American Psycho: Movie Review #3

Summary:




Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) is twenty-seven, handsome, educated, successful and intelligent. He IS the American dream. During the day he works at his fathers wall street firm, but at night he’s a cold soulless modern monster. His unstoppable materialism and furious envy fuels his serial killer activities.





Cast:




Christian Bale: Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Terminator Salvation, Public Enemies, The Prestige
Justin Theroux: Miami Vice, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, Zoolander
Reese Witherspoon: Cruel Intentions, Legally Blonde, Walk The Line
Jared Leto: Lord of War, Alexander, Fight Club
Willem Dafoe: Platoon, Boondock Saints, Spider-Man
Josh Lucas: Sweet Home Alabama, Hulk, A Beautiful Mind




Opinion:




I watched this movie a couple of days ago for the first time (blasphemy!) and immediately after watching it, I knew I had to write a review about it. The film left me in awe, it was one of the best movie experiences I ever had.


In 1991, Bret Easton Ellis shook the world with his psychological thriller. The novel was a satirical feast of graphic violence and sexual content and caused a lot of controversy. Nonetheless, a film adaption was made in 2000. The lead role was offered to Edward Norton and Leonardo DiCaprio before ending up with Christian Bale. Bale still was relatively unknown for the audience, as there hadn’t been a Shaft, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Reign of Fire, Equilibrium, The Machinist, Batman Begins, The Prestige, 3:10 to Yuma, I’m Not There, The Dark Knight, Terminator Salvation or Public Enemies yet (all of which, with exception of Shaft, are good to exceptionally brilliant movies).


But in American Psycho, Bale’s performance is already stunning. He totally embodies his character. Bateman is a man wanting desperately to fit in, to the point where he eliminates his ‘opponents’. He is obsessed with outer perfection, conformity, materialism and seeks stimulation in sex, drugs, money and power. He has no emotions but envy and hatred.


What makes American Psycho so fascinating to watch, is the complexity of Bateman. We are amused by his shallowness, feel disgusted with his violent nature and worry about his crumbling sanity. That’s why 99% of this movie IS Christian Bale.


Furthermore, the dialogues in the movie are terrific, so I took the liberty of posting a few here:


Patrick Bateman: There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman; some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me: only an entity, something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable… I simply am not there.


Patrick Bateman: I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust. Something horrible is happening inside of me and I don’t know why. My nightly bloodlust has overflown into my days. I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy. I think my mask of sanity is about to slip.


Patrick Bateman: He was into that whole Yale thing.
Donald Kimball: Yale thing?
Patrick Bateman: Yeah, Yale thing.
Donald Kimball: What whole Yale thing?
Patrick Bateman: Well, he was probably a closet homosexual who did a lot of cocaine. That whole Yale thing.


ATM Machine: Feed me a stray cat.


Patrick Bateman: There are no more barriers to cross. All I have in common with the uncontrollable and the insane, the vicious and the evil, all the mayhem I have caused and my utter indifference toward it I have now surpassed. My pain is constant and sharp and I do not hope for a better world for anyone, in fact I want my pain to be inflicted on others. I want no one to escape, but even after admitting this there is no catharsis, my punishment continues to elude me and I gain no deeper knowledge of myself; no new knowledge can be extracted from my telling. This confession has meant nothing.


Patrick Bateman: Come on, Bryce. There are a lot more important problems than Sri Lanka to worry about.
Timothy Bryce: Like what?
Patrick Bateman: Well, we have to end apartheid for one. And slow down the nuclear arms race, stop terrorism and world hunger. We have to provide food and shelter for the homeless, and oppose racial discrimination and promote civil rights, while also promoting equal rights for women. We have to encourage a return to traditional moral values. Most importantly, we have to promote general social concern and less materialism in young people.


Thanks for reading, now if you’ll excuse me, I have to return some video’s.
Jack



IMDB’s rating: 7,4/10

Jack’s rating: 9,5/10

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Tags: american psycho, batman begins, bret easton ellis, captain corelli, charlie s angels, christian bale batman, film adaption, graphic violence, jared leto, josh lucas, justin theroux, leonardo dicaprio, lord of war, patrick bateman, public enemies, reese witherspoon, sexual content, sweet home alabama, walk the line, willem dafoe

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