Reviews of American Psycho

Fantastic psychological thriller!!

Posted : 11 months ago on 13 December 2008 03:53 (A review of American Psycho)

"You're a fucking ugly bitch. I want to stab you to death, and then play around with your blood. "


Directed by: Mary Harron
Starring: Christian Bale, Justin Theroux, Josh Lucas, Bill Sage, Chloe Sevigny

Genre: Horror/Mystery/Thriller

Running time: 101 minutes




My review:

A wealthy New York investment banking executive hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he escalates deeper into his illogical, gratuitous fantasies.


I think this has to be one of the greatest psychological thrillers out there. I wouldn't call this film a horror because it isn't scary. It is just a tense thrill ride with a lot of suspenseful moments where, when, who, how and what he kills people. Yes, Patrick Bateman is a very horrifying character indeed which is where I can't really describe what sort of character he is similar to let alone what type of character he actually is. This is revealed towards the end of the film (not saying what happens because I'm not a spoiler teller). Some would refer this as a horror film because it is a guy who treats killing people at night like a hobby and is like the present generation of film of Norman Bates. This is a film that a lot of people would be scared of because of the thrilling suspense that went on. I felt the suspense really hard but it didn't exactly terrify me. I could tell that this film was going to be a psychological thriller because you only have to notice the title of the film t o notice. Especially with the word "Psycho" in it. That shouldn't put you off it. It is definitely worth seeing.

Christian Bale delivers one of the most terrifying performances that I have ever laid my eyes on. I have always been used to seeing Christian as a man that is a hero or a manipulating villain but never a psycho. Bale has always been a heart-throb and probably always will be. That is one of the main reasons where I think he fits almost perfectly into Patrick Bateman's character. He is a guy who even prostitutes can fall for but can be fooled by aswell because sex is his intention with them but something more serious is his ambition aswell. He is two-faced!! He acts like those monsters on horror movies where you are nice on one part of the day but a complete cold-blooded killer on the evening. One thing that puzzled me a bit about the way Bateman was killing his victims was that his house was always white and very bright. I mean, how does he get away with it? That's the question and there are questions aswell about whether he killed those people or not at all. I think that Patrick Bateman is seriously one of the best and most powerful film villains of all time. He is a very destructive and impactful character who doesn't care who or how he kills as long as it is enjoyable for him which is what is so sick about his character.

I found the direction in American Psycho quite similar to the way Stanley Kubrick directed The Shining because of the eerie, very different and slow camera angles. In a slight way, it takes a lot of the direction from The Shining but in a good way. The script was really well adapted together because it wanted to focus on the character Patrick Bateman and wanted to show that he is really sick in the head and what he is capable of. Again, that is like The Shining.

It was so gruesome and very psychotic because of how Bateman killed his victims. He killed two prostitutes with a chainsaw while he was naked and having sex with them. It shows that nobody can be trusted and nobody knows what is inside a person's true intentions are for someone. The reality of that was because it needed a bit of notification from the audience because it was obvious that he was going to kill someone but doesn't know how.

Personally, I found that Patrick Bateman was in a fighting relationship with himself because it was like a split personality. He was really good at his work but then he was killing innocent people every night. One thing that confuses me is that he sometimes spares people but then kills someone else. It is just a bizarre film. I personally believe all of the kills are fantasies inside his head.

The cinematography was really good. I loved the way it was used for the creepy camera angles and within all of the scenes. The music was very similar to The Shining with a lot of sizzling tone and with a lot of repeating hard hitting piano music like Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. So was the sound effects. The setting inside Patrick's flat was just like walking into a random businessman's flat with an innocent look to it but it really isn't.

I have to say that this is one of the single most terrifying films of all time let alone one of the most terrifying characters and one of the best villains of all time too. I loved Christian Bale in this one! Prefer him in The Dark Knight, Batman Begins and The Prestige. I wouldn't call American Psycho a masterpiece but I would call it a film that does deserve to be watched and can thrill everybody in the same way.

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Bale is a Psycho!

Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago on 21 August 2008 07:09 (A review of American Psycho)

''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.''

A wealthy New York investment banking executive hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he escalates deeper into his illogical, gratuitous fantasies.

Christian Bale: Patrick Bateman

Christian Bale is arguably modern cinema's
biggest rising actors from the UK going to an all boy's school in Bournemouth originally.
I sometimes consider hailing him as the greatest performer of this generation, particularly when I watched his leap-to-fame performance in American Psycho. On its release i remember reading it received mixed acclaim; nevertheless, Bale was nearly always commended for performing in the remarkably charismatic role of Patrick Bateman.

