American Psycho: Review By Dan

Dec 15th, 2010 by Dan
ATM Machine: Feed me a stray cat
  • OVERALL
    4.0
    GREAT
  • Story
  • Acting
  • Directing
  • Visuals
Serial killers. Sometimes I wonder about myself, when I find myself enjoying serial killer characters a lot more then 'regular' characters in movies and shows. Between Hannibal Lecter, Dexter Morgan, Early Grayce, and now Patrick Bateman, I tend to be more fascinated by them then any other type of character. And not just the fictional ones, but the real ones as well, like Gacy, Dahmer, and the bunch. Something about how we, as a society, resist the impulse at times to pick up a butcher knife, as Christian Bale's character does, and sometimes toy with the idea of thrusting it into those that annoy us. Where as a serial killer seems to have the part of the brain that determines what is moral/immoral/good/evil/right/wrong/indifferent switched off. This can be attempted to be explained by psychologists/doctors/what-have-you, but sometimes I think some people's brains are just a true mystery that no clever analogy or psychological breakdown can accurately describe..

The Plot:

Enter Bale's Patrick Bateman. One of several vice presidents of an investment firm in the 1980's (complete with enormous, ugly 'cell phones'), Bateman spends his days fussing over himself in the mirror, using 15 shower products for his skin and hair, exercising and making reservations at fancy restaurants while watching hardcore pornography, and oh, brutally killing people at night as a past time. Is there a specific drive for this murderous rage of his, boiling just under the surface at all times? Not really. And I think that is what makes him crazier then your average serial killer. Most are described as having some traumatic childhood (Hannibal Lecter watched his sister get brutalized and eaten, Dexter was baptized in a pool of his mother's blood, etc), but not really any thorough explanation for Bateman's madness. Maybe this is better described in Bret Easton Ellis's book.

What Kicked Ass:

What probably caught more then a few people off guard with American Psycho (I know it did with me), was that director Mary Harron doesn't make a clear distinction at times between when we're seeing the world through Bateman's eyes, or a normal person's. As you see him interacting with other people, he sometimes makes insane comments seemingly directly at them, but its actually in his head. I thought this was an unnerving trick employed, and works great in disarming you as you're watching. Several moments made me literally say out loud "What the f*ck?", only to be revealed moments later he didn't actually say that to the person. *Spoiler* However, as the movie progresses and his insanity builds, he crosses over from just thinking how he'd react to everyone and actually playing out his thoughts, with a body count that quickly stacks up near the end of the film (involving one kill with a chainsaw that got a thumbs up from me for originality).

The other thing that totally threw me off with American Psycho was Bale. Now, I've seen him in odd roles (the excellent The Machinist), but not like this. This is no dark knight, people, this is a demon in human skin, who can barely suppress his dark desires, and eventually lets them out in a wild eyed killing spree during the film's climax. But before we get to that point, we watch as Bale describes through narration at times his steady descent into this madness. His loathing of his co-workers and one upping him with their business cards (something he takes deep offense to), the hooker he continues to buy for rough threesome sex, and his strange amount of will power not to blast his secretary (Chloe Sevigny) in the head with a high powered nail gun, Bale showed a range of psychotic emotions on his face and body language. I believed that he was the insane person he was playing, and that is the mark of a great actor. It seems whatever role he takes on, he completely immerses himself into it, and I love that type of dedication.

And like Hannibal Lecter, Pat Bateman has a penchant for strange music while killing his victims. Not only that, but describes what their listening to, the band's history/inspirations, as he preps to murder them. As his calling card I guess you could call it, I also found this disconcerting as it painted Whitney Houston and Genesis in a completely new, dark light for me. Props to coloring them in a light that I will always associate them with this movie....

What Sucked Ass:

Not a whole lot, other then maybe the ending that may leave some confused. As Bateman murders a co-worker he is intensely jealous of named Paul Allen (Jared Leto) and confesses the murder to 'his lawyer', the lawyer proceeds to tell him that is impossible, as he literally did have lunch with the guy during the time Bateman was supposedly killing him. While we do indeed witness him murdering Leto's character with an axe, I suppose that it could be left up to interpretation whether that was really this Paul Allen person, or someone he thought was Paul Allen. One cannot be too sure of anything in American Psycho, as previously noted, because at times there is not a clean delineation between what is actually happening, and what he's imagining. So while I thought I knew what I saw, apparently I didn't, and that left me a little disappointed.

