20A - The Michigan Daily - Monday, December 6, 2004 ARTS I "Do I look fat in this?" Christian Bale wins in dark thriller By Jennie Adler Daily Arts Writer Weighing in at a mere 130 pounds, Christian Bale ("American Psycho") is grotesquely thin in Brad Anderson's new film "The Machinist." Bale lost more than 60 pounds for the role of Trevor Reznik, putting to shame Tom Hanks's startling weight loss for 2000's "Cast Away." The inflated amount of media attention directed at Bale's bla- tant and masochistic disregard for personal safety may seem a gimmicky attempt to generate expo- sure for the independent film, but Bale's skeletal protagonist has a good reason to look like The the walking dead - he hasn't Machinist slept in a year. At the A tormented and paranoid Michigan Theater insomniac, Reznik spends Paramount Classics most of his days at work as a lathe-operator, occasionally breaking from his job in order to flirt with diner waitresses or fall into a call girl's meaty arms. Reznik's mysterious inability to sleep is the back- bone of the simple plot, but the answer to this puzzle becomes irrelevant once the film's dark mood is established. Director of photography Xavi Gimenez and art director Alain Bainee employ a bleak industrial' setting and muted, monotone lighting to comple- ment the grim, emaciated figure of Reznik. The movie's surreal, murky colors, complemented by Roque Banos's creeping musical score, emits chills. The grainy image quality of the film also adds to this detached, surrealist atmosphere. Not only is Anderson's constructed mood note- worthy, but the acting is engaging and consistent- ly interesting. With "American Psycho" under his belt, Bale adds to his resume of unhinged char- acters. Bale's use of his eyes as well as his body language creates Reznik's sympathetic yet haunt- ed character. His acting is just as striking as his physical figure - maybe he deserves a sandwich for the accomplishment. Though tagged as a horror-thriller, "The Machinist" is primarily a film about the human mind. On the screen, guilt, remorse, longing and loneliness are portrayed as debilitating emotions that can subjugate even the most unsuspecting of victims. Anderson's focus is the method and madness of the human psyche, and the director's most successful achievement is his ability to use a simple plot in order to raise bigger questions about the fragile nature of the mind. every.perceptible and.possibly- distracting problem that arises in "The Machinist" is eventu- ally cleared up by the film's tight internal logic. The screenplayincludes :host of obscure and challenging references that serve as clues for the finale. But despite these hints, the conclusion is both surprising and clever, and the film is well worth watching a second time. MAKING 'THE MACHINIST BRAD ANDERSON'S INDEPENDENT VISION COMES TO LIFE By Amanda Andrade rary Hollywood films would stop. He shied away from noting like- Daily Arts Writer nesses to 1999's "Fight Club," saying "the intention with this film is to be more character-driven than straight-up Hollywood films." He When Robert DeNiro piled on the pounds for Martin Scorsese sees "The Machinist" more in the vein of Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley for "Raging Bull," it was called "genius." These days when celeb- Kubrick and Roman Polanski, adding "they were masters." Ander- rities fluctuate their weight, it's called a poor substitute for acting son is loath to classify his film into any of the conventional genres. talent - most of the time anyway. But Christian Bale ("American While admitting it shares many aspects of traditional horror films, he Psycho") brings art-dieting to a new high (low?) with his astound- insisted "that gives the wrong impression," and groping for descrip- ing 63-pound weight loss for director Brad Anderson in the psy- tion, offered, "I'd call it more of a psychological mystery." chological thriller "The Machinist." And though Bale has received And while this means that Anderson is about as lousy a Holly- praise for his harrowing performance and reckless disregard for wood pitchman as they come, it makes the warmth he effuses for mortality, it is Anderson who has perhaps given the most for his his talented cast radiate all the more genuinely. "I always wanted art. Anderson sat down with The Michigan Daily to discuss his new to work with Jennifer (Jason Leigh)" he said before hailing her per- film and his directorial style. formance