Writer: Mary Harron and Guinevere Turner
Based on: American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
Released: January 21, 2000 (Sundance), April 14, 2000
Starring: Christain Bale, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Samantha Mathis, Chloe Sevgny, Justin Theroux, Reese Witherspoon
Plot: Patrick Bateman is an effigy of the 1980′s. Young, attractive, and wealthy he spends his days “fitting in” on Wall Street. He spends his nights mutilating colleagues and strangers to vent his frustrations with the shallow and materialistic culture he is a part of.
"I have to return some videotapes"
Ever turn to the news just to watch and laugh at the murder spree that happened in the town mall? Probably not, but American Psycho may change your mind about this. Lets hope not.
American Psycho follows Patrick Bateman. A charming, young, and attractive Wall Street yuppie, whose ultimate goal is to be better than everyone else while also trying to fitting in. Which is seemingly impossible when everyone is exactly the same – iin fact, they all seem to have trouble telling each other apart. He lives in a world where you and your peers have become the apex of society, where racism, misogyny, and drug use are all acceptable, and very well encouraged. So, how else is a man to vent out his frustrations? Let's just say he has a bloody hell of time.
This film has many elements that formed together so well – from acting to lighting to cinematography – to create an intelligent, satirical, and terrifying film. What we were given was handled so finely that it seemed to flow like a symphony; A symphony of murders, materialism, greed, and Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale), who has been introduced to me as one of the most horrifying characters that I've come to know.Patrick Bateman is something that will keep your mind and heart awake. He may not be a kind of scary that will jump out at you or has been brought back from the dead to get revenge, but something that is much darker. He is an ordinary man, who's wanting to fit in, has been taken to the extreme. The idea that he is not immortal. That he can walk with us in our daily rounds is in fact, the true horror. He is a character that will plant himself into your head and lie dormant for hours. It is this kind of horror that paralyzes you in true terror. He monologues endlessly about his daily routines and lists the ways he keeps himself looking good, but to what gain? He has reached a mindset where he believes he no longer exists with the rest of the world. He has separated himself, forming a “me and them” mentality. He even begins to refer to himself as nothing more than abstract thought and this leads to his incessant need to kill and torture without any remorse. Yet among all this insanity, it almost seems that he does this to stand out and get people to notice him.
The cinematography in this film was impressive and used to help personify this world. The shots were done in a certain way that clearly helped show the mind of Patrick Bateman. It allowed the audience to weave in and out of his train of thought. This was best represented in the scene where Patrick decides to show off his business card. The camerawork is impactful on the whole scene. It slides fluidly in and out of the frame, focusing on the card and then back to Patrick. Showing his decline to frustration.
One of my favorite aspects was the ability to be a true and successful ADAPTATION to the book. This isn't me saying that it was a page-by-page visual representation. This was what an adaptation should be. The original story is a character study of Patrick Bateman, while the film is a satirical look at the the world that Patrick happens to live in. We back away from the mind of Patrick and give him a world to interact with. And if it weren't for this the film may have never seen the light of day. I would have loved to see the true Patrick Bateman on screen, but his character is far too dark that the mainstream film-goer may be turned off by who he is. Although, his loss of character was made up by a truly fascinating film.
Some may see this film as horror/drama, but I love to see it as comedic horror film. It is completely satirical. It holds a mirror at the world and shows the true nature of man. Which is so horrifying that you can't help but laugh. There are even running jokes where Patrick has to return some videotapes and in one scene an ATM machine tells him place a cat in the money slot. These scenarios are hilariously absurd. Sure, we follow the inner-turmoil as Bateman slips into insanity, but there are moments that are just all around funny. Even all the scenes that show Patrick killing are clouded by fun and even danceable music. I can't look Huey Lewis and The News the same anymore.
There weren't many imperfections, but a few things that forced moments of the film to fall short, was because of the script. There were certain instances that felt rushed and seemed to lack development. The dialogue was sharp and clever and the overall story telling was imaginative. Yet there tended to be moments in pacing that felt off. It jumped around without at any rhyme or reason, only to return to its point of origin. Which just did not make sense. There were also many moments that felt repetitive. Don't misunderstand, a majority of these moments were successful and hit the nail on the head, but there seemed to be several instances where this was the case. Which only made for the next situation to be less meaningful. They were great, but failed to sustain my interest.
American Psycho is still one of the best adaptations to date. It gives a horrifying character an even more horrifying world to interact with. This all comes together to create an entertaining, hilarious and haunting film. It is one that will stick with you and fog your mind in very unsuspecting situations. For me that is a successful film.
4/5 Tonies
Written by Anthony Centeno
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