QBVII was the best-acted holocaust film. Anthony Hopkins was genius! But overall I'd have to say Schindler's List was the best overall story. Playing For Time and Escape From Sobibor are also good, but not quite as good as SL.

I read a book by Primo Levi called If This Is A Man, probably the most well-written account by a holocaust survivor. Movies have been made about the author, like Primo Levi's Journey but I have yet to see a movie made from his book.

I'll check with Pam to see if Sunshine or The Pawnbroker are either in our library already, or on our Netflix list. If not, I'll add both. Thanks

[enstg8er]

i enjoy movies of this genre much more than wild hogs or ron burgundy type stuff....

[Capmaster]

i enjoy movies of this genre much more than wild hogs or ron burgundy type stuff....

I do too

[Ripper]

Incredible acting by Bale in The Machinist. I could literally feel the pain and angst. This movie put Mr. Bale in a whole new strata of actors, for me.

[Pam]

I agree.