as the street-wise prostitute who shares a special bond Breaking onto the film scene in 1996 with the low-budget indepen- with Bale's character. Anderson joked about supporting actor Mike dent release "The Darien Gap," which he wrote and directed, Ander- Ironside and his propensity to lose limbs in films, laughing, "He son went on to serve double-duty again in "Next Stop Wonderland," probably looked at the script (in which he loses his arm) and said, "Happy Accidents" and "Session 9." "The Machinist" marks his first 'I'll take it.' " Anderson also praised Bale for going above and time directing a film script he didn't write, a prospect, he said, that beyond the call of duty in the 6-foot actor's descent to 130 pounds. did not worry him. "I was seeking a script I could direct," he said. "I He joked that although there was no doctor on set, "there probably really loved it. It was really creepy and really intriguing." should have been." There's one thing "The Machinist" does have in common with Anderson noted several times that "The Machinist" was shot in ,all of Anderson's other films: It's not financed by a major studio.. Barcelo-and financed by Spanish investors, rather than Ameri- Anderson's open and friendly demeanor turns chilly when it comes can studios. While he struggled for years to find money free from to dealing with big studio projects. "We didn't test screen," he said the profit-minded studio system he despises, he is clearly happy with disgust. "It kills the creative, artistic vision." He proceeded with the u imateareedom the choice provided him.Andwhen talk on a short rant about the pathetic, angry film students purportedly turns to his upcoming projects, Anderson is full of spirited realism. making up the audience of such screenings before regaining his Willing to accept that some ideas fall through, he is nonetheless cool. If people don't like his films, he said nonchalantly, that's fine. determinedly and decidedly resolute when it comes to his artistic But ultimately he feels responsibility only to his own vision. integrity. "I'm not going to compromise the vision I have just to get Anderson would also appreciate if the comparisons to contempo- it through," he said. Linkin Park and Jay-Z mix styles By Brandon Harig Daily Arts Writer Jay-Z marked his retirement with th critically lauded Black Album, but he may be the most active retiree this side of Florida. After re-collaborating with R. Kelly on a disappointing effort aptly titled Unfinished Business, Jigga also advertised that a second joint project would be released. That album, Collision Course, is a blend of some of Linkin Park and Jay-Z's most successful tracks into an odd concoc- Jay-Z and tion that somehow Linkin Park works. Collision Course The album Coll begins with the toekaleta screaming guitar rock of Linkin Park grating behind the hip-hop rhythms and melodic lyrics of Jay-Z's "Dirt Off Your Shoulder" and LP's "Lying From You." The track is a tight synthesis of both originals, and the result is energetic and original. Produced by Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda, the album hits its stride when the energy of electric rock meets Jay-Z's lyrics - the) predominant theme of the collaboration. At times, the album comes across as merely Jay-Z's rhymes over a Linkin Park song. "Big Pimpin'/Papercut" is identical to the original "Big Pimpin' " with no variation of the original lyrIo or chorus, as Jigga reassures everyone that he's a "pimp in every sense of the word." This sort of exactness does note hinder Linkin Park, though, as every. track stretches their lyrics onto a format well beyond what they were intended. Songs are sped up and-slowed own, each forcing a different delivery from Linkin Park's Chester Bennington and Mike Shind s- acha ng.t y argu for in each event. This includes Shinoda's singing attempt at singing the first verse of "99 Problems." Delivering Jay-Z's lyrics without the trademark Jigga slur, Shinoda manages to make the song his' own all. At the same time, Jay displays mastery when he pushes himself, laying down an amazing lyrical delivery during "Jigga What/Faint" as the background delivers a double-time tempo for him to. sing against. Though Collision Course is a collab- orative effort, itsis obvious that Jay-Z is the focus. Linkin Park often fall into a background vocal to Jigga or jump in for the second half of the song, playing second fiddle to one of rap's living leg- ends. This