Review of American Psycho (2000) by Lain G — 10 Mar 2013

Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) represents the type that most (normal) people despise. A yuppie in the late 1980s, dressed for success with no sympathy for other human beings. Executive on a bank investment bureau, his the sole ambition in life to get as high status as he possibly can. He is extremly picky about his appearances and chooses very carefully which lotion, which after-shave, which suite and which shoes to wear. He is engaged to beautiful Evelyn Williams (Reese Witherspoon), but just for show. Secretly he despises women and doesn't save his energy for telling his submissive secretary, Jean (Chloe Sevigny) what she should wear and not, to look decent. He is regularly cheating on his fiancé with her best friend and sometimes with prostitutes.

Nobody knows that Patrick is a psychopath who fantazises every day about torturing and killing people, mostly prostitutes. His first victim though, will be his collegue whom he kills out of jealousy with an axe. That murder will only be the first in a row of people who Patrick Bateman doesn't consider worth living.

Willem Dafoe plays the detective who is investigating the missing of Patrick's colleague, and squeezes Patrick for details.

My first impression of this movie after having watching on it's release, was that I didn't like it.

Back then, I couldn't explain why, except that it wasn't my cup of tea. But recently, I gave this movie another chance and re-watched it impartially, as I always try to when re-watching I movie I didn't like from first view. My feeling today, was the very same as the first time I watched it. In this review, I'll try to point out why...

First, I didn't find the cynical tone, which the movie is built on, particularly sharp or "on-the-spot".

There are some very good actors in this movie; Christian Bale and Willem Dafoe, just to mention two. But unforfunately, the script won't allow them to properly show their skills, since I think their roles are pretty flat and Bale's is very much a caricature..

Usually, the point of using caricatures is to emphasize the comic features in a concept. Unfortunately, I did not find anything of this comical at all. Not a trace.

Of course, a movie can still be amusing without being a laughing feast, but I find this movie pointless all-through, actually.

A poor man's version of Crime and Punishment, polluted with clichés.

Despite the fact that I wasn't overly thrilled with this movie, I'm still ready to give the book a chance. Anybody who can recommend it?