Review: American Psycho

So recently we upped our Netflix account. Zach was getting tired of strings of 'my movies' (i.e. cartoons or British mysteries) coming in a row. So we've adjusted our account to allow me to have a disc or 2 of a 'my stuff' in, as well as a movie that we both want to watch. Everyone wins! As a result, however, I'm limiting my movie chatterings to Monday now. Otherwise, I'd always be talking about what we saw last :) So, Movie Mondays will probably be a regular part of the ramblings here.

On a side note, we upped our movies just in time for the DVD player to die. Poor little player had put up with me and my obsessive movie watching for several years now, even after years of being the family machine. Lasted us very well. A sad day, indeed.

Anyhoo - first up from our new and expanded movie list: American Psycho.

American Psycho takes place in Manhattan during the late 1980s. Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) is a young, wealthy investment banker. He is cut-throat competitive about his appearance, his job, his dinner reservations, even his business cards. And then at night he is just cut-throat, enjoying rape, torture, and murder, actions escalating as he begins to lose control. He is aware of his psychopathic nature and tries to get help from others, but he is misunderstood or ignored, as the others in his world are as self-obsessed as he is.

It's not just a slasher flick, as I'm sure people will be quick to dismiss it as. It's actually very well done. Not saying that it's not graphic at times, but a lot is simply by suggestion. Apparently the torture scenes are VERY graphic in the book it's based on. One of my pet peeves is 'suspense' movies that end up being just blood splattered around everywhere - give me Psycho any day! So much can be covered with just suggestion, and be so much more effective as a result!

There is a lot of commentary on the self-absorption and obliviousness of that society, wrapped up in amongst the killings. Definitely one of those movies with lots of layers. A lot of the period details are neat too, like Evelyn's (Reese Whitherspoon's) hair, or Bateman's serious commentaries on Huey Lewis or Whitney Houston. Nice touches.

Christian Bale is wooonderful! So attractive and so creepy - definitely carries the movie himself. After hearing in an interview about the time of Batman Begins, that he always tries to have a new accent in each movie he does, I was honestly listening for it here in American Psycho. And it is a different voice from Batman or Howl or the other movies I've seen him in. Cockier, smarmier somehow, simply in the voice. Kudos, Christian Bale, and yet another reason I love your movies! (I would like to hear him with his native Welsh accent though!)

PS - I did like how Bruce Wayne the business man had some of Bateman's mannerisms. Anne and I both noticed that in Batman Begins - gave it a nice little edge, Wayne channeling the psychotic businessman like that :) Could be that we're both obsessed little fangirls too.... ;)

Overall: 4 of 5. I liked it, but I will admit it is a weeeeeeeird movie. This is the type of movie you can watch as a simple fun flick, or try to analyze its comments on the greed and insanity of corporate culture, etc. - could definitely have a term paper's worth of material in this movie! Christian Bale is awesome as the lead, definitely a career-making turn.

(SPOILER)

So, I have to ask - how crazy is he really!?! At the end I was honestly wondering! I mean, he's obviously crazy, and wants to kill all these people, but has he really done it? He's nuts, no one around him realizes it, but is he actually as nuts as having REALLY killed all those people?? Am very curious!

(END SPOILER)