also seems to be the case on the accompanying DVD, which features an MTV performance with all of the tracks from the collaboration. Visually, Bennington and Shinoda seem to fade into the background while Jay-Z takes center stage. With their seven-track release, JayZ and Linkin Park don't seem to take many chances, though it is an experiment all the same. While some songs like "Izzo/ In the End" come off as almost bor- ing, the up-tempo tracks from Colli- sion Course more than make up for itL Though "Numb/Encore" has been the featured release from the album, there are numerous tracks from the record that can be lauded for their quality. With Col lision Course, Shinoda was able to make an experimental release that featured the. best of Jay-Z with a rock accompaniment worthy of a post-retirement release. Mixing sardonic humor, honesty, Rugged Man drops debut By Cyril Cordor Daily Arts Writer In 1999, Rawkus Records released Soundbombing 2, One of the best rap compilations and displays of turnta- blism ever. One track on the album, "Stanley Kubrick," by R.A. the Rug- ged Man, raised a lot of questions about who this grim emcee was. Neverthe- less, Rugged Man himself states that he "first started getting coverage / Around the same time Steve Stout was carrying Kid and Play's luggage." After years of being screwed by different record labels for his controversial lyrics, he finally m .e ReWOte ri Interested in getting ahead of your peers? Gain marketing and advertising experience at one of the best student papers in the country!!! Most important of all: Earn some dough in between classes! The Michigan Daily Classified Department is hiring Account Executives for Winter 2005 - Fall 2006. Drop by: The Michigan Daily at 420 Maynard 2nd Floor to pick up an application form. Deadline is December 10th. For more information: Call 734-764-0557 or email us at classified(michigandaily.com convinced Nature Sounds to release his debut album, Die, Rugged Man, Die. The most attractive feature of this album is its mor- bid and gruesome sense of humor. R.A. the As Rugged Man Rugged Man eloquently puts it Die, Rugged in the "Make Luv" Man, Die outro, "This ain't Nature Sounds no Jesus Christ rap, this ain't no Kanye West." The quirky sound effects and simple production on tracks like "Dumb" and the title track make a perfect background to his sloppy voice and grungy lyrics. The artificial guitar and scant bass line on "Casanova (Fly Guy)" help bring out his cynicism as he describes himself in third-person: "Look at that fat fuck over there / Ugly white dude with a big gut and shoul- der hair / Look at the clothes he wear / Barefoot, no shoes on, do he even own a pair? / Smell the odor over there / It's obvious he don't care, he's a fly guy." Amid the rampant sarcasm and humor, many might ignore that Rug- ged Man is actually a talented lyricist with a creative edge. The innovative song, "Black and White," featuring Wu- Tang affiliate Timbo King, on which the black and white theme of the album is epitomized, is the best example. The boxing ring imagery throughout the song establishes an interesting setting that allows the two emcees to rhyme back and forth. King starts, "Ay yo, we black macks with black hats and black bats / Black panthers with black gats, 21 blackjacks." Rugged Man chimes in, "In the white house, white out, turn the light out / White boy night out, knock your white ass right out." The high points of the album are when the Rugged Man drops sin- cere and honest lyrics, as on "Les- sons" and "Midnight Thud." It is a refreshing testament to the fact that he is not bound to only making songs like "Stanley Kubrick." The nursery bell chimes and humming children's voices of "Lessons" set the tone of the album as he describes his hardships in life as well as his previous thoughts of suicide. The humility expressed on "Midnight Thud" tells his listen- ers how he wants to be viewed. These tracks make Die, Rugged Man, Die a fairly well-rounded album. Although not a classic, Die, Rugged Man, Die is lyrically one of the most interesting albums this year. Rugged Man is like hip-hop's ugly duckling, a grimy and raw personality who has real talent. However, he has no interest in becoming the mainstream swan. Rug- ged Man often makes clear that he has no intention of acting as a positive role model: "I'm mad negative, if you want positivity / Buy a Mos Def and Talib Kweli CD." 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