Also with the ending, I didn't feel that the plot was resolved enough. As strangely as we're swept into his world and oddities, we leave it just as quickly without any sense of finality. Was he going to get caught? Would he continue killing? How was Sevigny's character going to react upon finding his 'drawings'? I had too many questions left unanswered, and then the credits rolled. Maybe a repeat viewing is in order for me to get a clearer picture of what in the world I just witnessed.

My Overall Take:

American Psycho, for the most part, delivers the bloody goods. Like The Machinist, this is a steady descent into oblivion with Bale's character, showing his range of acting between playing a vile, sadistic character such as this, and the cool, logical Batman in Nolan's series. If you enjoy serial killer type movies, this one is certainly satisfying, and I bet you won't ever hear Whitney Houston again and not think of this movie...

Hope you've enjoyed my review! (All words, ideas are mine. Any similarities to other reviews is complete coincidence).

Do you like this review?

Comments (39)

  1. The Narrator: The Better Man

    @Supes, exactly. Lol. I too would give this film 4 stars. Favorite scene? How he goes in a charismatic rant on the nature of Huey Lewis and the News, right before he axes Paul. Fantastic. Great header by the way.

    And no worries man. Either way is fine. Lol.

    @Dave man its gonna be a while friend. Sorry folks.

    1 year agoby @narratorFlag

  2. Dan

    Hmmmm, so 2 people don't like the format, and a bunch do. Well, we'll see what I do with the next one. I appreciate all the feedback.

    And @Narrator: That's almost the conclusion I was gonna come to, whether ANY of that happened or not. What a good mind f*ck lol.

    1 year agoby @dan1Flag

  3. Daveactor7

    @Narrator im still expecting reviews from you man!

    1 year agoby @daveactor7Flag

  4. The Narrator: The Better Man

    @Supes, great review. However, I feel like you didn't get the end at all. The twist is supposed to be not whether he killed Paul Allen or not, but whether he killed ANYONE at all, or if it was all in his mind. Lol. A lot bigger than you think. Also, NEVER EVER watch that stupid sequel, American Psycho 2. Absolutely ridiculous, especially since it barely has a thread of relationship to this film, or Ellis's book.

    also, I see you've picked up this new "format"... hmm... not bad at all, but I must agree with moviegeek; you did have pretty solid reviews with a beginning, middle, end, without having to break up the good and bad in the film. I do it because I've been doing that from some of my first reviews, and it does seem neater compared to how I usually blabber on. I just thought you had a cool niche for yourself. Anyways, to each their own, and if it betters you're reviews in your eyes, go for it.

    1 year agoby @narratorFlag

  5. Dan

    Thanks guys :D

    1 year agoby @dan1Flag

  6. Jakn

    I liked this movie too. Another great review.

    1 year agoby @jaknFlag

  7. IlikePie202

    @Supes epic review.
    @babyH why're you laughing at that?

    1 year agoby @Ilikepie202Flag

  8. thedude-abides

    Lol.

    1 year agoby @thedude-abidesFlag

  9. Dan

    *Goes psycho and stabs @babyH in the eye with a pen* :P

    1 year agoby @dan1Flag

  10. Diaigma

    You know, I've yet to see this one. Don't know why. However, this is another excellently drafted review, ya psycho :P

    1 year agoby @diaigmaFlag

  11. thedude-abides

    Agree @Wich. A great new format indeed. I think u should employ that as a a regular technique from now on (when it fits). Great review.

    By the way, my business card is better than yours. :P

    1 year agoby @thedude-abidesFlag

  12. Dan

    I will! :) On my to read list.

    1 year agoby @dan1Flag

  13. slysnide

    @Supes: Ah dude you gotta read them. They're excellent!!!! I've yet to read the prequel though. I've heard mixed things about it, but I'll give it a go.

    1 year agoby @slysnideFlag

  14. Dan

    @Wichy Thanks :)

    @Sly I've read Hannibal Rising (excellent), but I've yet to read the others. I've also enjoyed all the movies.