The character ranks among contemporary literature's greatest creations and real life serial killers, similar to Hannibal Lector, Leatherface or Zodiac, and back in 2000 a young Bale somehow managed to embody the yup maniac. The character's slickly menacing demeanor, attentive idiosyncrasies, and always brewing revulsion is intuitively mastered in this offbeat satire.

Patrick Bateman is both the definitive New York yuppie and the ultimate sociopath. He is hidden by the Wall Street businessman persona, and his pastime activities are unnoticed by his self-obsessed associates- like himself. He thrives off a colossal maze of jealously, established on distaste for any minor, physical and social hiccup. Little do such men know that they are dehumanizing any merit they once had.

Bret Easton Ellis' original novel contains possibly the most graphic depictions of sex and violence in any novel I have ever read. I read it a while ago from my Library. Appropriately, director Mary Harron places much of the novel's explicit content off-screen, similar to how the book simply lets the reader imagine the vivid nature of the content.

For this reason, American Psycho is faithful to its source, and for a novel which includes such terminal violence there is still a huge amount of wit and charm. This owes to the book's satirical disposition, with its brazen accuracy and jagged humour. It is in many respects an absurdist's take on an already surreal culture; this lends the questionable theme of subjective reality to the protagonist's actions and experiences.
Mary Harron utilizes the satirical facets of the novel, and essentially uses satire as a device of ridiculing yuppie culture. Nevertheless, the component which is best suited is that this image of an alpha-male dominated society, which is directed from a female standpoint, but not an overtly feminist one. More than anything, American Psycho is a critique of ignorance, materialism and self-infatuation.

The cast play it cool throughout the feature, concurrently sinking their teeth into the bitter irony of cultural stereotypes.

For those of you who might be put off by the sardonic title, don't be. This is a twisted and intelligent take on cultural archetypes, with much prominence being placed on whether the viewer deems Patrick Bateman's sociopath alter-ego a manifestation of sub-conscious monotony or that he is genuinely committing the murderous, masochistic acts shown on screen.

Whichever way you look at it, there is no definitive answer, but one thing is for sure, that this cinematic assertion is a strong sentiment of yuppie narcissism. As dark as it may seem, there is no denying the indisputable entertaining quality of a film crammed with meaningful malevolence. This is a film which unsympathetically attacks the business world, implying that dumb people from wealthy backgrounds are groomed for slacker success. These white collar machines are not savvy, nor do they even so much as turn a blind-eye to anyone other than their materialistic statements of self-worth. In a way, this is their only means of clinging onto reality, for they hide behind their denial, with a reputable image of self-worth.

My favourite scenes are numerous including Bale's rivalistic business card scene being better than everyone else's to shooting an old lady after trying to feed the cat to an ATM.

Made me burst the reference to Phil Collins too, so crazy it will make you laugh for all the wrong reasons but you will love it.

The ending left me thinking which was also of note, it lingers, it resides in your mind,

As Michael Douglas once said:

''Greed is Good...''

American Psycho is an assault on the senses. A classic.

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A chilling, disturbing thriller

Posted : 1 year, 3 months ago on 13 July 2008 11:39 (A review of American Psycho)

"I like to dissect girls. Did you know I'm utterly insane?"

American Psycho is a frequently misapprehended adaptation of the controversial novel by author Bret Easton Ellis. This is a remarkably faithful adaptation of Ellis' outstanding literary novel that is habitually hailed as a grotesque, disturbing and unnerving piece of writing that promotes misogynistic themes. Several directors, from David Cronenberg to Oliver Stone, expressed interest in directing this adaptation. However, the directing duties were handed to small-time director Mary Harron whose film debut was the 1996 film I Shot Andy Warhol. Similar to the novel, this disconcerting film is marked as a horror or a thriller, when in fact it's a dark comedy and a subtle satire of society in the 1980s. This was a time when businessmen cared solely about their appearance: an attractive business card, a striking suit and reservations at the most trendy restaurant.

Whilst admittedly various audience members may regard it as a horror film, upon closer scrutiny it reveals itself to be something unreservedly different: it's a social satire. Mary Harron's American Psycho is a dark glimpse at society gone awry. It depicts a society so extremely infatuated with possessions and one-upmanship that even murder is unsuccessful to fulfil people's desires. The central protagonists solidly drive this message into the mind of the viewer. Similar to the novel, the film also contains almost no plot. This is probably the film's key flaw: there's no plot to fuel the film's events, and hence nothing overly interesting actually occurs. To hide this fact, the film is instead infused with incredible performances, mesmeric imagery and a dark but irresistible atmosphere.

Patrick Bateman (Bale) is a successful 27-year-old businessman who holds a superb job at a Wall Street firm and is being consumed by the superficiality of his colleagues and his life. His spacious apartment is luxurious but barren, which is essentially a manifestation of his character. Patrick is an unscrupulous, sexist misogynist. On top of which, Patrick is terribly egocentric and narcissistic. His contaminated mentality has been growing progressively, similar to a tumour, and is nourished by the bland, superficial appurtenances of life as a New York yuppie. To power his anaesthetised synapses, Patrick resorts to doing hard drugs, watching the 1974 horror film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, listening to gormless musicians such as Phil Collins, indulging in wild group sex, feasting on expensive boutique cuisine, dropping serial killer details into daily discussions, and pandering to his egotism among other twisted activities. Patrick's dormant psychopathic impulses steadily pull back the curtain of his sanity, revealing an outrageous allegory that no-one is capable of distinguishing. Soon, Patrick's uncontrollable lust for murder only grows more compelling.

Welsh-born actor Christian Bale completely immerses himself into the character of Patrick Bateman. This is an extremely impressive performance: Bale adds the right amount of charm to pull off both sides of the emotionless character. He's a smiling killer that employs a manner of power tools to ruthlessly slay women after he has sex with them. It's disturbing to see Bale's face...clad in blood while delivering an ambiguous smile. His voice is always soothing, particularly during lines of narration. The correct tone is immediately set with his impeccable dialogue delivery. In some ways he mirrors Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. Here's some food for thought: Bates, Bateman, Bale, Batman. Hmmm.

Willem Dafoe is a minor addition to the cast, but he makes an everlasting impression. Dafoe's performance allows you to draw conclusions regarding his state of mind. Does he suspect Bateman of murder, allowing an oblivious side to shine through? Chloë Sevigny is another great addition to the cast. She's perhaps a little underused, but she's very memorable as the love-torn secretary.

The technical merits of American Psycho are marvellous to behold. The atmosphere is enthralling from start to finish. Director Harron's visuals directly allude to the bloodshed and sadism that Bateman unleashes on his victims in the novel. Although the gore that gets past the censors in the current cinematic era makes this film look quite tame, the murders are still a punch to the gut. The screenwriters faithfully transfer Ellis' novel to the screen. Although critics aren't fond of it, the author spoke up about his appreciation of the way in which the film communicates the tones and messages of the novel. Ellis writes: "Like the novel, the movie is essentially plotless, a horror-comedy with a thin narrative built up of satirical riffs about greed, status and the business values of the 1980s culture."

I must mention that despite this film being called "hilarious" by some, I couldn't find much comedy in it. For the most part the film works as an ambiguous horror film that's hard to categorise. The twists in the film are sometimes poorly distinguished...but this just means repeated viewings are wholly necessary. Another chief flaw in the film is that the power of the social satire has run dry past the first 20-30 minutes. After that point, things are on autopilot. Some of Bateman's characteristics don't surface again unfortunately. Still, it's hard to maintain a set standard for a film's running time. The spellbinding visuals are always a treat, though, with perfect visuals: great lighting, commendable cinematography and well thought out camera shots.

Despite its flaws, shortcomings and mountains of negative reviews, director Mary Harron has achieved a great film with American Psycho. Mainstream audiences may find things hard to devour, but if you watch with close scrutiny you'll pick up the masterful filmmaking on show. The film is thoroughly thought-provoking and interesting. It's a dark, deterrent tale regarding the ills of superficiality and the dehumanising effects of using too much moisturiser. This is a great reflection about an 80s society controlled by material possessions and appearances. Some will love it, some will hate it. Draw your own conclusions.

8.1/10

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American Psycho review

Posted : 2 years ago on 3 November 2007 08:30 (A review of American Psycho)

A sick and fairly confusing film, this is what brought Christian Bale to my attention as a superb actor. In the film, one man becomes so disillusioned with the homogenised yuppie nightmare of a city that he lives in that he begins to commit depraved and horrifying sexual acts and murders. Debate rages whether these murders actually occur, or whether Bateman was merely imagining them all along.

Based on a book that I couldn't actually finish because of its mortifying and graphic scenes, the film does a good job of making the whole thing filmable. What is actually a sick and twisted plot is turned into a thoroughly entertaining film with some of the best casting you ever could have hoped for.

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