    1 year agoby @dan1Flag

  15. Wichy

    Hahaha "What Kicked Ass," and "What Sucked Ass." Haha I think I like this new format actually lol. I laughed when I read that :P

    1 year agoby @wichitagalzlFlag

  16. Wichy

    Excellent review pal :D I couldn't agree more with your rating and review. I really agree with what you said about the ending, kinda dissapointed me a tad. And I gotta pick up those books in the Hannibal Lecter trilogy definetly :P Sounds like a good read.

    1 year agoby @wichitagalzlFlag

  17. slysnide

    @Supes: Are you gonna repost that statement at the bottom of all your future reviews? lolz

    Haven't seen this film, but saw one of the scenes where he axes a guy. Totally weird. But I gotta see the whole thing.

    I too am facinated by serial killers. I got a DVD about them which I should check to see if it's available for review here. They're the most intriguing of people. From narcissists like Zodiac & Ted Bundy to those longing to not be alone like Jeff Dahmer, there's a never ending list of facination with them.

    I first read the Hannibal Lecter trilogy in 4th grade and loved it. Still my favorite book series. Many think the books are scary, when they're actually anything but. To think that Brett Ratner bested Ridley Scott & Michael Mann in his adaptation of an installment over them?! Psychological thrillers really. Part 3 was very cultured, and about Hannibal's lifestyle in general, as well as the maniacal Mason Verger. Scott butchered it however by turning it into a film which over emphasized the creepy aspects of Lecter, as well as the violence, whereas Mann did a chop shop version of Part 1 in which he cut out half the book which was told from the killer's POV, as it delivered a view which was too empathetic & sympathetic for an eighties audience. Harris was so infuriated that fans now thought of him as a psycho that he wrote Part 2 with the same suspense and story, though with no focus on the killer and less emphasis on violence than Mann's version of Part 1 in 1986. And for that it suffered to me, though was still a suspensful read. Rattner on the other hand went back and perfected Part 1 with brilliant casting landing Edward Norton in the lead, and Ralph Fiennes as the Dragon. Excellent film. Best of the trilogy.

    1 year agoby @slysnideFlag

  18. Dan

    Oh man, when he's chasing that prostitute around his apartment, and you see the horrors of what he's been up to through her eyes, it was wicked. Then getting her with the chainsaw and she tries to escape down the stairs. Classic killer moment :P

    1 year agoby @dan1Flag

  19. Jay.A.Ottley

    Awesome review @Supes, loved this flick and and by far it definately Bale's best performance :)

    Dance scene with the axe was out of this world and the chainsaw scene xD

    1 year agoby @jayaottleyFlag

  20. Dan

    Yes big time. Thankfully MW got on it and got rid of it, though.

    1 year agoby @dan1Flag

  21. moviegeek

    Someone spammed your review? LOL.

    1 year agoby @moviegeekFlag

  22. SCREENWRITER

    Awesome review. Bale has grown so much as an actor over the years, I think. But, I think he was dull as ever in The Dark Knight. He's great in flicks like "The Machinest" and "Public Enemies", though.

    1 year agoby @the-screenwriterFlag

  23. Dan

    Now it's gone. Thank God. That sh*t was outrageous.

    1 year agoby @dan1Flag

  24. CBF

    No kidding. And why wasn't @Lindffd deleted in the first place? You knew he would just spam again! Delete @fewrqwe but let @Lindffd and @Xzcsdgwerwer stay and only wipe their profiles. Right....

    1 year agoby @comicbookfanFlag

  25. Dan

    What the f*ck is this sh*t? Movieweb, get this goddamn spam off my review, please.

    1 year agoby @dan1Flag

  26. ejk1

    Great review, dude.

    1 year agoby @ejk1Flag

  27. Daveactor7

    Great review i especially liked your take in comparing Hannibal Lecter. However, I didn't really enjoy this movie much. I did love Bale's acting

    1 year agoby @daveactor7Flag

  28. moviegeek

    It's always to break it up as well :) I'll prolly try a review like this sometime just for the heck of it.

    1 year agoby @moviegeekFlag

  29. Dan

    No, it's cool. I've thought about it for a while, maybe you're right. I'm assimilating too much into what others are doing. My next review won't be in this format. I might write it in the format to distinguish things in my mind, but I won't publish it that way.

    1 year agoby @dan1Flag

  30. moviegeek

    Forget I said anything :)

    1 year agoby @moviegeekFlag